Author Topic: Need Help Locating Crappies  (Read 4178 times)

Offline kb

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Need Help Locating Crappies
« on: Feb 16, 2009, 09:18 AM »
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
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Offline quad700

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Re: Need Help Locating Crappies
« Reply #1 on: Feb 19, 2009, 02:41 PM »
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.
Still waiting for that huge crappie to land in my frying pan.

Offline deebsey

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Re: Need Help Locating Crappies
« Reply #2 on: Feb 19, 2009, 03:03 PM »
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
;

Offline Rebelfisher

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Re: Need Help Locating Crappies
« Reply #3 on: Feb 19, 2009, 08:30 PM »
STRUCTURE, STRUCTURE, STRUCTURE!!! and aa Aqua-Vu!! ;)2



Ice Fisherman Walk on Water!

Offline salmonrebel

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Re: Need Help Locating Crappies
« Reply #4 on: Feb 19, 2009, 09:32 PM »
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! :laugh:

I've filled freezers up, doing this. ;D
         
WHACK'EM!!! AN STACK'EM!!!

Offline wi iceguy

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Re: Need Help Locating Crappies
« Reply #5 on: Feb 22, 2009, 08:34 AM »
I look for weeds, and usually where there is sunfish, there is crappie.
Ice is on the lake so we're goin' fishin'!

Offline kb

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Re: Need Help Locating Crappies
« Reply #6 on: Feb 22, 2009, 12:25 PM »
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
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Offline bart

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Re: Need Help Locating Crappies
« Reply #7 on: Feb 22, 2009, 12:40 PM »
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.
"Many fish their entire lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after."-Henry David Thoreau
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Offline salmonrebel

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Re: Need Help Locating Crappies
« Reply #8 on: Feb 22, 2009, 03:16 PM »
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
         
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Offline ChiefCatchemall

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Re: Need Help Locating Crappies
« Reply #9 on: Mar 02, 2009, 01:28 PM »
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
It'll eat.

Offline rico

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Re: Need Help Locating Crappies
« Reply #10 on: Sep 30, 2009, 04:12 PM »
In my neck of the woods they only "hole up" for short periods of time and then move. 
 

Offline Tendril77

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Re: Need Help Locating Crappies
« Reply #11 on: Jan 06, 2010, 08:36 PM »
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! :laugh:

I've filled freezers up, doing this. ;D

OMG! that is so funny! Nice one! ROFL :P
Ice fishing = #1, getting out of the house, #2 Having a beer or two with good conversation, #3 Catching fish, & #4 Getting out of the house, Did I mention #5? It is getting out of the house.

Offline icehousepsycho

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Re: Need Help Locating Crappies
« Reply #12 on: Jan 07, 2010, 07:22 AM »
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.

Offline rboot

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Re: Need Help Locating Crappies
« Reply #13 on: Jan 07, 2010, 08:10 AM »
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.
<br />Ice Fish Vermont

Offline iluvpounders

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Re: Need Help Locating Crappies
« Reply #14 on: Jan 07, 2010, 12:41 PM »
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.

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