BIG DONK SLABS!! Special Edition with Rainydaze

By chris_granrud 0

OK Big Donk Slab hunters!! Once again we’re entering the Sweatshirt ice fishing season. Holes are being burned by the “Movin-n-Groovin team” with the Marcum search team following close by. These are the days we’ll be talking about for many years. I know how special the bites are we’ve experienced over the past few years, and trust me I’m take nothing for granted. All I can think about is BIG HUGE Ri-Donk-Ulous crappies morning….Noon…….and Night!! Sometimes all night when normal people sleep!! Just finished up a another 2 day guide trip which had our group of 4 icing over 150 beautiful Crappies. Special shout out to IDO member DREW for lining up this trip for his pals, and getting them into WORLD CLASS CRAPPIE FISHING!! I literally was a cut-rate Big fish photographer convincing these boys to take a precious moment out of the day to pose for IDO!!Sometimes I even needed to bribe them!! LOL!! We also were fortunate enough to ice some big walleyes too, But this is Crappie talk so we’re gonna stay on task!! When it comes to 2lb crappie possibilities big Pannie guys all over the world get quite when they talk. They begin to whisper when going over the “Daze Gameplan” even when nobody is within earshot. This is why they’ve drove from the hustle and bustle, and it is GO TIME!! When it comes to trophy Crappie fishing I get pretty fired up!! Imagine that!!

Here is what I suggest for lethal Crappie gear; Diamond jigs packed with Euros, and a slip bobber set with a simple hook and minnow. Set your slip bobber about 5 feet off the bottome, and scan your flasher until we get on top of the big schools. When we do you’ll see the team come running, as the action can be fast paced, and those schools can come and go pretty quick. I feel it is vital to talk about what I feel is the perfect set up for hole hopping for Big Donks!! A small profile yet heavy jig like the Diamond jig from Custom Jigs and Spins gets the nod from me. I personally prefer to give the hook a slight bend out to make hook ups unbelievable. I then like to lace the lethal jig with 5-6 Euros/spikes. When hooking the spikes hook the blunt end of the Euro that if you look close enough has a couple tiny eyes. Carefully slide the Diamond Jig hook just under the skin between the eyes. Your Euros will be much more active, and much more irresistable on the big fish. Now here comes another OPINION!! LOL!! I prefer a noodle rod vs. a spring bobber. I’ve used both, and own many of both, but I feel an angler has more jigging options without the spring bobber. I feel I can shake the Diamond jig a bit more effectively without a spring bobber. Now when it comes to line I prefer a no memory braid line in a 1-2 lb diameter. I honestly believe you might get bit more at times with low test Mono, but 2lb slabs can leave your crying with snapped line on unexpected hole runs. So after years of throwing ice rods, and tears forming in the corner of my eyes from Heartbreaker fish I’ve completely switched to braid ice fishing.

When it come to Flasher preference. I wouldn’t be without my Marcum LX5, but to each his own here. If there was one reason alone it would be my movable zoom not to mention the seperation dominance. I fish slabs on many area fisheries thus have not pinpointed this to only Rainy Lake. Different bites have fish located at different areas of the water column. One particular area has big slabs about 10-12 feet off the bottom in which I move the zoom into that level. Working those fish in the zoom allows me to detect exactly where the fish is, and when it is sucking in my presentations. I also can decipher the likes and dislikes for the fish that day. Lastly NO fisherman can catch fish that aren’t there……….EVEN some of the elite IDO BOYS!! So work as a team, and find fish!! I’ve often found that when working mud basins that Crappies feed a bit like Canadian Geese. Any experienced Goose Guy knows that waterfowl will often return to feed where they finished feeding the night prior. Crappies at least the biggest fish often will scoop bugs and larvea over mud in and area, and then move to more fertile grounds. Here is where a many good guides earns his $$ with essential time on the water on a day to day basis. Fishing the same exact area day in and day out will often times leave some anglers feeling the bite turned off when on the contrary the fish simply moved on you, and you didn’t know it. Week old information is often ancient history on big slab movements.

As we enter some of the most prime weeks for crappie fishing I urge all Pannie boys to gather their gear. Although I might only have a few holes in my schedule for the remainder of the season I am actively booking crappie trips for 2011. Whether it be yet this hardwater season, sping, summer,Fall or your 2011 trip the Daze Team looks to have your boys on top of the biggest and baddest or where out the bottoms of our Otter sleds or the sparkles off my new Skeeter!! I personally look forward to fishing with your crew, and promoting more anglers to the Daze Donk Hunters!! Lastly I’d like to add that I am going to be adding 2 fishing guides to our team this year, so if I am unable to guide your group to limited amounts of DAZE I will be working hand and hand or marine radio to marine radio with these other boys!! As always DO NOT forget your digital camera, and from there we’ll take care of the rest!!

Profile Photo

chris_granrud

0 Comments

  5. Quote:

    You’re killing me! Maybe a Rainy trip is in order soon. How long does the bite last?

    Hey boys The bite only gets better until the honeycombing of the ice makes it too dicey for travel.

    I’m sure you can get slabs on spoons and minnow heads also, but in my past experience nothing outproduces than Diamonds with Euros. Especially when fish are nuetral or negative. It is my belief that the fish I’m targeting are feeding on larvea of some sort making them freaked when the Packed Diamond jig comes by!!

  7. I just booked a guided trip with Chris for late next February to chase those slabs. My only quaetion is, “Is summer almost over?” Can’t wait Chris.

    John

  10. Hey Chris just wanted to say thanks once again for the once in a lifetime CRAPPIE fishing. It was nice to meet yet another felow slab fanatic, and even better one willing to share some of the answers to all slab seekers questions.
    I came to Rainy Lake with only hopes and dreams of jiant slabs and did not leave disapointed. Fore any one looking for a once in a lifetime fishing experience I would highly recomend a trip with Rainydaze guid service. We absolutly
    them

  11. Oh and by the way the fishing on Lake Of The Woods the following day was pretty good as well, we ended up catching a mixed bag of about 25 to 30 walley and sandpike in about 5 hous of fishing and I would say over half of them fell victom to a Diamond Jig after trying everything in the tackle box. I couldnt have asked for a better trip.

  12. Thanks Chris for the opportunity to put the on the fish!! The trip was awsome and i cant say enough about how awesome the fishing was and how great you were to fish with, it was like i was fishing with an old buddy of mine! Cant wait until next time!

  13. My sentiments precisely boys!! It was a pleasure to share the sheet with you, and I had a blast watching you boys put the on the big slabs!! Oh…….Bacon Cheeseburgers unbelievably good on the ice!! Thank YOU!! BTW I PUT a MONSTER MONSTER on the ice today!! 2lbs 9 oz.! I’ve included the pic from today!! I hope we can get together next year for MONSTER WALLEYES.

    Glad you made good use out of those Diamond Jigs!! They are flat out DEADLY!!

  16. Yesterdays

    Congrats to Dave Marquart (Skeeter Boat Center) on his nice fish!! I edged him out with one of big and dumb 2lb plus freaks!! You’ll get the bigger Donk next time Dave!! Awesome time talking Skeeter Boats, and Popping slabs!! Also tagged this 5-6lb Whitefish!! BTW pretty scrappy on the Daze Noodle Stick, and obviously love Clown Diamond Jigs!!

    Guys as this years ice schedule is getting pretty locked up I might suggest looking closely at the big spring slab fest that takes place here, and/or next years Feb/Mar/April Donk Beatdown .

  18. Thanks Doug!! Unlike southern Minnesota where there can be a mixture of White and Black Crappies these are all Black. Beautiful fish.

  22. Quote:

    hi Pout,
    Welcome to IDO,
    Chris the other night said that he is fishing the MN side.

    Again, Welcome.
    Jack

    Yup, I just talked to Chris a couple hours ago. All trips lately have been in US waters.

  23. Yes as the boys mentioned all of these fish are coming from US waters. With that being said there are big tanks both sides of the border. Welcome to IDO Pout!!

  24. Thanks for the warm welcome!!

    I saw the show a while back and started drooling seeing those monster slabs. We’ve got big ones on Leech Lake, but not like those. Do you need sleds, or will a 4 wheeler work on Rainy right now to get to them? My son and I wanna come up and try and find them and also throw out some tip-ups for pike soon.

    It simplifies matters if we can stay on the good ol’ USA side (not that I don’t like Canada). Nothing better than chasing (and finding) big crappies, that’s my favorite.

    Appreciate the insight, everyone!!

    Thanks Again.

    Pout

  25. Hi Pout,

    When thinking Pike keep in mind these fish are going to be gearing up for a strenous spawn cycle. Effectively locating habitual spawning grounds will have you on the right track for some of the biggest and baddest. Keep in mind though many anglers are a bit over zealous when it comes to staging pike. Often times pike aren’t located in and around the Spawns site even after the bays break loose in the spring.

    As far as crappies go deep mud basins will have roaming fish looking for bugs/larvea to dig out of the mud, or suspending in the water column. Crappies will also prey on small baitfish. As to specific locations I’m ghostly quiet on the spread of Crappie “Wildfire”.

    Come enjoy Rainy lake, and the surrounding area!! Love to have you!!

    Couple more DONKS from this past weekend. Biggest fish went a girthy 15 3/4. Mouth like a freshwater Tarpon.

  26. Hey! What do you mean you have two more guys to guide with you? I didn’t even send you my resume!

    Don’t worry, we’re still laying the wood to those 5″ monsters on Sheilds while you catch all those easy ones up north.

  27. LOL!!

    Please forward resume. Keep cleaning up on those big 5’s. Much more difficult to hook NO DOUBT!!

    You in for big pike this spring pal?? Already pretty geeked for Deer hunting, and would like to spend a couple days hunting sheds/getting lost up there in April.

  29. More “Daze Donk Hunters” in past few days!! Congrats boys!!! 15 inch plus fish are pretty special!! Cannot wait for the bobber to be popped this spring!! Those giant Black Papermouths are going to meet the New Daze Fish Casket!! Seems unfair

Leave a Comment