Finicky crappie

[1timothy1]

Went out today new spot.  I could see the crappie but they would not bite I used pink orange chart  size 10 or 12 hooks tipped with minnows on one and spike on other.   Was getting frustrated.  Should I go smaller size like to a 16  or would it be the 3 pound line I used.  Any help be appreciated

[Graygills22]

Could be the crappie weather shut them down...

[crappieslayer37]

There are days when they just don't bite

[Eye_Crosser86]

Blue chrome jiggin rap

[kesdadddy7597]

Sometimes an ice fly with no bait will do the trick

[ftwwalleye]

Sometimes an ice fly with no bait will do the trick

Second that. Last week inter I was marking crappie and couldn't get much. Hairy light flies dropping real slow did the job....or plastics

[Hoosier Ice Pirate]

Sounds like a good time to try a Bricker Bug.

[river_scum]

like they already said, im betting on barometric pressure being at fault.  sounds like you did what you could.

you say you could see crappie.  was that on the finder, camera, or sight fishing?

[Colddriver]

I here alot about pink for crappie but imho i believe its the white that is usualy matched with pink is what does the trick for me.I also had a heck of a time to get them crappie to bite yesterday , went to a white jig,purple maki plastic "MAKI" and one red spike smashed between fingers before puting down the hole.
guys around me were catching the little ones but it seemed that mine were all alot bigger....
and dont forget try something BIG, slender spoon /pimple,loaded with meat..

[Fishslayer81]

They guys that consistently catch Crappie through out the season use Ice Fly's with no bait.

[northrn-duck-assassin]

One member posted using small ice flies vmc makes great tungsten ice flies now or the imfamous bricker bug too. But also try plastics. And plastics with no bait. Be suprised of the bite u can get with no bait plastics and flies

[1timothy1]

I was sight fishing the plastic plain hook or white jig

[CWlake]

When the slow baitless drop is not working, get really aggressive with your jigging, bouncing it hard will get them to inhale and blow it back. You have to be really quick on the hookset.

[Jigmup]

Fish with me!

[Fishking83]

Fish with me!

I bet when I finally do I'll ice my 1st walleye

[Jigmup]

I bet when I finally do I'll ice my 1st walleye

...and a bunch of crappie 

[river_scum]

 thats just terrible that you have to weed threw a bunch of "trashy crappie", to get some walleye.  lol  hey they could be bullheads.

[Jigmup]

Not trashy at all, just pesky! I understand that they are sought after by many and with good reason.
You should know by now that they hold no special place in my heart LOL!
I do dig the tug though!

[Jigmup]

Oh...and bullhead taste pretty good!

[marmooskapaul]

Not trashy at all, just pesky! I understand that they are sought after by many and with good reason.
You should know by now that they hold no special place in my heart LOL!
I do dig the tug though!

Sometime in your past you got kicked by a mule..didn't you. Maybe a jackass or horse and could have been a cow...but it most definitely had four strong legs...lol.


Paul

[slabgill]

Ice fly!!!

[tightliner812]

...and a bunch of crappie 

Is this why I caught that catfish ?  Out in the Mecca of walleye and I get a catfish lol

[river_scum]

understand the pesky part.  9"craps used to pester me back when i trolling 8" sticks for skis. lol  rip them off and put back in the holder.

Oh...and bullhead taste pretty good!

you got that rite buddy!

[Jigmup]

Is this why I caught that catfish ?  Out in the Mecca of walleye and I get a catfish lol

Put 2 and 2 together! Yah most likely!
The sound of my boots crunching ice is similiar to the Pied Piper playing.

Oh and Paul....maybe it was that spill I took years ago while doing this. That was like a donkey boot.

[Jigmup]

To stay on topic though,
Maybe since crappie have such large eyes, they can not only see better during low light but when the water is clear and light penetrates the ice more they have like bionic 4k ultra hd vision. Maybe they sit down there analyzing the offering and compare it to what it should look like. Heck, maybe there are crappie field trips to educate the youngins this time of year.

Plain no.8 or 10 hook and a minnow.

[High Tide]

To stay on topic though,
Maybe since crappie have such large eyes, they can not only see better during low light but when the water is clear and light penetrates the ice more they have like bionic 4k ultra hd vision. Maybe they sit down there analyzing the offering and compare it to what it should look like. Heck, maybe there are crappie field trips to educate the youngins this time of year.

Plain no.8 or 10 hook and a minnow.

Close! Lol They have a bionic eye in the dark, but those same eyes paralyze them in the day... sometimes they simply can't see to feed. That's usual why it can be a color thing that gets them to go, but it may add the right contrast to see the bait.
When it's an ice fly bite, it could be be for a couple reasons, but usually it's because they're feeding on an insect hatch. Black crappie, would rather key on the insect hatch than a minnow fry hatch. The proof is in their fillet. When you clean a black it looks closer to a Gill fillet, than a white crappie because it has a more balanced diet.
A lot of aquatic insects react to light penetration, so in natural lakes it's more likely that they feed all night. You add a low pressure, full moon, clear ice, no fishing pressure... almost a guarantee night bite.

Crappie in clear water can also be very line shy as well as sonar ping shy, and very smell shy... that why I take scent free showers regardless of hunting season, and always pump gas with a rubber glove on.

[Jigmup]

Even though mine had a comdedic note to it, I just got

[tater140]

Good info high tide... could you elaborate a bit more on how a cleaned crappie fillet compares to a gills fillet.  I have generally thought black crappie were fairly mushy in texture as compared to a gill.

[wax_worm]

Good info high tide... could you elaborate a bit more on how a cleaned crappie fillet compares to a gills fillet.  I have generally thought black crappie were fairly mushy in texture as compared to a gill.

They are....better in the winter when water is cold than in the spring or summer.  The crappies I catch and keep go into the 'give away' fish bags.  I can tell the difference every time between a crappie fillet and gill or perch.

[High Tide]

LOL @ Jigmup... bet you don't get to use that sticker much. Of course, I was playing on the comic note.

@ Tater- no doubt black crappie have a softer fillet than gills, but not near as soft as a shad eating white crappie. White crappie spring for minnows before bugs, so their fillet almost always has a distinct favor. It's just like a walleye from Prairie Creek and a walleye from Summit has distinct favors, as PC is a shad eating walleye, and a Summit eye eats gills regularly. Of course I bake just about all my fish with little seasoning so it's very noticeable.

I never keep crappie until the water temp goes below 45 degrees, and only bake black crappie (I also notice a favor difference when fish are in the spawning window) I also never let my fish freeze on the ice like I see many anglers do. If you want to take your fish fillets to the next level, I'd consider gutting the catch ASAP (when ice fishing), keeping them cold in a bucket as opposed to throwing them on ice, then taking them home and fillet or scale. Then lay them out on a cookie sheet and set them outside to freeze, then bring them in to vacuum seal. It's very difficult to tell a Gill from a natural lake black crappie handling that way even when baking them... but it's a lot of work.