Finding the active crappies when the bite is slow?

[Reefdawg75]

When I am fishing crappies and the bite is slow. The fish tend to just sit and look at the bait. I will jig a little, then a lot and then lift-drop-hold. The fish are still not active enough to bite. I will actively jig infront of a fish for up to 2 - 3 minutes, and nothing. Then yesterday I discovered that if I lift the bait a foot or two above the fish and jig and make the fish swim up to it, then lift again, and again, all the way up to the hole. They will either hit it or loose interest. Have you guys given this a try? Is this a good way to weed out the lookers vs. the biters?

Reefdawg

[Scott Steil]

Without giving away all my secrets (LOL) I will say this. The slow take away is the best way to get crappies and gills to bite. I rarely use aggressive jigging for panfish anymore. I have learned that more times then not aggressive jigging scares fish off. If the slow lift isn't the ticket then constant slow jigging usually is. Granted somedays nothing seems to work to get those really inactive fish to bite, I have found the both techiniques mentioned above to be the best overall.

Again, I want to mention how much you can learn from doing some sight fishing. The best sight fishing is just around the corner. Don't miss out on the hot last ice bite!

[IceHawk]

This method works great for crappies and bluegills. I start by targeting the top fish first. By dropping my lure right above them and working it to the top, 9-10 times I can get them to bite. I prefer yellow stren 2lb line for this style of fishing alot of times the fish will just suck on the jig causing the line to slightly straighten out on the bite. The key is to always remember crappies eyes are located on the top of their head and they always feed up.

[united jigsticker]

Yes sir.

This is known as the keep away method of angling Crappies, which is the most common amongst avid Crappie fisherman.

Tested, tried, and true, this is a very excellent method for snagging finicky feeders, and can have further effectivness when combined with a few other tricks and secrets for-mentioned on this forum by some of the states best Crappie sticks and fellow FM users.

[This message has been edited by united jigsticker (edited 02-17-2003).]

[Renneberg]

Ya that works for me too. If you see them lose interest in the bait after they followed it up, drop it back down. Palm the line to slow the drop or let it free fall. Watch your vex to see if them chase it back down on the slower or faster drop. Stop at the depth that you first seen the fish come in.
This often keeps them interested in it enofe to give you a second or third try at them.

With this rise and drop method I've kept crappies interested in a bait for 5 minutes or more, before they would bite.

[Reefdawg75]

Thanks for the suggestions. I will have to start slowing down the presentation.

Scott,
Are you saying that late ice panfish move shallow enough or suspend close enough to the ice that you can site fish? Wow, I will have to try this. What kind of structure or bottom should I look for these late ice fish.

Thanks,
Reefdawg

[Scott Steil]

Reefdawg, right before the water clouds up from run off of melted ice and snow the fishing can be terrific. I like shallow feeding flats off deep water. Sometimes as shallow as 4 or 5 ft. Yes, you can usually see the fish really easily. It is a blast and you will learn more about how fish react to your bait in one day then you will in a full year of fishing deep water. It is a blast and a lot of die hard bluegills guys live fopr this time of year. If they are not in that shallow you may find then in 10-12 ft of water but 4-5 ft down and you can still see them. As it gets later they will move even shallower.

[united jigsticker]

Are we shaking dice? Cuz Scott is on a roll!!!

I find too that the Gills come late ice will cruise over the deeper water during the day, and yes sir, they probably will only be down a few or more feet.

Come twighlight period, get on those weed edges and flats and hold on, cuz them hefty Bulls are gonna corkscrew up the holes, twist your line. and bend your poles.

If ya think your getting interference down 3 or 4 feet, cover the hole and take a peak down there. You might be surprised as to what you see.

Fish On! Fish Off!