targeting gills and crappies on unfamiliar water

[CALVINIST]

I am heading up to a cabin on Rabbit lake (n.e. of Mil Lacs) with my family. I have fished this lake before, but never targeted gills and crappies. I only have a weekend, so what is the most efficient way to locate schools of these fish at this time of year? I know there are lots of lily pads and bullrushes, and some midlake humps as well.

Thanks.

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Calvinist
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[Matt Johnson]

Try those mid-lake humps by fan casting some plastics or a small beetle spin, if nothing produces within 15 minutes I would move on. Find the first break off the shallow lily pads and bullrushes and watch your locator to see if you mark any fish, if not, than I would move up onto the weeds and pitch a plastic/float combo right up against them. You should still be able to find the gills holding in the weeds or just off in slightly deeper weeds. The crappies would have a better chance roaming the mid-lake humps or deeper water right now, although the temps are colder than normal and you might find the crappies up shallower sooner as well.

Whats the clarity like in Rabbit Lake? Is it a deep lake?

Good Fishin,
Matt Johnson

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[This message has been edited by Matt Johnson (edited 08-31-2004).]

[CALVINIST]

50 ft max, 30% is 15 feet or shallower. Clarity at 13 feet. Thanks for the tips!

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Calvinist
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[This message has been edited by CALVINIST (edited 08-31-2004).]

[CrappieJohn]

Cal....You don't say whether those humps come shallow enough to have weeds on them. If they do, I'd be keying on them and the deeper water immediatedly adjectent to them.

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Plastics...making better fishermen without bait! Good Fishing Guys! CrappieTom

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[CALVINIST]

Tom,

There are a series of humps that top out at 5 feet. Will definitely comcentrate effort there, and keep moving until I get some action. I also noticed on the dnr lakemap that on west rabbit lake (a seperate lake; I'll be staying on east Rabbit lake, but they are connected by a channel) there is alot of stumps along the shoreline break; do you think this is this worth checking into?

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Calvinist
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[This message has been edited by CALVINIST (edited 08-31-2004).]

[united jigsticker]

Try 9-13 feet for Bluegills on Rabbit, and 13-22 feet of water for the Crappies.

The Crappies are going to most likely be hanging close to the bottom during mid-day. If it's cloudy, try closer to the 13-15 foot range.

Red/White or Black will be your ticket on Rabbit.

Good luck!!

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Good fishing,
UJ
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[CrappieJohn]

Cal....I follow water temps closely. If the water you encounter is below the 60 degree threshold, I'd definitely check those stumps, especially if the weather goes sour. Be mindful that only active fish will be in those stumps at this time as well as on the tops of the humps. If you can't find a hit look out over the deeper adjecent water and fish at approximately the same depth as the deepest water amoung the stumps and the deepest water found right on top of those humps. I would not put more than 15 minutes into each spot visited. Don't ignore the weeds by any means, but search each area suggested. If you trip onto a motherlode, stick around for a while. Uj knows this area better than I, so heed what he says about the colors and depths. The fish could be almost anywhere with the summer we have had.

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Plastics...making better fishermen without bait! Good Fishing Guys! CrappieTom

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[CrappieMagnet]

Anyone of Rabbits many weedlines will work.I tend to favor the NE shoreline.It has lots of structure and lilly pads for the panfish to be hiding in.You may also want to target the riprap areas of the channel between the two lakes.Use any spinners with flash.Small Beetlespins will work.Try the yellows and greens.

Good Luck up there Cal!

CM

[CALVINIST]

CM,

You do get around, don't you?

Thanks!

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Calvinist
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[CALVINIST]

UJ,

Sounds like you've been there. Great color tip...thanks.

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Calvinist
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[The Grebe]

Tried those Crappies again this A.M., nothing doing, located lots of fish, but no takers. One small bass and a hammer handle,
surface temp 70 degrees.

[CALVINIST]

Grebe,

Are you talking about Rabbit, or some other lake?

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Calvinist
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[CALVINIST]

Hope everyone had a great weekend! Rabbit lake was fun, but the bluegills were on the small side, and I did not find one crappie the whole time we were up there. Nonetheless, the kids had fun fishing, and my wife the enjoyed fishing too. I went out this morning on my favorite area lake and caught more keeper sunnies in four hours than the whole time up at Rabbit. A flu-flu jig under a float tipped with a piece of nightcrawler worked well.

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Calvinist
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[The Grebe]

Calvinist....I posted in the wrong place, sorry troops!!!