crappies at ice out?

[bnbrk94]

do the crappies usually bite right after ice out or should you wait a week and let the water warm to that 39 degree mark? just wondering? thanks

[hip_hop_fisherman]

I would guess a lot of it would depend on the lake you're fishing. I know there's quit a few people around here, including myself that are anxious to park the boat under the bridge on Knife!

[CrappieJohn]

I hit the open water as soon as it appears, even if it is an open piece located between two sections of ice. As a matter of fact, I am going today and will likely be fishing exactly like that unless the high water has swept the ice out of the bays. Down here in Rochester we have some serious water to deal with in the river and streams that flow thru town, but it generallytakes a couple days to get this stuff to the lake I fish.

[Fisher Dave]

You can catch fish immediately after ice out. I usually find the fish staged just off the breaks outside of the spawning area.. A good depth finder helps.

I will admit, its usually much easier waiting a week or two(depending on weather) until the fish move in to the shallow water.

I the recent years I have been getting lazy.. I dont chase the deep fish as often, and I will travel to a lake that the fish have already moved in. It usually only takes a trip or 3 to keep me busy until my local waters turn on...

However .. when the fish do move to the shallows, be sure to spend some time in slightly deeper water.. the true *pigs* are often holding/spawning deeper.

[Mog Dog]

I couldn't agree more with Fisher Dave. Last year is a prime example. The lake I went opened up completely 2 days before I launched the boat, I buzzed around to every bay to check temps and all were near the same temp, give or take a degree. So I decided to look for fish on the first break just outside of the shallows and it looked like a cloud on the graph. I set my bobber stop just at the depth the cloud was and it was lights out!! They were so concentrated that it was literally, "bobber out bobber down" at least my experience has been you need to be on the spot, ON THE SPOT...once you find them its easy pickings....