Ice out panfishing tactics

[RHW]

In just a couple weeks, the ice will be leaving, I hope. Anyone care to share tactics for panfish when the ice first leaves.
I have heard of fisherman litterly casting jigs up onto remaining ice, then slowly pulling it until it sinks into the open water. Some have said this is a dynomite time for crappies. Are the panfish really there and willing to bite or have they swam off into some type of holding pattern until the water temps gets just right. The water has got to be frigid and the fish still lethargic. I understand panfish seek food and go where the supply is at. This is the toughest time of the year for me to figure them out and what I should be doing and using. Specially interested in Mississippi backwater type fishing this time of year. I know flooding can be an issue this time of year, but some have said they use this to their advantage.

[CrappieJohn]

Water, even the clear stuff, warms quite rapidly after the cap of ice has disappeared. On even cloudy days open water can rise as much as a couple degrees down a few feet. Remember that cold nighttime air pulls most of the heat back into the air, but unless a re-freeze occurs the water does continue to warm. Here in the southern part of the state the key is to stay in the deepest water in the area you are fishing, being mindful that each body of water can have several deep areas. I seldom use any bait, but I keep things very small in the early open water. Crapster

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Sure life happens- why wait

[RHW]

Tom, I knew for some reason, if anyone would respond, it would be you. Yes, I know to keep it small. Deep water you say huh?
Some would say shallow mud bottoms heat up faster. However, it is like the water is gin clear and extremely cold. North side that gets the heat quicker. I really think the panfish are confused more this time of year than any other. Should they come in close where it might be warmer or stage out farther and let things adjust more to their metabolism. What I don't understand is that late ice can be a huge producer, you know catching slabs just under the ice. On Monday there can be iffy ice, and by Thursday, no ice. Where did those late ice fish go in just a couple days? Do they still stage in the immediate area they could be caught just under the ice or do they get confused and take off for different stratospheres?
We all know that come late April, first of May they will be up in the shallow toasting warm water looking for forage. Yes, the day time temps get warm, but the night time temps bring it back down square one, so really nothing gained and nothing lost.
Unless of course, it should freeze that night. The warmer days ahead predict their movement. It is what I refer to as that sterile period between immediate period after the ice leaves until the warm consistant days of actual spring.

[This message has been edited by RHW (edited 03-11-2003).]

[Scott Steil]

The bites change pretty rapidly at ice out. Because usually ice doesn't dissapear on one day. If the shallow muddy bays are still froze then the fish will be where you were getting them at last ice. On those nice feeding shelves near deep water, staging in the deep water. Once the shallow muddy bays open up you can bet that the fish will start migrating towards those bays. They will often stack up in the deep water near the entrance to a shallow muddy bay. When the conditions are right, including water temp they will enter the bay to enjoy the warm spring water as well as all the food that is drawn to these bays. If you get a cold front or a real windy day that blows the colder lake water into the bay, the fish will exit the bay and will be stanged outside the entrance to the bay waiting for conditions to improve.

Not all bays are created equal! Everyone has there favorite bay in spring. If you do a lot of Spring fishing you can almost pattern certain lakes. Certain bays become "right" at certain times. So, if you can figure out this pattern you will be able to stay those hot spring panfish bites.

[united jigsticker]

After iceout I concentrate on the deep water areas until I notice a decline in the size of my catch. When the fish start getting smaller, I start going shallower.

If you fish a lake that has some shallow, dark bottomed nooks and crannys, these are also good areas for iceout Crappies.

A few of the lakes I fish typically has deep water Crappies until the water temp is 48-50 degrees, but these same lakes have prime areas to attract Crappies shallow, even 1-2 days after ice out in some cases.

One lake in particular sees Crappies migrate into a wide feeder crick that requires the fish to cross 1/2 mile of shallow mud flat, say 1-2 feet deep, but has a depth of 11 feet once in the crick.

The fish filter in and congregate in the basin area of the crick, and when the weather warms, they move up onto the banks with the feed bags on.

I have hit these fish even when there was ice on some of the main lake still.

But those deep basin areas will see fish suspended and typicaly active right after iceout, and their dictation as to how long they stay out there is completly weather pending.

When fishing these deep water, or even shallow water post ice Crappies, I stay with the same small lures I used at last ice, and tip them with small minnows or worms.

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Fish On! Fish Off! ::Guzzle::

[This message has been edited by united jigsticker (edited 03-12-2003).]

[RHW]

Thanks Scott and Tom. So if I am understanding this correctly, as soon as the ice leaves, panfish do stage. They will be in deep water very close to shallow water.
As the spring season progresses and the shallow waters temp becomes more consistant, then the fish migrate into the comfort zone.
So until that time of consistant warm water shallows, fish them close by, but only out in the deeper holes. Now it is my responsibility to determine how deep they are suspended in the deeper water by experimenting.
Tom has written an excellent article about thermocline (SP) and how crappies relate to those seasonal changes. After reading it, I got a total appreciation for their movements and why they do it. I still believe first ice out is one of the most difficult patterns to figure out.

[CrappieJohn]

Amen Scott and UJS, every body of water is radically different. I choose the deep end of the local water to fish simply because the forage is still found in the greatest concentration there. Ice out for the minnows is like leaving the stable gate open in the spring....man oh man look at all the free range to run now!! Sure the craps will nail a minnow if one is presented to them but free roaming wild minnows are going to a scattered schools and the crappies are still going to be governed by cold water, that under 50 degrees, and will be in a vertical environment until a little later on. Down here Ron the waters are generally stained shortly after iceout and do tend to warm a bit faster than the clear puddles. This "sterile period" is best for me if I target the deeper water and again STAY SMALL. Crapster

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Sure life happens- why wait

[united jigsticker]

After re-reading Scott's post, something caught my attention, and I have to agree 100%.

After fishing certain lakes exclusivly you can definatly pattern bays, points, flats, etc, and put a "clock" on them for when they'll become productive.

This is a big step in finding active fish fast.

Certain levels of weed growth, water temps, and weather patterns are great tools on familiar bodies of water to indicate when and where a hot Crappie bite will take place on a given body of water.

Great advice guys, keep up the good work!

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Fish On! Fish Off! ::Guzzle::

[This message has been edited by united jigsticker (edited 03-12-2003).]

[Guest]

I fished a few lakes in the last week for gills and crappies. A lot of the smaller fish still were relating to the edges of the mid depth holes. I found a lot of nice gills adjacent to the deeper holes hanging over mud/sand inclines. The deeper hole was about 23 feet and I caught the gills in about 11 feet. Fish were very active and were eager to meet my jig before it even got half way down the water column. Here's a picture of a catch of gills. Two of them I'm getting mounted and went about 10.5 - 11 inches and weighed a pound or so...

A lot of water on most of the lakes because of the warm weather but the action is very good if you can locate the fish. Punch a lot of holes and work off of the mid depth basins that are located near shallow water. Start off the edges of deeper water and work your way shallow. Shallow weedlines are starting to produce as well and soon a lot of fish will be coming in water as shallow as 5 feet of water or so. Look for areas where there is run off from shore but keep your distance because ice can be weak in some areas. With the warm weather we've been experiencing the gills and crappies have been eager to repsond to moving water. I also found that the panfish are hanging around the previously punched holes that are creating whurlpools because of the access water draining into them. If you find holes like this, punch a few holes around it and fish those, I can almost guarentee you fish if those holes are off any shallow breaks of adjacent to or on weeds.

Punch a lot of hole and stay active. There are a lot of nice fish to be caught out there right now and the late ice period is soon to be in full swing.

Good Luck!

Good Fishin, Matt.

MJ5 and Fishing Minnesota...
http://frida.blc.edu/~mjohnson/mj5.html

[1Yogi]

I'm confused but then again I should be used to that by now. I fish shallow water almost right after ice out about 2 feet in 5 feet of water. Small jigs on pencil bobbers. This has always gotten me fish. I must be getting out Later than I thought I was as far as the timing of the ice going out.

[Guest]

1Yogi,

2-5 feet is where a lot of the panfish will be coming in to spawn and create havoc during late ice. I just reported where I'm finding fish right now, your spots will soon be producing. Keep catchin em'.

Good Fishin, Matt.

Fishing Reports from MJ5 and Fishing Minnesota...
http://frida.blc.edu/~mjohnson/mj5.html