Early ice crappie location

[ND Jig Head]

Well guys, it's just around the corner. Ice fishing is allmost here. This ice season I am going to concentrate on Crappies. I found a few late last winter in river back water near sunken trees. I have checked the Game & Fish stocking reports and found a couple small reserviors ( 50 acers or so ) that were stocked with crappies and northern a couple years ago. I have never seen anyone fish these waters. I live in Bismarck, ND and here walleye is king so that is not surprising. My question is where to start as I am new to crappie fishing. These reserviors have 30 to 40 ft. deep water neer the dam and steep drop-offs neer the deep water. There are one or two humps topping out at 10 ft or so. Of course the water skinnys up twords the back end of the reserviors. I don't know about weeds but i'm sure there are some in the shallows. I plan to use 2# line and jig small lures like nucular ants on one pole and dead stick a small minnow on the other. Two lines is enough in my ice house. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Jig Head

[Matt Johnson]

There are a few options you could take...

Focus on the shallow weed areas in any bay or cut. Those crappies will hold to any remaining vegetation as long as green weeds are still present and provide what they are looking for (oxygen, forage and cover). Usually I start my year targeting weedy bays for crappies, or else I'll move out to the weed edge and focus on initial break lines if weeds are present. Shallow mucky bays can be good too.

You also probably have some stock in targeting the wooded areas as well. These areas will be easy to run through and if you're not catching fish just keep moving. You can run and gun through these areas relatively quickly in order to find out if there are fish there or not. More than likely you'll tie into a few pike as well.

You also have the option of targeting the deep water near the dams (assuming ice is "safe" and you venture with utmost caution). Often times I've found schools of crappies to hold near deep water areas by dams and steep breaks at early ice too.

The humps that you mentioned are probably going to be an option as the winter progresses. Especially if they're near or in deep water. Those mid-lake (or in this case reservior) structures are where I tend to look for my midwinter crappies.

I would start out working a 1/16oz jigging spoon tipped with a minnow head or maggots. This way you can get down quickly and cover more water faster. You will also be able to work more aggressive techniques to trigger the roaming fish. Early ice is a great time to toss in the use of a jigging spoon for pannies. I would also punch quite a few holes and stay moving. You probably won't need two rods unless you find a school of fish you can sit over. One rod with a run and gun approach should suffice.

Reserviors are unique systems but can still be very productive on slab crappies. And often times it's the slab crappie that you'll catch in those systems...

[CrappieJohn]

My fishing is primarily reservoir fishing and I like the wood early on. And I prefer the wood to be adjecent to or very close to the deep water. What is great is if a tree lays in the water with limbs and tip extending down well into the water column.

If you can confirm weeds that are still alive and green in an area or two that also extend well into the depths, they will hold fish for a while. I think in this situation though that wood is better.

Depending on ice growth and snow cover, those humps can be real treasures fo crappies. If you find fish with electronics on top of the humps, they will be feeders. Fish located at or very close to the depth found on the hump tops, but over deeper water will be good targets too, but those at the deepest area around those humps will have to be teased.

Reservoirs are diverse fisheries. Master one and you'll have a great time.

[tylerflom89]

CrappieTom, I didn't realize we had very prominent resivours around here. Mind sharing the names? I'd like to fish a resivour.

[CrappieJohn]

Everything in this corner is reservoir fishing. Chesterwoods, both of the Willow Creek lakes, Country Club Pits, even Lake Zumbro are reservoirs.