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ICE
FISHING CRAPPIE and BLUEGILLS!
By John A. Vance, Environmental Eng. Tech., & Outdoor Writer (member Outdoor Writers of Canada) and 'pro guide' emeritus All photo's here are copyrighted and property of John A. Vance and no reproduction of them or this article in whole or in part can be reproduced without his express written permission. It is for the use of ALL FISHER-FOLK's personal use (not for financial gain of commercial entities) - and is presented here as a 'sportsman-like' gesture - and for the betterment of all other fellow crappie and 'gill fishers -free of charge -enjoy! Ice fishing for crappie is a real hoot - but ice crappie can truly be a challenge! Most of the time when ice fishing for crappie you'll catch an array of fish - whatever is in the water you are fishing, be prepared to catch 'em! Indeed,
I've taken thousands of bluegills, both large & smallmouth bass, hordes
of perch and hundreds of trout - and likely thousands of walleye
- while fishing for slab crappie. Especially it seems, that ice fished
slabs are often found near walleye in many mid to large lakes. The point
here is that crappie specialists are going to catch lots of other fish,
and from what I see - if you can catch crappie with consistency - you can
catch any fish going - and if you can be consistent at catching crappie
- including ice
fishing for crappie, you to will likely declare as I have, that
crappie are truly 'a fisherman's fish'!
But if you are already an ardent crappie fisherman, or should
I say crappie ice fisherman, you
don't really need any convincing - so we'll get right down
to what you need to know! I'M DEALING WITH LARGE
SLAB CRAPPIE IN THIS ARTICLE - GENERALLY SPEAKING, YOU'LL CATCH
SMALLER CRAPPIE IN CLOSER TO SHORE!
Perhaps the most important key to catching crappie, and especially slab crappie, and here we're dealing primarily with ice fishing for crappie at that - is finding 'em! Sad-to-say, this important factor is where most ice crappie fishiest ( in fact, and for the most part - at all seasons) fall down. In most lakes or ponds, crappie under the ice will be in the warmest water they can find! And where's that, you may fairly ask? This is a huge topic all by itself, and while we'll only basically deal with it here, if you want more in-depth information, I'd recommend that you get my book ICE FISHING BASICS and my upcoming crappie fishing book which will be published in the early spring of 2004 for more fascinating information dealing with this! So where's the warm water when the water is frozen over? If you are a 'local' ( to the water body you intend on fishing) you will know what area generally, of the water body has the largest mass of water in it - this is usually where the water freezes last - and generally this is where you'll find the warmest water. It'll (usually) be down a ways, but it will be down there. Of course there will also be other warm water in most water bodies, but as mentioned - a huge subject - and I again recommend you purchase my ice fishing book now, and my crappie fishing book when it comes out later next spring! If you have a fish finder, your task of determining where crappie are will be immensely easier. Never-the-less, the best method to find crappie under the ice is by actually fishing a hole in the ice, and when you're 'doin' it', by simultaneously trying various levels right from bottom, or fifty feet deep, whichever comes first, and on, right up to just below the ice itself. Too, generally, it's worth noting that smaller crappie will generally be found in shallower water closer to shore, especially in cases of smaller water; and then again, sometimes found in large and mid sized water out in shallower water near sunken islands, shallow flats etc. in these larger water bodies; yet often in these instances - not necessarily close to shore at all. 
Crappie & bluegill bait and tackle!
Be sure you have light line and small ice fishing jigs, even for slab crappie, and especially when ice fishing crappie. Most fish species, with only a few exceptions, take smaller offerings when the water's hard. I prefer a size eight hook, and proportionate ice jig for most slab crappie, and when the going is tough during a neutral or negative bite, I don't hesitate to go down to size ten and twelve, and in neutral or negative bite situations, will always use an ice jig with a horizontal presentation. If you are using minnows, and I've caught myself leaving the minnow bucket home more and more often when crappie fishing over the past several years - use minnows no longer than inch and a half in length. My choice of 'store bought' bait for ice fishing crappie are now wax worms, Mousies and maggots. I like the maggots best when ice crappie are neutral or negative and use the wax worms likely 75 % of the time when using 'store bought' bait! Mousies are fine, but in my neck-of-the-woods are tough to get regularly - and I do OK without 'em most of the time! But assuredly - there is a free bit of bait that I use more than any of these previously mentioned 'store bought' baits - you need to buy my "Ice Fishing Basics" Book to find out what it is - and once you do so - you'll save more money in bait than the cost of the book in short order - and improve your overall catch too boot! When fishing a hole at various depths, I like to use a thread slip bobber stop to help me with depth marking on my line - quick, easy, cheap and accurate! (TIP =Folks not using or having a depth finder unit should heed this method - big time!) Once I find the level crappie are at while using this 'thread marker' method, I can go right back to the 'kill zone' quickly and stay right on 'em. VERY OFTEN, but alas, not always, if I find bluegills suspended in deeper water, I often find the slabs down about five feet deeper - just bellow the bluegills. While this happens regularly, not often enough to come up with a rule of thumb I'm afraid - I wish it were that easy - but not so. But the fact is, this does happens enough to cause me to be very attentive when you find 'gills out in deeper water - and when they're suspended! Generally I like to stay focused on my line - intently focused - but by the end of a day I may slack it a bit and use a ( full) slip bobber rig to help me determine a bite which can be incredibly subtle and light when crappie are neutral or negative. Indeed, your line may simply slowly move around the hole, or even go slack, and if using a slip bobber it may simply come up and lie on its side - indicating a bite - fish on!  WE
HAVE TO PRACTICE CONSERVATION, but in some waters, especially small lakes
and ponds, crappie and especially bluegills and pumpkinseeds will get overpopulated
and stunted out. Either increase fishing pressure or take more fish out
of these locations to have fewer but larger fish overall; this often takes
several years to accomplish. Once can also put larger predator fish such
as walleye, pike or musky in the lake or pond to take down the large numbers
of smaller fish!
A FEW EXTRA WORDS ABOUT A 'HORIZONTAL PRESENTATION': Horizontal presentation will no doubt be new terminology for many fishers, and this 'lingo' is simply describing how the ice fishing jig, or any jig for that matter, hangs when suspended off bottom, at the end of your line. Fish seem to take a lure/jigwith a live bait offering more quickly when they are in the neutral or negative bite mode. This neutral or negative bite mode is when you know fish are there and may be all around your bait, but just don't seem interested in biting. The horizontal presentation seems to be more subtle to the fish, and often you can coax them into biting when using a lure with horizontal presentation over a more standard vertical 'hang' of the lure/bait. If you take a jig and tie it onto your line and let it dangle and it hangs with the hook's shank straight down, it is vertical, but if it sits with the shank of the hook horizontal, then it has a horizontal presentation. Too, it should be noted that such a 'horizontal' jig, when thrummed or triggered LIGHTLY - AS IT SHOULD BE - NO HERKY-JERKY STUFF HERE PLEASE - it will transmit the light jiggling action very well and wonderfully seductively to a fish - and no doubt is one of the reasons these jigs work so well under these 'tough going' situations! My favored Ice Tick Jigs found at this site, sad to say, DO NOT have a horizontal presentation - but the SUNFISH JIGS AND TEETER TOTTER JIGS ALSO FOUND HERE AND ONLY HERE WITH MY UNIQUE AND VERY SPECIFIC (EXCLUSIVE) GLOW BLACK CONCEPTS -DO HAVE A HORIZONTAL PRESENTATION! If
you have enjoyed this write up, then you are a true fisher - and
I urge you to surf-out ( right here at this web site where you are right
now) more info on, and ultimately
buy my ice
fishing book - where we go much more in-depth on all aspects
of ice fishing - and why we do what we do. As
well, bookmark this page and return later next spring for my crappie fishing
book - both these will save you money and time - and
will pay for themselves quickly!
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| Author: John
A. Vance
Copyright © 1998 John A. Vance. . . |
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Luckily
for us ice fishermen, when fishing crappie, one of the secondary 'most
often' catches is the very lively and 'bullish' bluegill - which are also
excellent eating, and are regarded by most of us,