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My favorite way and the best way Ive found to catch BIG Crappie consistently through the ice is with treble hooks. I dead stick w/ a minnow and a small split shot. The key to this method is finding size 18 trebles preferably gold. They are very tiny and hard to tie onto your line, but well worth it. If I'm targeting big specks this is the only way I fish. When I want small eaters I jig for them w/a small tear drop and spikes. I do good and usually get plenty of gills too. Hook the treble through the minnows back and let it set above the fish on your flasher, I usually set it 4-5 ft above crappie, they will come get it when they are ready. Let them hit it a couple of times, resist the urge to grab the rod. I grab it on the third tap and 95% of the time I get them. I have caught a lot of nice crappie this way, especially when the bite is slow. Plenty of 13-14" ers. My best being 14 1/2", which is a good size for our area. I learned this technique from a guy who has caught them as big as 16". Good luck and give it a try sometime when the bite gets slow.
It took me til yesterday to find these itty bitty trebles. #18 but they only had bronze. Not gold. Going to be trying them this week on my dead stick. Thanks for the tip. Good heavens are these things small.