Crappie tactics at ice out

[Genofish]

What is every ones preffered method at ice out?

[icehousebob]

My favorite tactic is to put a Minnkota on one of our canoes and head into the docking bays and boat channels on Minnetonka. The north side, mud bottom channels warm up the quickest after ice out. Many times, the Crappies will gather under the docks, so you pitch a jig and minnow underhanded beneath the dock and get the fish out before he wraps up you line on something.

[Craigums]

Shallow bays. using a 2'' power minnow under a bobber

[MUSKY18]

How shallow will they ususally be right after ice out? Will they hang out in 8-10 feet or will they move way up into the 2-4 foot range preparing for the spawn?

[Craigums]

I've found them ultra shallow in the 2-4 ft range the first really nice warm sunny day after the ice is off the lake. Infact I just went down to a local lake today and found a spot that fits that description. Now I wait

[PerchJerker]

Usually it doesn't take much more than a day or two or three of the ice being off the lake before the fish move shallow .... sometimes really shallow, like 1-2 fow. As mentioned docks and warm dark-bottom bays are good places to start.

I like small tube jigs on 1/64 ounce jig heads, about 18" below a bobber. I usually don't use live bait, just work the tube jig slowly .... the bobber helps keep your presentation slow and your bait up high in the water.

Looking forward to getting out there SOON!!!

[cluelessfisherman]

Like PerchJerker and a few others have said - look for those mud bottom weedy bays that warm quickly after the ice is off. I like to fish over the old lilly pad beds in these bays with 1/32 pink jig & crappie Minnow under a bobber. Depending on the light conditions they can be in as shallow as a foot of water, or slide down the drop or even congregate in the basin of the bay. Some of the bays I fish can bottom out as deep as 20 feet and I have caught them right off the bottom or even suspended half way down the water column over the basin.

But usually they will stay shallower where the vegetation is decaying and creating warmth and of course holding lots of forage. As a bonus there are usually nice gills close by sometimes even shallower in just inches of water along bogs & shrubs.

Remember - these fish can be very vulnerable at this time of year so use your best judgement & save a few for next year!

[shizzy]

what are they doing right now? I found a few spots of open water in the channels between the lakes I normally fish. is it worth dropping a jig in yet or do I need to wait until all the ice is gone?

[tacklebox7FF]

I like using critter baits'.. they work pretty well for gills and crappies.

[Bottle Fish]

I say go shallow as well. But the majority in another familiar thread say different. You be the judge.

Same question as far as I can tell.

http://www.fishingminnesota.com/forum/ub...aft#Post1806669

[pushbutton]

find the food, most years where i fish they come up shallow, but last year, for example, the crappies held the breakline till after june. there was simply no baitfish to be seen shallow. weather and lake patterns can be good indicators of where they will be, although i usually dont figure it out until the last few hours of the trip. like mentioned above cant go wrong with 2 inch plastic and a 1/32 under a light float.

[muc33]

I keep out my ice gear and use a 36 inch pole, slip bobber and ratso or fiska with plastics and drop in the reed beds. I usually put on the waders and slowly walk through the area and drop in for quick pops!!!! I love it!

[crothmeier]

last spring was odd in that it was so cold for so long, i found the crappies and sunnies stayed on the breaks "staging/waiting" for the warmup. This year if we get a couple sunny days again i would think they would be right up in the shallows. North sides of lakes, in bays where the water is warmest, by creek inlets.

[carpmanjake]

small float to suspend a small jig and a YUM wolly beaver tail. fish it slow with a few sharp jerk-baits here and there

[blackdog1101]

Has anyone ever taken a canoe out and worked the open water between the ice and the shore? I'm thinking on a larger lake like Minnetonka this would be effective, since it often takes a couple weeks for all of the ice to go off.

[nate larson]

Has anyone ever taken a canoe out and worked the open water between the ice and the shore? I'm thinking on a larger lake like Minnetonka this would be effective, since it often takes a couple weeks for all of the ice to go off.

I have never tried that but it sounds like a GREAT idea to me! I might have to get my kayak out soon to see for myself.

[FishinChad]

Shallow on sunny days once the water has had a couple days to warm, but right after ice out I usually find the shallows to be empty, the weather will move them shallow once we get some nice days, but until then I would look just outside of the shallow areas your normally find them in once they move up. Never hurts to check but if you dont find fish shallow right away, fish deeper.

[goblueM]

Has anyone ever taken a canoe out and worked the open water between the ice and the shore? I'm thinking on a larger lake like Minnetonka this would be effective, since it often takes a couple weeks for all of the ice to go off.

Funny you say that because I had that very same thought today for the first time. Could be deadly!

[Drewski]

Many times I will find crappies right off of the first break out from the shallow bays right after ice out in around 10-18 ft. Sometimes they are even still hanging in the deeper holes. As soon as you get a warm sunny day however, the crappies waste no time moving into the shallow bays.

[willyfahey]

April and May are always the best time of year for crappies.I prefer to fish shallow channels or harbors a couple weeks after ice is out on the main lake, usually 6 fow or less.These areas have already been ice free for a week or better and provide the warmer water temps you are looking for.I know there's a lot of artificial guys out there but I like crappie minnows under a bobber.Call me old fashioned.There's just nothing like the feeling of going to the lake with 2 or 3 scoops of minnows and leaving the lake without bait.Just remember, those 11 inch fish and larger are good breeders so please practice C&R.

[BLACKJACK]

When you guys talk about going into the shallows, is that a late afternoon/evening thing or can you catch them in the morning in the shallows?

[ozzie]

the mornings can be great but as the day gets longer the water warms up and it usually triggers a more aggressive bite.

[Drewski]

Some of my best shallow water crappie fishing has come during midday. With that said, the action can be great early/later in the day as well.

[FishinChad]

Crappie minnow a foot under a bobber on bare hook is deadly early in the spring, I like to use plasics here and there for crappies but in the spring its all crappie minnows. Seems like they just cant resist it and have been in too many situations where that is all that would work.

[ozzie]

last year i quit buying crappie minnows in the spring cause I found I never used them.......I always had them just in case but eventually I just left them at the bait shop......nice on the pocket book when I don't stop in the bait shop every trip to get minnows