Last summer on the Cisco Chain of Lakes, fishing for nice size panfish had its ups and downs. Jumbo Perch were hit or miss but we did well catching plate size Crappie. With the ice thickness being safe, finding Crappie under the ice isn’t as hard as one might think. Can you locate them in areas where they were during the summer? Yes, this could be one of the spots during early ice. Knowing Crappie will still relate to cover and follow their food helps, but remember, with water temperatures dropping, and vegetation dying off their location will change.

The first month of ice fishing Crappie can still be shallow. Those weeds in 5 to 10 foot you fished during open water could hold Crappie. This shallow pattern can produce because the remaining GREEN vegetation is great cover, attracts (food source) bait and is producing oxygen.

As the winter progresses, the ice gets thicker and there is less light penetration and those green weeds in shallow water die off and are now producing carbon dioxide. This is when the baitfish and zooplankton will move to somewhat deeper water, as will the bigger Crappie. There will be some Crappies that will stay in a few shallow weeds all winter, but these are usually smaller fish.

To stay on top of Cappie, mid-winter is the time to drill holes over basins. Crappie will relate to this area not only because this is where the oxygen and food chain is, but the water is slightly warmer too. This deeper water can be 10 to 20 feet. Depending on the time of day you are on the ice, Crappie will move up and down in the water column. The day bite is usually deeper, but at dusk Crappie will typically suspend in the upper water column because zooplankton move up in the water column and so will the fish that eats them. During the late ice pattern, Crappies will start moving back to shallow water and find whatever healthy vegetation that remains.

Here’s a few tips that could help first time ice anglers catch a few nice Crappie. During winter their metabolism slows down and Crappie won’t be all gung-ho to chase food. That being said, when day fishing, present your bait closer to the bottom. And again, at or after dusk, present your bait higher in the water column. And if you are catching more Bluegill and they are a nice size, that’s the bonus. If the Bluegill are small, fish below them for Crappie.

Always have the bait above the fish because they look up not down for food. There are different baits and techniques used when fishing through a hole in the ice, so depends on what you are using. Crappie will mostly bite when you’re reeling up and this is why some believe jigging lures works the best. When jigging, raising and lowering your rod tip gets a lot of action. Fish see the lure/bait fluttering down and the hook-up occurs on the upward motion. When fishing with live bait, you lower the minnow ABOVE the fish and let it do its thing.

Drill a lot of holes in shallow water then over deeper water and always start back at the first hole you drilled. Stay mobile and remember, fish metabolism slows, so I believe smaller baits will catch more fish. BE SAFE AND DO NOT GO ON ICE UNDER 4 INCHES.

There is bait shops open in Land O lakes and Conover, but If you are fishing on the Cisco Chain and need bait, Angela & Keevin at WILDERNESS BAY RESORT on Thousand Island Lake will have all the bait you will need.