[oucorry]

By the looks of things Walleye4 could probably teach us everything we need to know, but here are a few other tips:

DRESS WARM FOR ICE TRAVEL/FISHING:

If you go out on the ice inadequately prepared for ice travel/fishing - your likely to have an absolutely abysmal time, and if this is your first time - you may never want to go back again. Wear heavy felt-pack boots, or the new family of winter wear products, and ditto for gloves and warm coat. Long-johns are a must, as is a toque! Sunglasses should be worn out on the ice, even on relatively dull days. Glare from the ice and snow can produce bad headaches and 'snow blindness' which can be a very painful and serious condition.

THE HOLE:
When ice fishing, most anglers use ice augers to make a 6-inch hole, suitable for small crappie, bluegills, and pike. I prefer to drill a 10-inch hole because sometimes the bigger fish like a large crappie, bass, and walleye will hook on.

TACKLE:

I like to use a 29" light-action ice fishing rod with a wire line holding clip filled with 4-pound Berkley Trilene Micro-Ice line. This will allow enough sensitivity to see a fish if it happens to take the bait. But this simplistic outfit is only adequate for use in very shallow water, and not deeper than ten feet. For deeper water and/or with wood cover, I prefer to use an ultra light open faced spinning reel on an ice rod spooled with one of the new superlines such as Berkley's Fireline Micro Ice line, for more sensitivity and to pull lures from snags. Some ice fishing rods do come with rod/line/reel as a combo. Any tackle shop owner will be able to help you choose an adequate rod/reel set-up for the water you are going to fish. As a rule of thumb though, ice fishing tackle is relatively inexpensive as compared to regular fishing gear. If you have a buddy that has an ice auger, then the outfit...the rod, reel and an assortment of tackle (small split shots, bobbers or slip-floats, small hooks) shouldn't cost you more than seventy five bucks.

BAIT:
I hear alot of fish have been taken during the winter months ice fishing by anglers using minnows, than any other bait. But don't discount maggots & wax worms (my favorite), especially if fishing for crappie. Live minnows are undisputedly the best for any conditions, but I've found that minnows work best when fishing on the bottom, and is best when hooked just behind the dorsel fin. Live bait moves around and the crappie are not willing to chase their food in cold water.

I like to tip small jigs that ride horizontally and imitate minnows with wax worms that I get from Grubco. Small 1" Bass Pro Shops Squirt mini-tubes, and silver & shad-colored spoons also attracts hungry crappie. In deep water, dirty water, and at night, glow-in-the-dark lures are a distinct advantage. Use the smallest lead head jig as possible. A 1/64 ounce lead will give the baits a very slow fall.

ICE FISHING STRATEGY:
With the use of a good topo map and quality sonar, finding the winter crappie isn't all that difficult. Following the baitfish is also critical. In natural lakes, look for crappie in and around deep structures (tree tops, brush piles, standing timber, humps and bridge pilings) at 18 to 25 feet. Don't overlook suspended crappie on the sonar, because they are oftentimes the biters. Look for them holding about 4 feet off the bottom. In ponds or smaller lakes, which has plenty of food and weeds, look for the deepest water and fish from there. The only disadvantage of fishing smaller bodies of water, as the winter wears on, it will be difficult to catch fish due to oxygen depletion.

Crappie are cold blooded fish, and doesn't need to feed as extensively in the cold months, but they still eat and seek structure in the deeper venues of the lake. They often won't be as aggressive biting your baits, so 'feel' is important with ice fishing. Pike and walleye are still aggressive hitters, but you've got to be quick & ready for crappie.

Dropping the bait vertically is the key. Again, moving the baits around is not a good cold weather tactic because the crappie will not chase their food. Drop the baits all the way to the bottom. Very slowly pull the baits up a foot and gently shake the rod tip. Don't jig too aggressively, just wiggle your bait lightly in front of them. Tapping your index finger on the rod blank will give a little vibration to your jig. If no takers, raise your bait up another foot and repeat the process. Strikes will be very light, and the fish will create a slack in the line making very difficult to feel a strike. Lift softly on the rod and if you feel a little tug, immediately set the hook. Once you find the fish at a given depth, maintain that depth until they no longer bite.

Winter crappie don't hibernate, and neither should you. Be adventurous, bundle up, get outside and try fishing in a whole new way: through the ice!


Helpful Videos:

Ice Fishing for Crappies with Jason Durham

[walleye4]

Crappie is what I target most on the ice. This is a very good article and gives alot of the basics.

Always make sure to dress warm enough, have a set of extra clothes in the truck, and have your safety equipment(cleats, hand spikes, & 100' of rope) with you on every trip.

[thefallofman]

Thank you guys for the info. I have never caught a crappie, but now Im sure I can.