URL crappie boom #2

Anyone from the board here able to participate? Not likely to get up there, don’t want spots, just curious if anyone here has been able to go get on them!

Ive been seeing the pics and vids over the last couple days and one group of 4 limited out in 10 minutes!

Been seeing much of the same –

The one comment I saw and liked best was ” if you ain’t scopin’ you’re hopin'”

I would not call it a boom per say but they are making a come back. If you really want to get on them book a guided trip with Bear Paw. Steve and Tyler run portables late ice to stay on them. Not sure what that will look like this year though.

havent fished red this year but i get alot of reports from resorts on facebook. there has been alot of reports lately doing well with the crappies. im guessing the boom wont last long and everybody will be there wanting some of the action. hopefully im wrong though

I plan to head up in March. Last year we did a spring trip and after lots and lots of searching we finally found em and it was lights out. Seems like there are more this year so hopefully a little less searching this trip. Looking for that 16er for the wall.

FinnyDinDin wrote:

I plan to head up in March.

Better bring your boat. May not be any ice left in March.

I sure hope people will take a bit of a better attitude with them during this “boom”. With the livescope option I am sure finding them will be a bit easier than the past. Remember you DON”T have to take out your limit everyday. Catch what you need and release the others. The people last boom really raped and pillaged those big crappies and then later complained when the numbers dropped off.

John Rasmussen wrote:

I would not call it a boom per say but they are making a come back. If you really want to get on them book a guided trip with Bear Paw. Steve and Tyler run portables late ice to stay on them. Not sure what that will look like this year though.

Hardly a need right now. Get a buddy with live scope and find them.
I still like how people claim live scope won’t hurt a fishery. Look at every video being posted, every one is crushing big crappies, and what do they all have in common ? Takes hours and hours to stumble upon them with out, takes a hour of searching to find them with.
That said, I’ll be up there. With live scope

gimruis wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>FinnyDinDin wrote:</div>
I plan to head up in March.

Better bring your boat. May not be any ice left in March.

There is 1.5-2 feet of ice. The 10 day forecast looks like it will actually build ice. I live in northern MN and you could hear ice building last night and this morning on the lake I live on. I would be willing to bet trucks will still be driving out at the start of March and a good chunk of the month and would be very surprised if ice is off before April. I’m not worried about the ice at all. I am just hoping we don’t get a big snow storm so that travel remains easy.

The ice situation in northern MN is far different than central and southern. I’ll be out in my boat in March but it likely won’t be on any inland lakes.

If you go with the snow bear he will put you on fish. If you are going out on your own be ready to move around. Drill and scan, drill and scan. It is not like before when you sat there and they come through. It needs to be a mobile attack. Once you find them you can make hay.

It is normally best to go up after walleye is done, you have the lake to yourself.

Matthew Sandys wrote:

It is normally best to go up after walleye is done, you have the lake to yourself.

Doubt it this year. Every YouTube and Instagram professional fisherman is posting hundreds of videos of red lake crappies and the big 14 to 16 inch sizes. Every one I’ve talked to has mentioned it and planning on going after walleye closes down.
I would rather go now while walleye is going so when you get on them and stay, no one around knows. They probably just think your walleye fishing.

Last year there were only a few groups out chasing them when were up in late March. I doubt there will be that many more people out this year. Most fisherman are lazy and chasing them on red isn’t a lazy man’s game. If you think you can go up and just follow the crowds to catch fish you will likely be disappointed.

It’s a big lake. There will be lots of room to find your own school.

FinnyDinDin wrote:

Last year there were only a few groups out chasing them when were up in late March. I doubt there will be that many more people out this year. Most fisherman are lazy and chasing them on red isn’t a lazy man’s game. If you think you can go up and just follow the crowds to catch fish you will likely be disappointed.

It’s a big lake. There will be lots of room to find your own school.

Last year the crappie bite wasn’t as known about. This year there’s 100 videos and pictures of guys limiting out in the matter of no time.
Hopefully I’m wrong but I bet it’ll be much busier then last year.
And for fisherman, lots of lazy ones who just follow the crowds. Look at every lake around on a normal ice year. People just flock to other shacks.
Following the crowd is 100 percent against how I fish. But when we went up we found crappies early ice without trying.

BC you may be right. Everybody needs to brag on social media and that’ll draw attention.

Regardless there won’t be nearly the amount of people there as during walleye season and I just don’t see an issue with people crowding in on you. Unless you find a massive school you’re gonna need to be on the move. That game doesn’t work well for the sheep that try to follow other people.

FinnyDinDin wrote:

BC you may be right. Everybody needs to brag on social media and that’ll draw attention.

the last one I watched was Sobi on URL when they proceeded to catch somewhere close to 10 big crappies on URL before they decided they should start releasing them… the fish were topside in the snow for several minutes before they were released.

I don’t know where the “I don’t want to spook the school” mentality came from but he’s not the first fishing youtuber that prioritizes their content/views over a safe and ethical release. If you’re worried about spooking the school, have a second hole drilled nearby to release them. The fish are more important than your social media views. Oh and of course they used livescope to get on the school and subsequently put a smack down on them… then posted video documentation of them being boneheads. I’m pretty sure the video has been edited since it was first released to try to cut out some of the bad stuff

I think that is an old wives tale about spooking the school when releasing fish. I mean, wouldnt they just as easily get spooked when you pull Fred away from Joe?

Gitchi Gummi wrote:

the fish were topside in the snow for several minutes before they were released.

Oh come on.

gimruis wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Gitchi Gummi wrote:</div>
the fish were topside in the snow for several minutes before they were released.

Oh come on.

Ive brought fish home that were nearly frozen, put them in the sink full of water and they started swimming around.

CaptainMusky wrote:

Ive brought fish home that were nearly frozen, put them in the sink full of water and they started swimming around.

Ya but you didn’t broadcast it on youtube like a moron.

gimruis wrote:

Ya but you didn’t broadcast it on youtube like a moron.

Well that is true. LOL

FinnyDinDin wrote:

BC you may be right. Everybody needs to brag on social media and that’ll draw attention.

Regardless there won’t be nearly the amount of people there as during walleye season and I just don’t see an issue with people crowding in on you. Unless you find a massive school you’re gonna need to be on the move. That game doesn’t work well for the sheep that try to follow other people.

The resorts are promoting just as much or more then these youtubers.

And why wouldn’t they…

Ripjiggen wrote:

And why wouldn’t they…

precisely

Yeah that Sobi video was pretty bad. I thought they were going to keep them. Then after they pile them up on the ice it’s like okay lets let them go. Ugh.

The best way to fight these YouTube and Facebook heroes is to not watch their videos, comment, like etc. That’s what fuels these morons to keep doing this. That’s what pays their paychecks. If you don’t like their content the last thing you should do is go share it on forums. That adds $ in their pocket.

The internet has ruined lots of good fishing and hunting spots and killed some of those resources. I refuse to support the ones that are only in it for themselves. The select few I do watch and support don’t burn up spots with their self promotion.

I can’t blame the resorts for promoting it but I think that brings a lot less attention than the social media people.

sure would be nice if people released those 12-14″ crappies this year so they can get to the 15-17″ range during the OG crappie boom. i missed it and kick myself every time someone pulls a giant out of that lake.

If i was to target them in March, i would focus on the north end. Beacons, Hillmans or Cookies. not those snapface resorts that post every day

I don’t ever like a YouTube video but calling them out in comments should be done.

If I get into the mega fish anywhere, and I do occasionally, the mouth stays shut. No pictures to share. Nothing. If everyone did this, there wouldn’t be the need for fretting whether a location or bite will last more than a couple weeks before things are hurt enough to spoil it for a decade. Those arrogant asshats that need to video all of their raping need to given a blanket party with baseball bats to help them understand how showing this stuff in video format is not smart.

I agree but there are too many “look at me” guys who take pics with a spread of fish next to their livescope and $3000 worth of gear that need to have their ego stroked on social to validate how great they are.

I guess i dont get the livescope lifestyle. Im perfectly fine drilling out an area of a dozen holes, setting up and relaxing for hours before i need to move.