Need Help Locating Crappies

[kb]

How do you locate crappies?  All I have is a topo of the local lakes, and not much detail with that.  Im having a miserable year catching ANYTHING. 

Thanks,

kb

[quad700]

Go on a week day and start hole hopping.The bad thing about ice fishing is you can see where everyone has been.This is also a good thing.Use a electronic flasher or finder,start hopping holes looking for structure/brush.You can also be on crappies and they have lock jaw.

[deebsey]

Get a camera.....drill a ton of holes and drop and look.....Drop and look.....repeat....Or wait till ice out and drift with a boat and depth finder and mark waypoints with GPS

[Rebelfisher]

STRUCTURE, STRUCTURE, STRUCTURE!!! and aa Aqua-Vu!!

[salmonrebel]

Look for the guys catchin' them. Then go and tell them that their wife is waiting for them on shore,...and fish THEIR holes when they leave, thinking they're going to get their a@$! chewed out, if they stay any longer!

I've filled freezers up, doing this.

[wi iceguy]

I look for weeds, and usually where there is sunfish, there is crappie.

[kb]

Today I was on a known crappie hotspot, and didnt mark or catch a single one.  I pulled up plenty of weeds, but no fish.  I was using a hali with maggots, tip-ups with minnows, and still no luck.

Grrrrr

kb

[bart]

I usually find crappies where I find Gills. Make sure you fish the entire water column, you'll bump into them or might pull in suspended Crappies from nearby. I don't know if you have a flasher? They help a whole lot, a whole lot! With this all said, I have trouble finding Crappies at times myself also...Hope this helps, good luck.

[salmonrebel]

Just recently caught them, suspended about 2-3 feet off the bottom in a shallow water lake, was fishing in about 10-11ft. of water

[ChiefCatchemall]

Just recently caught them, suspended about 2-3 feet off the bottom in a shallow water lake, was fishing in about 10-11ft. of water

Ditto. Got into them last night. Take it 2 foot off bottom then close the bail. Jig up till you get to the top of the shanty then let it fall slowly. Slack in the line... and bam dinner time haha

[rico]

In my neck of the woods they only "hole up" for short periods of time and then move. 

[Tendril77]

Look for the guys catchin' them. Then go and tell them that their wife is waiting for them on shore,...and fish THEIR holes when they leave, thinking they're going to get their a@$! chewed out, if they stay any longer!

I've filled freezers up, doing this.

OMG! that is so funny! Nice one! ROFL

[icehousepsycho]

Crappies are usually over deeper water.  Look for water 12-20 feet deep, this is where I usually find them.  Look for weeds or especially wood, they love wood, in this depth range.  Remember deep is relative.  Your lake may only be 10 feet deep.  Crappies won't be in the deepest water, either, due to lack of oxygen.  They will be in the deeper mid-ranges.  Use your topo map and find a steep dropping shoreline with a giant fallen tree or 2 (not a pine) and fish these, that's what I do with great success.  If you are familiar with a lake, crappies are usually in the same spot in winter as in summer.  The flasher and camera are invaluable tools to have.

[rboot]

Use your topo if thats all you got, crappie right now might be suspended in deep water.  Look for long basins of about 30-36 fow.  Also, use your map to find inside turns.  Youc an find fish on inside turns 90 % of the time.

[iluvpounders]

also if you're only fishing during the day you are probably missing out on the best bite! Basically if you go out to fish a spot at noon and there are holes all over the place but nobody actually fishing then don't bother. Come out when there are people out there. I like to fish crappies from predawn until 10:00am and then from 4:00pm until 8 or 9pm. And if you don't have a flasher then wait till people are out there and ask them what depth the fish are at. I usually find active crappies at about 10 feet in 18 feet of water.