Where are they now?

[setterguy]

Heading up tomorrow to a little lake by my cabin, its only 30 acres and has two 45' holes. The ridge inbetween the holes is a steady 37 feet. Are these fish still hanging on weed lines, or are they going to be over the flats (what few threre are)? Any thoughts would be appreciated.

[Matt Johnson]

I would hit the weeds first and see if you can locate some fish. Chances are you will be able to locate a few slabs near or in the weeds right now. And shallower breaking shorelines might be a good choice too. Don't be afraid to venture out into 20 or so feet of water too, assuming the ice is safe. With a 30 acre lake, you shouldn't have a hard time covering a lot of area fast. I would start each area by punching 8-10 holes and work the area for about 15 minutes or so. If you mark fish then give it a whirl, if not then move. Keep moving until you find fish, they are in there. I would also use a 1/16oz jigging spoon packed with maggots because you can get the bait up and down quickly and it will attract fish in. Once you know there are fish there then you can downsize, but chances are those crappies will hit the spoon...

Good Fishin,

Matt Johnson

[setterguy]

Thanks Matt, I'll post our results tomorrow.

[threeway]

Setterguy,

Your last name isn't Setterholm by chance?

[Iceman12]

Heading out tomorrow to brave the cold. On a cold day like tomorrow would the crappies be deep or would they still be shallow?

[Matt Johnson]

Check the first breakline out from the mouth of a shallow bay. Or else see if you can find some deeper holes in a back bay or large side mainlake bay.

I'll be out in the morning tomorrow as well and I plan on trying to find some panfish uptight in the weeds. Hoping to sight fish a few bull gills...

Good Fishin,

Matt Johnson

[Matt Breuer]

Sight fishing 'gills, what a blast right Matty??

As for finding the fish now, I've been back and forth from shallow to main lake, and here's my take on forage and locale right now!

Early Winter crappie stay in the same spots until late ice in most cases. You'll find roamers in the shallows feeding on floating organisms throughout the day, and some into the evening hours. But in most cases, the schooled fish are going to be hanging over the main lake basins near deep water until the snow begins to melt late Winter. Then they will search breaklines and and areas of re-oxygenation. Late ice I find many good bites either in the main basins below rough ice or leftover snow, or else in the 17 foot range pushing breaks.

Remember the importance of micro orgs., crappies don't eat minnows in the Winter unless you're feeding them!! You'll never cut open a crappie in the Winter with a minnow in it, unless you just missed him and came up without a minnow on. These fish are eating copepods, freshwater shrimp, and daphnia, which are three heavily fed on food sources of panfish in the Winter. Most organisms stay stuck in the mud on the lake bottom until the sun hits the treetops, then they begin to emerge, (those are the little flickers on your flasher that you see in the evenings flying up toward the top). The crappies are swimming around with their mouths wide open feeding on them in many cases, it's cool to see on the camera. If you add some movement and color, you'll get them to come up and bite.