Was able to check out a couple of lakes in east central MN for crappies and sunnies over the weekend. I would say the bite is from challenging in some areas to pretty good in others.
Saturday Dave Barber and I got set up on a lake north west of Mora. The 1st spot we checked found a good amount of average sized sunfish. they didn’t seem to want the Gill Pills I was showing them. A quick look over at Dave and he seemed to had them dialed in on a spoon with a couple of waxes on it. I was a little surprised the gils would hit a larger spoon over a very small offering like the gil pill. Learned something new that day.
Next we moved in closer to shore looking for some crappies I heard rumor of a few weeks earlier. We drilled some holes starting in 9′ up the break to about 7′. About 3pm out in 9′ the gills started hitting and soon after the nice crappies showed up. 
Over in this area the crappies and sunnies went pretty good for the gil pill with a spike on it. After missing a few fish a quick bending out of the hook help to solve this problem. These fish went pretty good for us until about dark and then really thinned out.
Today my neighbor and I decided to stick a little closer to home and check out a new lake to us near Isanti. We got started out near one of the community holes. Drilled about 6 holes on one side of the truck and found a few sunnies and perch. These fish where very negative to our lures. Im sure you guys have been on these types of fish before. They swim up sniff the bait, sometimes give it a little bump and then swim away. These types of fish can be huge time wasters and Im starting to learn not spending much time with them is the best. It seems very seldom are you going to change there mood and turn it into a good bite. Once and a while I get lucky with finding the right lure or presentation to turn them on but more times than not they just waste my time while trying to figure them out. Solution? Get the auger out and find new fish.
Today it was just a quick move to the other side of the truck where the depth change was just inches from where we had started. 1st hole the Marcum showed lots of bait fish with a few larger returns holding in the middle of them. We had moved 40′ and landed on a large school of crappies. A larger glow Diamond jig with a spike started out well to trick a few crappies. The fish where acting fairly aggressive to this so I decided to try one of my favorite lures for crappies the shrimpo. At 1st I though they where shying away from this but a little change in presentation really got the fish to react. Slow moving the lure would only get lookers to come in and sniff at the bait at best. Switching over to a more aggressive jigging motion got the attention of the more active fish and they would come flying in a smack the lure. Many times as the lure was still being jigged. Our crappies today where not as large as the ones we found on Saturday but the numbers where way up and I always enjoy catching fish on new water.
From what I saw over the weekend the bite seems to be pretty decent in the area. A little work to locate active fish and maybe a lure or presentation change and it shouldn’t be to hard to ice some fish. Dont get hunkered down in those fish house over inactive fish. This may be easyer said than done with the weather coming in this week.
Ice conditions where good on the lakes we fished. There seems to be a fair amount of packed down roads on the lakes. Getting off of these you may still get into some slush. Make sure and have a shovel with just in case you do happen to get stuck. Also be mindful and do not drill holes on or right next to the plowed roads.
Any one else been getting out in the area. Its always good to hear new reports. Ill try to get a few photos up later.
