Crappie or Bluegill, NO PERCH

[adirondackfreeze]

(Plattsburgh, Lake Champlain and surrounding lakes/ponds)

Flat out I'm sick of Perch.  I have a few "hot spots" where I can catch them all day...  my question...  This season, how do I get into the Crappie or Bluegill?  Is it my bait, location, or jigging technique?  I mostly use swedish pimples with a half or whole pinhead...

And I won't even get into the years I've spent trying to catch a Walleye!

Thanks in advance.

[cnyiceboy]

Allot of it sounds like it might be your lure,bait and location. Crappies bite better early AM to late afternoon into night time. pimples really aren't a good bait for them. I'd try and find your self a place you know has crappies and start with a small jig with wax worms or other type of bait. Find structure or contour changes in the lake or pond. Gills the same except you should be able to catch those all day.

[pvbehr920]

By a horizontal jig and jamei from makiplastics.

[bigredonice]

Maybe you should try some different spots.   I've done really well in champlain for crappies and bluegills.   Kings Bay, Kelly Bay, catfish bay.   Saranac impoundments like franklin falls are famous for being loaded with walleyes.

[prchslyr]

I actually do really well with a small pimple tipped with a fathead for crappie. I'm not good enough to get them consistently with plastics.   
You can't work the very bottom like you usually do for perch. Depending on your location, some crappie will be more than 1/2 way up the water column.
When they get picky. I'll throw a size 12 treble on with fathead. Dead stick my jig like a tipup. This may be the last year to be able to use 3 rods ice fishing, but that method works great when I get on them. 3 holes in a 1/2 circle around my bucket. If you can dial in the proper depth (Electronics is key) set all lines to that depth and magic will happen eventually. 

[run320083]

The first key is to find the Crappies. Drill a bunch of holes ahead of time and then bounce from hole to hole. Jig a wax worm/ minnow or plastic in each one to see if there is maybe some Crappies close by. You want to be jigging in the mid to upper part of the water column. Once you find some you might need to move just a slight bit get over top of the suspended fish. Once it gets closer to dark they will really turn on. Don't be afraid to use smaller baits as it can trigger them to hit when they are not so aggressive.

[greensider]

pimple with a pinch of worm or waxi for big gills

[adirondackfreeze]

Thanks for all the input.  Nobody said anything about shallow, say 6' or deeper 12' with weeds...

[Fontona19]

I actually do really well with a small pimple tipped with a fathead for crappie. I'm not good enough to get them consistently with plastics.   
You can't work the very bottom like you usually do for perch. Depending on your location, some crappie will be more than 1/2 way up the water column.
When they get picky. I'll throw a size 12 treble on with fathead. Dead stick my jig like a tipup. This may be the last year to be able to use 3 rods ice fishing, but that method works great when I get on them. 3 holes in a 1/2 circle around my bucket. If you can dial in the proper depth (Electronics is key) set all lines to that depth and magic will happen eventually.

I believe the proposed reg is for 7 "devices". You could run 7 rods if that is what happens. 


Staying above crappies is crucial. If you are below them when the school comes through you are going to miss some fish. Obviously electronics are key. Use all kinds of techniques until you find what they want. With crappies less is usually more, and minnows can be tough to beat.

[waltman]

GOOD POST   YEA I DID OK LAST YR ON THE GILLS ON WAX WORMS WITH A PLAIN  SNELL HOOK

[boss j]

gills: small jigs and wax worm dropped to the bottom and pounded into bottom a few times then lift 2-3 inches off bottom to jig.
crappies: small jigs wax worms, spoons with wax worms, minnows they all may work. drop just under ice and start jigging slowly dropping down little bit at a time. fish down to bottom then back up. watch your electronics till you see fish jig that depth range.

[Cheeks13]

Spring bobbers are key too. Crappies usually feed up so you don't always feel them hit. Using a spring bobber in conjunction with electronics is deadly! You can watch the fish rise to the bait and then watch the spring bobber go up and set the hook. Crappies are fun. They are finnicky too!

[river rat78]

I think the most important item in locating crappies or bluegills would be a flasher. More often than not you will catch them suspended. For crappies anything that resembles a minnow should work. Weather it be a plastic or jigging rapala. You can also get them on small jigs tipped with a waxworm or spike. If you don't have a spring bobber look for your line to go slack. They like to feed up. For bluegills small jigs like marmooskas or gill pills tipped with a waxworm or spike work. You can also use smaller plastics that are around 1/4-1/2" in length.

[Reelemin]

Look for standing weeds for gills, sunfish, and crappies.....If you have no weeds were you fish try locating rock piles, wood, or other structure that may attract the crappies! Small Jigs tipped with waxworms, emerald shiners, fathead minnows, or better yet, plastics.... will always catch the specs!

[Cheeks13]

Crappies will also suspend over the deepest water in a given area. Good place to start looking.

[waltman]

great post

[fiskasassassin]

i had late season luck last year for crappies in the small boat harbor with a small gold cast master tipped with small minnow up high foot under the ice or so i also seen them caught on marmooskas black and orange and white and pink hope this helps with crappies for the gills bros bug tipped with wax worms pounding the bottom then step up the ladder as they say