Part-time Seasonal Crappies

[can it be luck?]

Does anyone fish lakes that are strictly one dimensional? With the crappie only hitting in either winter or summer? I fish a lake that is 61 acres, max depth of 38',spring fed/seepage lake,clear,deep water weeds, and limited access. There is a healthy pop. of LM Bass and Northern Pike. Large numbers of stunted perch,bluegill,sunfish, and of course crappie. Also an abundance of minnows in this lake. The crappie bite is great to phoenominal in the summer. Large numbers of smaller crappie(6-8") can be caught fishing bobbers,hook, and minnow(100-150 fish days). Actually anything would probably work but I never really tryed, other than a jig I kept on a spare pole when the crappie would litteraly be in a frenzy, I would start casting it then go back to minnows. Evening was the best time when things calmed down. The sounds of fish being caught,fish slurping up minnows that fall off the hooks, and surface bugs seemed to really get things heated up. There are large numbers of smaller fish and 1 out of 10 would be large enough to take home for dinner. Oddly enough the 2 largest crappie I've ever seen came of this lake, go figure! The lake is divided in 2 basins by a 25' channel, so basicaly you have 2 30 acre lakes. In the winter I have ice fished this lake many times and have yet to catch a crappie. Early,late,shallow,deep,minnows,waxies, you name it
tryed it. The lakes small size makes it easy to fish the whole lake in no time. Strange too is that I go there to set tip-ups for northerns, which I dont catch often in the summer! Anyone else with any similar type of lake? can it be luck?

[CrappieJohn]

CIBL...I saw a lake of this nature...once.It was a dog.We went to fish it at first ice and ,like you, could not find a crappie. Finally we went walking...and setting the transducer down on the ice in a puddle of water on the ice. After almost an hour of this we found a large blurb of what appeared to be a school of minnows and thought we should fish around the outside of the school to see if craps were lurking there. The school turned out to be the craps, tightly bunched around what was probably the only sunken tree in the whole lake. Craps are "relationists"- there will always be some element of crappie fishing that holds them to an area like that. They relate to it. It might be something as mundane as a three degree difference in water temperature or, as in this lake just described, the only obvious structure in the deeper water where they retreat to in the winter. If it were me, I'd get out at first "safe" ice and take a walk with the vex or a high-grade LCR and snoop. There is something there that is pulling the fish to an area you have not found yet. As far as the really big craps, they are probably remenants of the original stocking which have not been genetically inbred to attain only a certain size. Numbers may be a stunting factor as well. Hope this helps you out some!

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Sure life happens- why wait....The Crapster....good fishing guys!
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[can it be luck?]

Thanks Tom, As I said the lake is basicly 2 lakes. One basin is primarily fished and the other is left alone. Like you said, they have to be somewhere! Both sides are identical in size and structure, but I'll bet they're all stacked up by a spring or some piece of cover, something with just a little variation. I always figured, same depth, same lake, they should be here too. Maybe not the case! This winter I'll explore the other basin and look for the crappie. Now I'm thinking WOW, wait till I find you now! It would be great to find all the crappie in a giant mass, like a huge "bait ball" that I've seen on National Geographic Ocean Series! Early ice with the vex is definitly a great idea! Save a lot of time and drilling, I'll just take a walk and look for fish in the clear,snowless,(hopefuly)first ice. I never really hit this lake at first ice, I usually wait till things slow down on other lakes in the mid-winter, not this year. Thanks Tom, can it be luck?

[united jigsticker]

CIBL,

You might have just answered your own question.

Even though this lake is spring fed and rather deep, these fish may do the mid winter doldrum and hibernate until honeycomb.

I fish a lake at first ice where a 13-14" Crappie is the norm. However, while the bite is hot, it typically lasts from the time the sun hits the tree tops until dark. Very light orientated. And once there's a foot of ice on the lake, forget it altogether.

Not to say that once you find a location and pattern for these fish that they can't be had mid-winter, but I usually keep my January and February excursions to the larger more stable waters.

Have you tried this lake during the "honeycomb" period?

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Good fishing,
UJ
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[This message has been edited by united jigsticker (edited 08-06-2003).]

[can it be luck?]

UJ, like yourself I stick to the larger stable lakes in Mn. during the mid-winter doldrums, the "honeycomb" period as well, perch on Winni or craps on Red. I always gave up on this lake after a few trys, not to go back till summer. I know there are a lot of craps here, thus my return pilgramage to the lake every year. I will try late ice this year and see what gives. Fish sure are funny creatures. Tell me how not one, but ALL fish in a lake can turn on and off with a flip of a switch? Or how fish bite in the day during summer and not in winter, or maybe not at all? What we as humans call "dumb fish" are actually much in tune with the weather and environment. Senses we humans no nothing about. If we did, not much would get done during a major cold front! Thanks guys, can it be luck?