Crappie Questions

[augernaut]

Ok, here's one for Crappie Tom, Matt Johnson, and the other experts:

I am not much of a crappie fisherman, usually only catch them if they mix with gills, but I want to improve in this area. I fished a 1000 acre local lake (local to northern Wisconsin anyways) Typically a 24-26 foot basin with a smallish 45 foot hole and a large bar that tops at 5 fow and is weed covered. I fished the edge of the bar in 10 fow looking for perch, gills, crappies. Nothing but small perch. I then moved to the 45 foot hole and marked fish suspended at about 20-25 foot down. I'm assuming they were crappies - but could not get them to strike (forage minnow spoon with a minnow head). I drilled about 12-15 holes in a grid around this first hole but did not mark a fish again - I probably drilled a 75 foot square area. The odd thing is that I set a tipdown in that first hole with a small minnow on a red treble, set to that 25 foot level and caught a decent perch! Weird. Am I on the right track? What else should I be doing? I feel like an (Contact US Regarding This Word) standing in the middle of the lake drilling holes where nobody else is fishing, but from all that I've read, this is the spot to be searching for mid/late winter crappies. I moved again to a nice hump on the north end of the lake and pounded nice perch on the sand/mud transition zone, but I want to find those crappies! I know this lake produces nice crappie in good amounts, so they are there. But where??

Thanks a TON for any insight!!!

[Matt Johnson]

Sounds to me like you located some crappies in the deeper hole. Sure, you might stumble across a perch or two out there in the suspended water, but my bet would be that a good number of those are crappies. Are you out there during the day or in the evening? Those crappies might not become active until the sun starts to hit the trees. Do you notice the suspend fish moving up and down at all? Those fish could just be staging until the low-light bite (sundown). I would also try down-sizing to a size 10 or 12 jig with a maggot. The small spoon and minnow head combo wouldn't be my top choice for slabs right now, I would go smaller.

How deep does the water get off the shallow weedy bar? You mentioned that you fished in about 10 feet off the bar, does it drop into deeper water as well nearby? If so, then I would fish the adjacent deeper water. I've noticed that in Wisconsin those slabs will relate to the deeper weed edges and suspend just off shallower water areas. You will find a lot of crappies up on those weeds during early ice and once things start to drag on they will slide out deeper. The main population of crappies in your lake might even be cruising the mainlake basin throughout midwinter. That's pretty typical as well.

A few questions... What's the water clarity like? What time of day are you fishing? Is there any deeper water next to the shallow bar?

Good Fishin,

Matt Johnson

[CrappieJohn]

Much on the order of what Matt has stated, I'm going to say that the fish are roaming. If you consider where we are at with the ice season and the warm weather we've had to help knock down any snow cover, I think the fish are getting restless. If this lake gets pressure the fish will become skittish during daylight hours. But given the mid-depth marks and having them simply go away after drilling I think you are likely dealing with crappies that are roaming. I also think that as the day gets a bit darker you'll see these fish start to slide up to shallower water where the weeds are found and get way more active., especially if this is a closed system....no inlet or outlet.

[augernaut]

Thanks guys - I was fishing midday, but in a pretty good snowstorm. The weedy bar drops to 15 FOW on the east side, and 24-25 FOW on the west side - that marks the beginning of the basin area of the lake. Yes, I should have spent more time checking the deeper water out from the bar - do the crappies relate to anything in a zone like that, or are they just roaming? I know perch will often hang right on a bottom content transition. I will try downsizing - also intend to throw some plastic at them, but I have to locate them first! The crappies in that first hole did rise to meet my spoon - came from probably 25-26 FOW up to 19-20 as my spoon was dropping. Interesting to note that they suspended in the whole at the same depth as the adjacent basin flat area - is this common?

thanks again guys!!

[JJB]

I fish a lake up in washburn county that has the same type of structure olny a smaller lake(half the size). The main basin is about 35fow and the end of the bar is in 30fow with weeds on top in 8-10fow. We usually start drilling at the weed line and drill back into the main basin. Most the crappies there are roaming. The point doesnt hold these fish olny seems to concintrate them as they are roaming. 95% of the fish we catch are in half hour to 45 minute window. You can pick a few up here or there hopping holes through the day but they dont get active till sunset. Once these fish put the feed bag on you will know it! Most are suspended about 10 feet off the bottom back in the deeper base of the point but we have caught them all over the graph(even had them black out the graph a few nights).Then as quick as they started they shut off. Thats where I get lost. Where do they go?? I have tried moving shallow and back into the basin but there not there?

This is a different lake but I hope it helps.

[Matt Johnson]

I would punch some holes along the deeper side of the bar just where the edge hits the basin. I would bet the crappies are either suspended over the break of the bar, or just over the adjacent deeper water of the mainlake basin. They might not be relating to anything other than the deeper, open water.

I would also try targeting those fish in the deeper hole during sundown. Those fish might become active and you might be able to tie into some nice crappies. I've experienced a lot of bites where you can't buy a fish until the sun starts to drop. You're marking them all over the LX-3 but nothing really wants to bite. Then the sun starts to tap the top of the trees and bam! One after another.

Some of those fish you're marking in the deeper hole could be small bluegills too. You mentioned that they would rise to meet your spoon but wouldn't hit. Thats sounds a lot like pesky little gills to me. If they were crappies then I think you would have atleast got a bump from one of them, no matter how small the crappie was.

Crappies will relate to several different areas in a lake, and at the same time. You can find crappies shallow in the weeds, suspended over deep holes, cruising the mainlake basin, scattered across humps and points... the list can go on and on. It's not uncommon to find crappies suspended over a deep hole and roaming the mainlake basin at the same time. However, there may be a difference in activity level. The fish that suspend over the deep hole during the day might not be as active as the fish roaming the mainlake basin. Only problem is that it's a little tougher to pinpoint those roaming fish. Crappies will bite during the day when the sun is high, you just have to find where the active fish are...

Good Fishin,

Matt Johnson

[augernaut]

that does help JJB, and is in line with the new strategy I am developing in my head :-) Start out on the edge of the bar nearest the deep hole and drill holes from the top of the bar down the break and towards the deep hole - but targeting mainly that top and bottom edge area and a little ways into the basin for the twilight bite. Tipdowns and hole hopping with my FL-18 and jigging rod.

How does that sound?

[augernaut]

Thanks alot for all the insight Matt - definitely helps put a clearer picture in my head!!

[HDPro]

I am new to this post but long time fisherman . I have a question for Matt. Question is , and i will give location Minnetonka . For three years in a row used to go Maxwell Bay,Fished 25 to 30 ft was lit up 10 ft off bottom and used to catch almost every time out. Sometimes more finiky than others and sometimes slow and sometimes could only use one pole. Question is that two years have searched allover and can not find not even one fish now cant locate. Question where did they Go? Help Please?

[Matt Johnson]

Minnetonka has been a unique one lately. Almost all of my decent sized crappies and gills have come out of the thick weeds out there. Anywhere from 7-15 feet seems to be key and they are right down amongst the weeds. Your flasher unit will read something like 8 feet, but it's actually about 13 feet because it's marking the top of the weeds. You want to drop your jig through the weeds almost to the bottom. Those big gills and crappies and holding down there in the weeds.

I've hit quite a few of my honey holes and it's similiar to what you mentioned, the fish are just not there and the ones that are there are small. I've had to change tactics and revert to the weeds when out on Tonka. Some deeper water spots are still producing but as a general rule I've had better results fishing the weeds as of late out on Tonka.

I would also rig up a spring bobber to detect the strikes. This is definitely a finicky bite. I prefer a size 10 or 12 jig tipped with a single maggot.

Give Phelps Bay, Cooks Bay and Lafayette Bay a try. I've done well on all three areas this winter...

Good Fishin,

Matt Johnson

[walleye_guy18]

augernaut,

It sounds like you have found some fish but are just having trouble getting them to bite. I would have to agree with some of the other posters who have said to downsize. Go with a size 10 or even 12 hook. Also, if you try a small hook try something that glows, I have found that a red or green glow works very well for crappies. The last thing, what lb. test line are you using. I have had to go to 1lb. test on many occasions to get the finicky crappies to go. good luck.

walleye guy

[HDPro]

Are you familar with maxwell ? there are weeds on the right towards Stubbs bay would they still be in maxwell and just be in weeds I have no problem searching. They were nice fish all were 12 +.

[The_Duckslayer]

Quote:

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Also, if you try a small hook try something that glows, I have found that a red or green glow works very well for crappies. walleye guy

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I have found that they are biting best on a purple lead head. Nothing fancy, just a small sized one tipped with a minnow. Sure glad that I spent all that money on them there fancy jigs! Have a good one and N Joy the Hunt././Jimbo

[dsludge]

I use a glowing rattle spoon tipped with a minnow head when I'm searching for suspended fish in a basin. I can almost always get some fish to come looking, pull up the noise-maker, drop a minnow on a long shank hook or a jig down to the fish, and see if they will chase. If they chase, they'll bite.

I'm interested in fishing crappies in the weeds. I've seen big crappies while using a camera scoping weed-edges for walleye spots this season. I have fished bass, walleye, muskie, and pike before under the milfoil canopy (where it's shady) during the open water season. I think I'll give it a shot today.

Thanks for the tip.

dsludge

[Ice-9]

Great thread. Two questions. Tom above suggested that a "closed system" might behave differently than whatever the opposite is. I assume that fish will concentrate near an inlet, based on that remark. How much of an inlet is necessary? Is it becuase of melting ice, or flow? Does that apply to connected bays or narrows? Please expand on that.

Also, does the milfoil canopy still exist under the ice? I thought the milfoil died off substantially during the winter, and have simply assumed that it was now just a carpet of dead gloop on the lake bottom...does that weed fishing technique (I'm on Tonka too) apply now, and to milfoil, or just the other weed varieties (Correct me...the coontail is more vigorous under the ice than the milfoil?) Do go on. I'm home with my new baby daughter, so I can't fish, but I can sure talk about it.

Ice

[dsludge]

Ice,

I don't know if there is a canopy now, but I'll find out. I pulled up some weeds with a big walter this year, the weeds were not mushy.

I mostly fish the west side of Tonka myself year round. I hope to find some "Druid altars" down under those weeds too. Are you going out tomorrow?

dsludge

[Ice-9]

Longshot, but possible. Got the new baby at home, but we should get together. I was finding some nice craps in (Contact Us Regarding This Spot) but it has slowed down a lot lately. I did find a lot of medium crappies over at (Contact Us Regarding This Lake) but I'd love to get back on those beefy 11" and up Tonka fish. Maybe once the home routine settles down. If you feel like sharing let me know at [email protected] and I might be able to join you for a brief window.

ice

[BDR]

Although the milfoil dies off there is usually a different type of weed mixed in on the deeper edges. I have found coontail and cabbage doing quite well around the metro this winter. even pulled some fish from the milfoil remnants and curly pondweed that has not decayed totally. The lack of snow cover has let these weeds continue to get enough sunlight to grow, whicxh in return give the food chain oxygen, structure, hiding locations and in some cases shade.

On Tonka I did find Panfish hanging right down in the weeds and they were pretty aggressive when they spotted a bait.

With so many weeds still doing relatively well this winter it only makes sense to me that lakes that have lots of weed growth(some call it problems), will be as thick as we have seen in a few years this summer.

[dsludge]

ok

[HDPro]

I wouldn't mind joining you if you dont mind and need a partner for drilling holes.And cathing those crappies .

[dsludge]

Went out on Phelps last night. I fished 13-17 fow with weeds. The weeds were not very thick and there were lots of small sunnies on the bottom.

Caught about 20 crappies in the deeper end, mostly small ones 8 inches or less. Caught one bull about 11 inches in the shallow hole using the "rattle jig" with a minnow head.

I'd like to try the north side. I only worry that the trailer won't come back of the access (North Arm). I'd imagine the south Maxwell access is decent?

HD, email me at the address in my profile and we can meet up north or west. Gotta get some propane and charge the batteries.

dsludge