Late season crappies

I don’t usually get out on the ice this late in the year, but now that we’re having an extended winter, I’m going to head out this weekend.

Where do the crappies like to be this time of year with these types of conditions? Are they in the basins or are they somewhere else?

Think it can very from lake to lake at to where they are. While you are looking keep a eye out for those blips on the screen right under the ice. Have found them 3 to 5′ under the ice this time of year.

I would anticipate that there will still be some crappies in deep water suspending over the basins but for the most part up here in North-central Wisconsin most are moving shallower into staging areas where structure and or weeds can be found. Out last weekend and caught a dozen crappies hopping from lake to lake and the deepest I fished was about 8 feet as shallow as 5, all in weeds in this case. But it will depend on the lake for sure, but if I were you i’d target shallower structure at this point and time. Punch holes use your flasher and camera and you should be on them in no time. Good luck

We’ve had very good luck on crappies and gills the past few weeks fishing the transition areas between deep basin holes and shallow water. Starting on the edge of the deepest water and drilling a couple lines of holes all the way up into the weeds. Typically I’ve been finding crappies suspended just under the ice anywhere from just on the edge of the deep water to just outside the weedlines and gills just outside the weeds during the day and then moving in above the weeds at sundown. We’ve also found most of our best fish as shallow as 2-5′ below the ice over 20 FOW the past few times out. Also, if you can get your hands on an LX-6/7 it can make a huge difference finding/reading the reactions of finicky panfish by being able to use the dynamic depth adjustment in shallow water allowing you to use the entire dial on your flasher where in shallow depths a mechanical sytle flasher uses only 1/4-1/2 of the dial once you get into 5-10 FOW.

Thanks, guys. Fanatic and Will, that is some really pertinent info.

I might have to brush the dust off the old Aqua-Vu for those critters hanging just under the ice.