Spring
Crappies Springtime
is crappie time.
Late ice can be
fantastic but as
that ice melts away
and the lakes start
to warm up, the
crappie fishing will
be as good or better
than the late ice
period. I start my
searching in the
bays where the water
will usually warm up
the fastest. Look to
the north shore for
the warmest water
and this will likely
be where you get
that first bite! I
like to cast a
Puddle Jumper and a
small jig head under
a bobber (float).
This is a great
locater bait and the
nice thing about
using plastics is
that you don’t have
to worry about
throwing your bait
off with each cast.
Puddle Jumpers come
in a variety of
colors and you will
find a wide variety
of sizes and colors
at some of your
local Mills Fleet
Farm stores here in
Minnesota and
throughout the
region. Live bait is
great too and
crappie minnows are
tough to beat for
the natural
presentation. Mills
Fleet Farm also has
live bait in many of
the convenience
stores. As for rods
and reels, you
should look for
something that is
light action and
relatively long so
you can get a nice
long cast. If you
are using a bobber,
sensitivity is not
super critical but a
nice graphite rod is
something you will
absolutely love. A
spinning reel loaded
with 4 pound test is
the standard for
going after these
crappies but it’s
not the only way to
go. Some people like
spin cast rods and
reels and some
people prefer a fly
rod. The fastest way
to locate the hungry
ones is to fan cast
an area and then
work your way in one
direction or another
until you find the
aggressive fish. An
electric motor is a
great way to cover
water without
spooking the
crappies but you can
also anchor, drift
or use a canoe
paddle or oars. If
you are looking for
a good crappie guide
here in Minnesota
please give us a
call, 218-839-5598.
Late
Ice Panfish Laying
on the ice might not
sound too appealing
to a lot of you, but
for those of you ice
fishers you might
want to give it a
whirl. The best time
to use this approach
is now until
ice-out. Since the
walleye season is
coming to a close,
it's time to pursue
the pan fish and
there is really no
better way than to
watch them bite with
your own eyes.
Underwater cameras
are neat and very
useful but when the
pan fish move up
into the shallows
all you need is some
waterproof gear and
your own two eyes.
Lay down on the ice,
block out the
daylight with your
hands and watch
what's happening
down there. One of
the nicest things
about this method of
fishing is that you
can pull your bait
out of the way if
you have a little
aggressive bugger
down there. You get
a pretty good eye
for what you want or
don't want to bite
on your bait. I like
to use a light
action rod about 30
or so inches long, a
ultra-light reel
loaded with 2 pound
test, an ice fly
tipped with a
colored maggot and
you're good to go!
Springtime
is crappie time.
Late ice can be
fantastic but as
that ice melts away
and the lakes start
to warm up, the
crappie fishing will
be as good or better
than the late ice
period. I start my
searching in the
bays where the water
will usually warm up
the fastest. Look to
the north shore for
the warmest water
and this will likely
be where you get
that first bite! I
like to cast a
Puddle Jumper and a
small jig head under
a bobber (float).
This is a great
locater bait and the
nice thing about
using plastics is
that you don’t have
to worry about
throwing your bait
off with each cast.
Puddle Jumpers come
in a variety of
colors and you will
find a wide variety
of sizes and colors
at some of your
local Mills Fleet
Farm stores here in
Minnesota and
throughout the
region. Live bait is
great too and
crappie minnows are
tough to beat for
the natural
presentation. Mills
Fleet Farm also has
live bait in many of
the convenience
stores. As for rods
and reels, you
should look for
something that is
light action and
relatively long so
you can get a nice
long cast. If you
are using a bobber,
sensitivity is not
super critical but a
nice graphite rod is
something you will
absolutely love. A
spinning reel loaded
with 4 pound test is
the standard for
going after these
crappies but it’s
not the only way to
go. Some people like
spin cast rods and
reels and some
people prefer a fly
rod. The fastest way
to locate the hungry
ones is to fan cast
an area and then
work your way in one
direction or another
until you find the
aggressive fish. An
electric motor is a
great way to cover
water without
spooking the
crappies but you can
also anchor, drift
or use a canoe
paddle or oars. If
you are looking for
a good crappie guide
here in Minnesota
please give us a
call, 218-839-5598. 
Late
Ice Panfish
