Corey...Ice-out Crappies?

[eyepatrol]

Hey Corey. Just wondering what your tactics and key locations are for ice-out crappies. It won't be long until the ice is gone on area lakes here in the southcentral part of the state and I'm trying to gather info and gear up for ice-out crappies.

Would really like to hear what your suggestions are in regards to presentation, location, depths, structure, etc!!!

Thanks!

bc

[Slyster]

I second this post!

[Deitz Dittrich]

I'm not corey, now will I ever be, but I'll do my best to answer the question. I too will look forward to Coreys answer.

I have always found crappies after ice out near the spawning areas but not at the spawning areas. If you know of a place where crappies normally spawn, pull back to the drop off and look for them there. Keep in mind the larger the spawning area and if there is a flat past the dropoff the better chance it hold a very good number of fish. One of my best spring spots is a semi rocky point that the fish will spawn on. About 40 yards from the point is a fairly quick drop off that goes from6 feet to 14 feet quite quickly. It then stays 14-17 feet deep for about 30 yards before it drops off into much deeper water. This is a fairly clear lake, if the water had more stain to it, I dont think this area would hold fish. I once caught a fish on 71 consecutive casts with out a bobber on.

[Corey Bechtold]

Woa, kinda put me on the spot huh?

Locating Ice out Crappies... hmmmmmmm

Get the boat out on the water. Make sure everything runs good. Make sure all your rods are ready. New line on the reels. Baits all organized. etc. Listen to the sound of waves lapping your boat....... Then wait till the water warms up and the Panfish group up again.

I'm not going to lie to you. Crappies after Ice out are a mystery. So many different variables come into play. How fast the Ice left, what the immediate weather patterns are. Is there moving water in the system. How much sunlight the lake see's right away. What kind of bottom the lake has, etc.

We talk about the turnover period in the fall and there is a reverse effect right after the Ice leaves the lakes. It can scatter the fish making them diffucult to find till they group up and start making their pre-spawn run to the shallows. If things progress slowly then there might be a good number of fish that remain in the shallows just like they were during late Ice. This may only last a day or two but they should be there sometime. Playing the "timing" card is critical to finding these fish. There have been times when I have caught the fish one day in a 30 minute window then absolutely nothing the next day at the same time.

It is a total mystery to me and I don't know if I will ever have a definate answer to what, where, when and why the fish can be where they are after Ice out. The only thing I can offer is to enjoy the Open water and time we have to fish it because it's only a few more months till Ice fishing season comes around again.

This is a great topic and I'm sure that there will be some good suggestions from others.

Sorry I can't help to much with this one.

Good luck,

Corey Bechtold

[eyepatrol]

Quote:

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It is a total mystery to me

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Me too! I've tried it a few years for both sunnies and crappies and have been goose egged every time. One year I fished for 5 hours without a bite, so I decided to put my underwater camera down and just drift across the lake from shallow to deep. Saw one crappie on the bottom in about 30' of water, all by itself. I didn't know what to think after seeing that!

The best I can do I think is to just take some notes on suggestions and recommendations from past years and try to apply them on the water. Keeping up on fishing reports will also help I think, as I'll be able to get an idea of what may or what may not be working.

Sorry for puttin' ya on the spot though. Didn't mean to do that. I think you had some great advice though...make sure everything is organized, working and just enjoy the time out on the water. First and foremost, that's what it's about for me. Catching fish is always the bonus.

Thanks for the reply!