How to locate late ice crappies

[Havin' Fun]

I could use some help in where I should begin my search for late season crappies. I have several lakes in mind that are not hit very often and hold good numbers of big crappies but need help in locating them. Any suggestions on locations they will key on?

[Guest]

I would begin with getting a lake map of the lake you are going to fish. Since the season still seems to be going smoothly, I would suggest drop-offs adjacent to shallow bays. Crappies like to roam up into the shallows and then back down to feed. You might not find a lake that produces a lot of crappies during the day unless you find a lake with little fishing pressure and the right combinations. Hit any or all forage structure. Structure such as sunken humps, saddles, points, etc... these are good choices. If these spots fail
I would head shallow. Look for weed beds and back bays or flats that range from 5-10 feet. These areas usually produce when nothing else will.
Good Fishing, Matt.

[Havin' Fun]

Own the map, fished the break like I'm suppose too, and nothing. Shallow?? 6-7 feet in the weeds? I'm fishing a lake that is very clear 10-15' clarity. We set up on a corner of a point and a weedy flat bay and got nothing but perch and walleye fry all night. Set up in 18' The crappies will suspend in the deep holes during the day correct?

[Guest]

There a number of parts to the equation, look for as many parts on your lake and add them up. First, deepest hole in the lake. Second, steep drop off. Third, shallow bay or reeds(crappie use these for spawning and thats what they are staging for at this time of year). Fourth, mud bottom(contains insect larvae that the crappie feed on at this time of year). Ideal spot is a deep mud flat with a steep drop going up to a reed edge that is in six feet of water!!! Look for them deep though, they won't move shallow until late ice. They won't allways be suspended either, they could be on the bottom.

[This message has been edited by URLRocks (edited 02-27-2002).]

[Guest]

All excellent advice, I would just add, use a locator if you can to find suspended fish.
Experiment with different set-ups, and keep moving til you find-em.

HAPPY HUNTIN'

[Guest]

On a lake I fish for crappies that has clear water,they won't bite until 6:30 pm at the earliest.Best bite starts around 8:30 pm.Like someone else mentioned,a flasher is a must!Currently I'm fishing 22'-27' and they are usually cruising through from 6'to 10' below the ice.

[Havin' Fun]

Thanks to all of you!!!! I will look deeper I think. I was on a steep break to a reed flat, but perhaps either I didn't wait long enough or didn't fish deep enough. The deep hole is 50feet.

Guess there is no good answer other than getting out there and looking.

[Guest]

Don't be affraid to look really deep! In really clear lakes you have to look deep. Yes, they may come in shallower during the "peak" hours but for the most part they will be deep. I was getting them in 43 ft of water, 10 ft off the bottom in Park Rapids not to long ago. I would start around that deep hole and check major drops that offer a feeding shelf. It is a little to early to find them on the shallow flats, give it a couple weeks.ScottS

[Cliff Wagenbach]

Start at around the 30 foot depth and drill 2 lines of holes in a fan shape with the holes about 20 feet apart out into the 50 foot water. Than use your Vexilar to check each hole for suspended crappies.
When you see fish,drop your bait down to about 2 feet over them and work it to get their attention. If they are hungry they will move up and take your bait within a couple of minutes.
If you don't see fish on the Vexilar,keep drilling and checking until you do!!
This sounds like a lot of work,but will pay off in fish. Once you find them there is s very good chance they will be very close to the same spot every time you go there.
I have wasted most of many-a-day looking for them, but have reaped the rewards from than on!!!!
Cliff

------------------
Cliff's Guide Service
CliffsGuideService-LakeVermilion.com
Lake Vermilion
Phone: (218) 753-2005

[Guest]

As snowcover disipates and ice honeycombs, light penetration becomes the biggest factor.

The water tends to clear up due to melting snow and ice runoff. All this clarity equals a thing called magnification. The ice acts as a magnifying glass on sunny days.

Although you may find Crappies deep on a clear water lake during the day, odds favor they are belly in the mud and hesitate to bite.

The clearer the water, the later, or earlier I would fish. I would also get near the edge of drop offs, points, and weed flats in the dusk hours.

After dark, Crappies will be suspended, cruising for minnows. Now here again is were depth could be tricky. Sometimes the fish will cruise through over 50 feet of water down 12 feet....Or they may cruise through 14 feet of water down 12 feet. Or they may be both places. If you have 2 nights, I would start deep the first night. If that doesn't pan out, go shallow, maybe say 16-20 in your lakes case.

And yes, electronics are a must here, considering that you could be on top of a bunch of active fish, but have your bait 2 feet below the school....Remember, Crappies feed up.

Good Luck

PCG

[Skeets]

Hey PCG,
Want to hook up sometime, maybe be could share fishing tactics?
I could use a few new pointers.
I sure luv chasing those crappies!

Skeets

[Guest]

I have found that most panfish leave their brains in the deep water during late ice. I look for mid-depth submergent weeds like coontail or Canada waterweed. I rarely fish in water deeper than 12 feet during this time of year. The daylight doesn't seem to bother the crappies during late ice where I fish. As long as I am fishing over their favorite weed bed they will be there and willing to bite.

Toad

[Guest]

Sure thing Skeets. I would love to get together with another avid Crappie Fisherman.

A question for Toad: The lake you are speaking of; Is the water clarity of a darker color. i.e. tea colored with a sechi disc of 5' or less?

PCG

[Guest]

My experience with later ice crappies has been similar to Toad's. Once the weeds start reaching for the sky again, I really don't like to fish anywhere but. And, at this time I prefer the really clear lakes. The lakes that have kind of stunk all year because they are so darn clear get really good this time of year. I also agree with Toad, the bite can be at any time of day and even last all day into the dark.

My plan is usually to drill lots of holes at varying depths of a weed bed and hole hop. Late in the day, I like to make sure I've got one hole well into the weedbed, one hole just inside the weededge, one hole just outside the weededge, and one hole well outside the weededge. The darker it gets the deeper I go. I stay at the hole I'm catching fish in until I go roughly 10 minutes without seeing a fish. I then move a little deeper. Seems to work for me this time a year. Well, at least it did last night.

[Guest]

The lakes I fish this time of year have clear water. Bornofice nailed the pattern on the head. Another thing is that I only use jigs and waxies this time of year.

Toad