Tough Time But A Good Crappie Bite!
By Mike Frisch
February can be a difficult time for this outdoorsman and I’m suspecting other outdoors lovers too. The good early ice bite has passed, hunting seasons are closed, and the open-water of spring is still a ways off. Luckily, a dependable deep-water, basin crappie fishing pattern sets up on many Midwestern lakes now. Here is a look at some keys to capitalizing on this bite right now.
Where
Relatively featureless basins within the main lake body or within larger bays will often hold roaming crappies during mid- to late-winter. In several of the shallower lakes that I fish, these basins may be in 20 to 30 feet of water. In deep-water lakes, however, these basins may be deeper.
Regardless the basin depth in a lake, staying on the move is important to consistent success as these fish will often roam about looking for food. And, even once found, basin fish are often on the move so the most successful anglers stay mobile, drilling holes to stay with moving fish.
Good electronics and a lightweight, dependable ice auger are important to a mobile approach. The K-Drill I use is lightweight, cuts quickly, and is powered by a 9-volt battery, so if the battery is charged, it will start!
When
Water clarity seems to be a factor in when these fish feed most actively. If a lake has “off-colored” water, the bite may be good during the day. In clear water lakes, however, a late afternoon on into the evening bite often prevails.
My best successes when fishing this pattern come when fishing from a portable shelter that allows me to stay as mobile as possible. Because this bite can be good in the evening, some anglers prefer to put a “permanent” fish house on a productive spot and wait for roaming schools to pass through during the peak late afternoon/early evening time frame.
On some waters, this bite will last for several hours into later evening as well, making this a fun way to pass a mid-winter evening!
How
My most productive winter panfish lures are usually small jigging spoons or tungsten jigs. The spoons are often tipped with small minnow heads, while tungsten jigs pair well with waxworms. Though, during this time frame, plastics seem to produce more fish most days.
A 1/16-ounce Pinhead Jigging Mino in a glow color pattern and small minnow head combination is often a good starting lure. This bait will pick off the active fish from a school and often appeals to some of the bigger “slabs.”
Some days on some waters, however, a quivering plastic bait on small tungsten offering will trigger the most bites and, sometimes, by a wide margin. A 1/16-ounce Drop Jig XL tipped with a small Maki plastic offers undulating action that attracts and triggers crappies into biting. A variety of colors will work, though I prefer jigs in glow red, pink, and white tipped with a white glow plastic.
I often use a fairly aggressive jigging presentation in an attempt to “call in” fish near the bait. Once there, slowing up and just quivering the bait is often too tempting for even the most finicky crappie to refuse!
A final bit of advice is to use a quality flasher with good target separation. The new FLX-30 I use allows me to easily see my bait, any fish that come near it, and “separates” the bait from individual fish when several crappies suspend in the water column near my bait. This allows me to target individual fish and maximize my catch!
February can be a challenging time for those who like the outdoors. If maximizing your time outside this month is a goal, consider giving basin crappies a try. Using some of the tips just provided can, in fact, get you in on a good crappie bite and increase your winter enjoyment right now!
As always, good luck on the ice and remember to include a youngster in your next outdoors adventure!
Mike Frisch hosts the popular Fishing the Midwest TV series. Visit www.fishingthemidwest.com to see all things Fishing the Midwest.
Photo – The author with a mid-winter basin crappie caught using the tips presented here.