Ice Fishing Crappie
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Crappie is a species of freshwater fish in the Pomoxis, or sunfish, family. Individuals of this species are rather small, averaging about ten inches in length and one pound in weight. It is a popular game fish, and is considered one of the tastiest of all freshwater species. Because Crappie are more active during the winter than most fish species, ice fishing crappie is a popular past time on the hard water.
The most important factor in the success of an ice fishing expedition for Crappie is location. While it is a common species, some bodies of water are much more heavily populated with Crappie than others, and some areas within he same pond or lake will be much more productive than others. Early in the winter, they like to stay in shallower water, but as the season progresses, oxygen levels will decrease and the fish will be forced into deeper waters. Crappie populations like to return to the same hot spots every year, so if you find a good spot this year, chances are that it will be just as good next winter.
Crappie usually eat smaller fish, including juveniles of species that eat Crappie as adults, but they have a diverse diet, and have also been known to eat zooplankton, insects, and crustaceans. Because of their diverse diet, there are many different types of lures that are effective for fishing them, but the best lures seem to be plastic with jig heads. Other popular lures for fishing Crappie include crank baits and live minnows. The process of dumping large amounts of live bait in an area in order to attract fish, known as chumming, has been reported to be effective at attracting Crappie. Since they are more active at night than during the day, the best time to fish for Crappie is early morning or dusk.
In the winter, Crappie usually stay between fifteen and thirty feet under the ice, but they have been known to roam to both shallower and deeper depths. Schools of Crappie develop favorite feeding locations and return to them daily, so if you can find one of these hot spots, you should stay there for a long time. You will know when it’s time to move on from a hot spot when you suddenly stop catching fish in that area. This means that the food in that spot has been depleted and the Crappie have stopped going there.
Of all the species of game fish that are commonly targeted by ice fishermen, Crappie is perhaps the best suited for using electronic equipment to enhance the ice fishing experience. The Crappie that are suspended in the middle of the water column are most likely to bite, and these are coincidentally the easiest to detect with a fishing sonar system. Using sonar equipment to detect schools of Crappie can not only pinpoint where in the lake you should drill your ice hole, but can also indicate the depth of the school. This is important information because Crappie are much more likely to notice lures above them than below, so you will get more bites if you know how deep the fish are, because you can then position your jig a few feet above them. When ice fishing crappie, a good way to attract the Crappie’s attention is to pull the bait above the school and drop it back down amongst them.
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Interesting scoop on crappie John. Is the water starting to freeze in your neck of the woods? Maine has been in a mild weather pattern since August. No complaints. Hope you are well. Have a good Thanksgiving.
It has been unseasonably warm this fall/winter here in the upper Midwest. No ice in site (or at least any more than a skim in most places). Hopefully it makes a good freeze and doesn’t get screwed up with the snow.
Thanks for the post!