Ice out crappie techniques!

[Jim Uran]

As hard as it is to say, I believe the ice fishing season is finally over! With my ice gear almost put away it’s time to think about some ice out tactics for crappies. I’ll share some of the things I have learned over the last few years.

A lot of us like to wait until the water hits that magical low 60’s mark to go out and hit the beds, but why wait? It’s a little harder to peg them down right after ice out, but once you find them, you find them in numbers, and it sure is rewarding putting that work in and finding the pattern.

Don’t go busting into the shallows expecting to find the fish stacked up like cord wood, instead think of the last spot you were at while ice fishing and target those areas. Whether it is next to a shallow bay, or off the edge of some mid-lake structure, those fish will still be in that area. You can catch them during the day but your best bet is late afternoon and evenings just like you did while you were sitting on the ice last week!

I start out circling the area I plan to fish with my trolling motor and my eyes fixed on my locater. If you mark fish back off and toss some small jigs and plastics/minnows/waxies or whatever at them and see if you can get them to bite. I usually count the jig down and work it back to the boat with an occasional pause. I like to use plastics this time of year, anything from tubes to 2” Gulp minnows. Depending on the depth and mood of the fish, I use jigs ranging from 1/32 up to a ¼ oz.

My favorite jig to use is a thumper jig from Northland Fishing Tackle, they have a spinner blade coming off the bottom of the jig head that adds noise and flash. They also make the Thumper Crappie King basically it’s the thumper jig with a twister tail on it; looks like it will be an awesome jig for this purpose! Lindy makes some deadly proven jigs, Fuzz-E-Grubs, Little Guppy’s, and one that I haven’t tried out yet, Lindy's Dancin' Crappie Sping Jig

Don’t be scared to throw the anchor out and use some floats and live bait! Sometimes it’s nice just to sit back and relax and fan cast the area with a slip float, usually set it so that it’s at least half way up the water column. We are talking cooler water after all and the fish sometimes just aren’t aggressive enough to chase down something you are reeling in.

As the water warms throughout the season and even throughout the day, the fish will move in shallower to warm up and when they warm up so do their appetites. But that’s a whole new write up, so don’t go waiting for the fish to move in, get out and find them!

[dairyman]

well --looks like you made it out already. Great article,I have to pick up some of those jigs

[ozzie]

Well said leechbait....I do the same things mentioned and have already produced one decent evening!! Can't wait to get back out!!

[Jim Uran]

Actually that pic was from last year, April 7th I believe... what a difference a year can make. I'm itching to get out though, so hopefully soon the lakes will be fishable!

[ozzie]

right as the sun goes past the tree line is the best time for me as I can find the crappies surfacing and target them from there....sure is fun and cool to see the lake explode and fish scatter over a 20x10 area of a lake....makes you realize just how many fish are schooling together!!

[reinhard1]

i agree. i have seen that many times. great time to be on the water. good luck.

[Chad Peterson]

Good read Leech! Now is the time to get out and target the patterns.

Sniffer

[Wish-I-Were-Fishn]

Now is the time to buy a side imaging sonar

[TruthWalleyes]

Now is the time to buy a side imaging sonar

Was just thinking the same thing...Now be big decision, 5" or 7" screen Only a $500 difference.

[whitebassman]

Now is the time to buy a side imaging sonar

Absolutely. Thats how i find them suspended schooling crappies. Awesome device. Eliminates so much empty water. Gotta find a way to download pics on here.

[dairyman]

dang -----------I'd like to see that........

[solbes]

Absolutely. Thats how i find them suspended schooling crappies. Awesome device. Eliminates so much empty water. Gotta find a way to download pics on here.

I've always struggled finding the crappies early season until the water warms. Good tips here.

As far as uploading pics, you used to have to use external file hosting sites. Now you can do it right here on this site. While in the reply screen, look above for a button with looks to be a diskette or house (or what is that?). It has a little blue up arrow. Click that and you can upload files right to the site. Super easy now.

[Jeremy airjer W]

Excellent info Leech!

[Wish-I-Were-Fishn]

I've heard the small screams aren't worth it for side imaging