What's working now-Post what's working for you.

[OnAFly]

+1 Very effective method. I use a lot of twister tails instead of gulp for this method though. I'm sure both work well.

[Jim Uran]

I agree on the lighter jigs, I'll step down to a lighter jig if they aren't taking the 1/8 oz jig. I like to cast as far as I can from the boat and that's where a majority of my hits were coming from, the added weight adds to the distance I can cast.

There's nothing like that thump on a jig!!!

[chuckwagon]

I have been hammering the crappies down deep with a 1/8 bright yellow plastics.

[carpmanjake]

the crappies are starting to bed down here. but there are alot of fish staging in deeper water along nesting areas. ive been getting quite a few using 1/16oz jigs, and YUM! vibra king tubes, and beaver tails.

i have also been seeing and catching many right under peoples boat lifts.

use a LONG rod, im using a 12' telescopic pole. and dip a jig in there.

[ozzie]

carpmanjake- I bought a 12' pole this year just for dock fishing by dropping jigs. that is fun as heck to try to fight a good fish with the 12' rod and then trying to get them out of the dock or boat lift!!! good times.....

[carpmanjake]

carpmanjake- I bought a 12' pole this year just for dock fishing by dropping jigs. that is fun as heck to try to fight a good fish with the 12' rod and then trying to get them out of the dock or boat lift!!! good times.....

definately takes some practice to get the technique of flipping fish over the bars on the boat lifts. even when you do you lose a few fish. but still as fun as can be!

[ozzie]

yeah it is a technique that you are bound to lose a fish or two with and is nerve wracking when you know you got a good fish on and you have to lift it over a bar or two!!

[OnAFly]

Went out on sat morning. Threw a chartreuse woolybugger in shallow and got lots of larger sunfish. Started throwing it out deeper and found more bass mixed in with a few med sunnies.

Later in the morning I threw a white rubber legged woolybugger and got the same results. Color and legs didn't seem to matter.

[Comit 2]

Glow Yellow Power bait Crappie Nibbles on a flu-flu type 1/32oz jig in yellow. To find them you can use a night crawler on a bottom bouncer with a spinner.

[pushbutton]

CRANKBAITS!

[Comit 2]

Get out the Hot-n-Tots.

[Jim Uran]

Basin areas with a jig and a minnow have produced for me in my area. With in 5 feet from the bottom.

[Nate_13]

Ok, long story short, I currently live in Dakota county, grew up in Western MN fishing eyes on k-masters and sweedish pimples. We had a few opportunities in Western MN to get on some crappies and perch, but they were few and far between, or at least on the lakes I fished as a kid.

I live close to Lake Marion currently and am looking to get back into ice fishing and I figured a smaller lake would be the way to go for now. I'm not looking for "secret" spots, certain lures, or anything like that. I just love to ice fish and any assistance to Lake Marion or lakes in the area (willing to travel) that would be great for eye's (especially the eyes), crappies, perch...or anything that will bite would be great!!!

Hope the fishing is great for all....be careful out there!!

[jjjohnson]

OK. I am a musky guy and dont do much Ice fishing. This weekend I will be chasing pannies in northern Minnesota. Any advice on where I should look for them. I know all lakes are different. There is a 48' hole surrounded by points and hopefully some weed beds that go out to 12' on the lake I will be at . Any advice?

[Scott M]

Don't know what it's like up north but I'm getting fish on shallow flats in southern MN. It should be a progression to shallow water as March moves into April and inches closer to spawning. There are lots of old threads about panfish movement into shallow waters for late ice and into open water, and then into spawning. Try those weed beds and the points. It's probably too late to see fish suspended over deep water but a couple holes can satisfy your curiosity. Good luck.

[Jim Uran]

I would say those fish will be in the shallow weedy points, tucked away in those inside turns and pockets in the weeds during the day, and then they will move out over the basin to feed at dusk/dawn. That's the patter I've been seeing in my area recently.

[Greg Clusiau]

Found a suspended school of crappies this morning and caught them by casting this Yo-Zuri "Snap Bean" into the fish or by slow-trolling through them. Smaller fish but fun anyway. Never kept anything.

[TonyKay]

I found a bunch on thursday morning suspended ove 15 fow right at the surface to about 5ft below the surface. Picked them off one right after another with a beetle spin burned right under the surface..

[itchmesir]

been finding most of my bluegills right now near 5-10' breaks... #8-10 buggers have been working fine.. have gotten a few on poppers but they aren't nearly aggressive enough yet to take them completely.. lot of missed strikes due to them taking their time and biting the rubber legs instead of the hook area... also Alive Maggots have done really well for me

[pushbutton]

A jig and a minnow. As Itch mentioned and where i was this weekend the fish are not aggressive enough yet for artificial. You will find some takers, but get a lot more with live. Actually, a tactic i use often during the year and especially on unfamiliar water is to start off searching with plastics, once you locate active fish with it, then pull out the meat. Here is a few from this weekend; nearly all the fish were males a tad under 14. Can't wait for the girls to show up!

[cyeezy]

pushbutton, how many fow are you fishing right now? i can find them shallow on some lakes but can't find them anywhere at all on others.

[pushbutton]

Those fish came out of about 7 ft of water, but the depth did not have as much to do with it as did the water temperature. The water temp is around 6 degrees warmer in this spot as compared to the rest of the lake; it is where another warmer lake is flowing into a colder one. The fish are where they are at to bulk up before spawning. Interesting note on the warmer lake is that it is so deep this year that some of the normal spawning grounds that i know of are no more. Have yet to find where they are yet. Every lake is different and you have to figure the different patterns out on each one. Then weird weather years can even change those patterns In most cases the fish are going to be up shallow feeding and/or preparing for the spawn or staging/holding in deeper water close to their spawning grounds. Electronics really help to find the latter.

[mainbutter]

bead headed pink squirrels and bead headed white woolly buggers on the 4wt fly rod were the ticket for gills and crappies recently Nothing taking topwater poppers yet.

[itchmesir]

dries at dusk are a hit

[OnAFly]

I'll second the white wooly buggers. I was throwing a #10 with a 1/8th" bead. Good slow sink got lots of strikes. Few were had on the fast strip.