# Ice Fishing Crappie



## buckhunter14 (Oct 10, 2007)

Alright fellas, need some input.

Avid gill fisherman, but have winter permission on a crappie lake that I can limit everyday on. The lakes max depth is maybe 15', and the average depth is 6-7'. I have never been on it in the winter, so I don't know the vegetation situation. I know the holes of the lake, so I figured I would start there.

By the way, I'm a vexilar man so I just pop holes and search for fish.

Also, the first time out I will do it during daylight, after that I may try night fishing.

I bought a few dozen perch minnows and have some mousies.



*Any input on ideas, locations to try (structure), depth, etc?*


Disclaimer: I would love to take all of you, but it will be my first time out and I'm on good terms with the landowner, so I better not. (This means the "Take me and I'll show ya" tric won't work :lol.


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## icefishermanmark (Mar 2, 2005)

tip: Just because you can limit everyday doesn't mean you should. If this is a private body of water then it is probably fairly small and can't handle a huge harvest. As for catching them, I don;t have too much advice. However, I used to catch crappie in 6FOW just underneath the ice. They were so high up you could see them come in the hole while standing above it.


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## buckhunter14 (Oct 10, 2007)

icefishermanmark said:


> tip: Just because you can limit everyday doesn't mean you should. If this is a private body of water then it is probably fairly small and can't handle a huge harvest. As for catching them, I don;t have too much advice. However, I used to catch crappie in 6FOW just underneath the ice. They were so high up you could see them come in the hole while standing above it.


 
Thanks for the tip. I rarely fish the lake, maybe once or twice and spring and summer. I could easily limit out, but I throw a few big boys and small ones back. Thanks for lookin' out though!


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## deep6in (Feb 18, 2008)

You should have no problem since you have the ever so trusty Vex :lol:. 

I think starting out in the deep water is going to be the ticket, but I'm willing to bet you'd stand a better chance with a lantern at night fishing the edge of that hole. I would go with the minnows- it seems to be their favorite bait in my opinion. Good luck and save some of those slabs for next year and for future generations to come


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## wolverines (Jan 29, 2007)

Fishing after dark...use any teardrop you like as long as it glows and watch the wall of fish come in on the Vex. You can get away with larger teardrops with specks, but don't forget your little ones, there's times when thats all they'll bite. I also stick with spikes too. I've seen guys use bait as big as grubs and have success but I believe that spikes are better. I usually leave the minnows at home, but it's not a bad idea to have two holes and a bobber rod with a minnow down in one. More times than not I'll do better jigging teardrops numbers wise, but a lot of the times you'll get bigger ones on minnows...Good luck, speck fishing after dark is the most fun to be had on the ice in my opinion:coolgleam


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## jimbo (Dec 29, 2007)

might there be an inlet or outlet on this small lake?
that area might be 1 of the first few places to try


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## Chad Smith (Dec 13, 2008)

I like using 1.5" glow slider grubs on a 1/16 oz. glow jig head. Works well on my crappie lake.


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## buckhunter14 (Oct 10, 2007)

Thanks a lot for the replies guys.

The lake isn't that small, to me anyway. I would guess about 40 acres, so not small. No inlet or outlet that I can remember.

I appreciate the help, hopefully I will have some slabs to report, and maybe a bonus bass or pike!


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## huffduf41 (May 31, 2006)

Punching holes everywhere gill-style probably wont get you too far w/ the crop-dogs. Your best bet is to find about 15 fow and sit still around dusk and fish 3-6 feet deep. 

I catch some on spikes but minnows are the ticket. Use really a really small treble hook with a small split shot about 16" above the hook.

Around dusk I always see them on the vex cruising around shallow (thin green bar fading in and out)....they must swim around and hunt or something. The key is noticing the bar then putting your mini/spike in front of their face.


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## UltimateOutdoorsman (Sep 13, 2001)

huffduf41 said:


> I catch some on spikes but minnows are the ticket. Use really a really small treble hook with a small split shot about 16" above the hook.



Set up two holes in your shack. One with a bobber & minnow about 6 ft down, and on the other glow jig with a spike or wax worm. You'll crush em.


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## buckhunter14 (Oct 10, 2007)

Thanks all, I'm heading to the lake in about 45 minutes.

Some quesitons I suppose i should have asked previously because I won't get the answers now until I get back .

*Do Crappie travel as much as gills do? I seem to be moving all the time for unstable gills?*

*Being so close to the surface of the ice, do the crappie scare easily when drilling a hole or incidental vibration on the ice?*

Thanks guys, you've been a big help.


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## buckhunter14 (Oct 10, 2007)

Well guys, God's hand was upon me today (And no I didn't catch any fish).

I got there at 7:30 AM, and took one step off the dock and in the drink I went. Ignorant me just assuming the ice is good. Conditions looked fine, though snow covered, but I was very mistaken.

Luckily and old dock post was beside me and allowed for me to pull myself out, otherwise it could have gotten very scary. I lost nothing except my bucket of minnows, which was the least I could lose.




Just a reminder, if this post hasn't, *CHECK BEFORE YOU STEP*.




I never even tried to get on the lake afterward. I came home and changed clothes, and went to a local lake that I knew had much better ice.

Never had a flag on tip-up, and ended with 5 slab gills. Not a great day, but happy to be alive.


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## N M Mechanical (Feb 7, 2008)

your new best friend Mr. Spud

Good to hear you ok


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## gooseboy (Jul 11, 2008)

specs on the local lake are mostly found in 20FOW about 4-14' down, about 30 minutes before dark until whenever, been using a vertical gold jig with blue minnows, not much luck using spikes or whatever, tried a light last year and didnt seem to help a whole lot. I think at dark they dont cruze a whole lot because the fishing is very consistant, but not a crappie psychologist


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