what to do for stubborn crappies??????

[iluvcrappie]

i went out this morning at 4 and drilled my holes set up my portable and put my flasher in the hole and i was on the top of a school of crappies they stayed around until 730 at which time they moved in about 20 yards toward shore......anyway i sat on that school for from 4 till 730 and never got a bite....what am i doing wrong or not doing that i should be?  the school of fish never left the spot  i was on for those 3 and a half hours....i dont understand what their deal is why dont they bite or are they biting so soft that i cant feel them and need to start fishing with a spring bobber???      give me some pointers on what to do to get my school of slabs to bite.........

[mike-n-cin1]

I would suggest some sort of strike indicator. Late season the fish are really slow and super light biters. I have been catching alot of fish thish basically on accident. I can see they are on my jig with the flasher and if you pick up the rod there is usually a fish there. If you are not quick it lets go. I am using a neutrally weighted bobber where 2 more maggots will sink it. It does not even move so that will tell you how light it is. I have seen people work together with a camera. One person will keep there eye on the camera and tell his partner when to setthe hook. When you get this late ice I have seen where the fish just swim up with there mouth open and never actually close it and jus drift back down. This is where the camera is usefull. Did you have any lookers while you were out if not try some other baits. I would say to go small really small. If they do hit a smaller jig will go in deeper. I hope this is usefull to you and be safe

[iluvcrappie]

i am kinda new to a spring bobber never actually uswed one but have seen them work and im gonna try that out in the morning......that should let me know how light the bite is..........by the way the other day we were using a camera (me and my uncle) and i was telling him when to set the hook because like you said they do bite very very light i watched many crappies come up to his bait hit it and the bobber didnt even move...........the camera helps out a lot when you can use it.......yesterday i tried to lower the camera in the school and they spooked off so i didnt try using it this morning.....i found the ones that are aggressive i was in 26ft and was getting them to come all the way up to 8 fow for my waxie but i dont think that the ultra light ugly stick is sensative enough so on to the next step SPRING BOBBER   hopefully it helps...........

[panfishing pirate]

try putting your pole up as high as you can and jig down to the hole watching your line, if you see your line kinks or swirls up almost like if your on bottom. set the hook its a crappie.hope this helps 

[panfishman13]

get a camera, it helps.

[iluvcrappie]

i already have a camera i dont like to use it because it spooks the fish

[Ice Dog 67]

i already have a camera i dont like to use it because it spooks the fish

The way it sounds you have nothing to lose by using it.  Give it a shot again.

[bart]

Tip-downs with minnows would improve your odds and sometimes it's all the crappies really want.

[iluvcrappie]

i have used minnows and they come up to it and just sit there and look at it then back away its no good ive even used freshwater shrimp and thats no good either idk what to do anymore 

[chezmoose]

I made an interesting observation a few weeks ago. I was jigging for pike with a buckshot with a couple small minnows on it. Twice, I had a crappie come in and stare at my lure but then turned away. Both times, I pulled the buckshot up and dropped down a ratso and quivered it lightly. Both times, the crappie came back in and nailed it.
Now I can't really say if the rattle lured them in, or if the ratso triggered them to bite, or if it'll ever work again, but I plan to try it again!

[captain54]

We told you what to do. Just posting about your problem is not going to get the job done.It's up to you,if I was there I'd ice them and show you how to do it.

[bluecaddisfly]

quarter stick of dynamite?

[Skipper]

Sometimes I will upset the situation if the fish just wont do ANYTHING. I will use my camera to stir up the bottom and make a silt or mud cloud. This will almost always scare the fish off initially, but they always come back to see what kind of goodies I stirred up for them to eat. In many cases I will pick up a few fish after I "wake them up".

another trick I use....

Put a line down with small jig and a waxy with a bobber, leave it alone and don't jig it! Put a flashy spoon on a second rod and jig the crap out of it. A spoon that has a rattle is a bonus. Many times, you will start catching fish on that deadstick. Crappie seem to be curios creatures, they come in to see what that noise and flash from the spoon is. Once you get their attention with the spoon, they often eat the waxy hanging a few feet away.

[digger953]

quarter stick of dynamite?

that would definitly do it but you might make your hole to big

[Lobes]

I know it's not the answer a lot of people like to deal with but, when I'm on a school of fish that won't bite, I move until I find fish that are actively feeding. It's the reason I invested in the electronics. My camera has never spooked a big school of fish into not feeding. I have seen the times when they cruise right up and it looks like they hit a wall when they see my presentation. That's when I throw on a few likely paterns for them to try and then if they don't turn on that's when it's time to be thinkin' ... SEE YA !!! And if necessary we're off to another lake. The video below is me and my wife getting ready to move. Small fish and non-biters to boot!

http://s85.photobucket.com/albums/k47/lobernm/?action=view&current=Icevid1-01-25-08.flv

                                             
NBG