Late Ice Means Good Crappie Fishing

From the late part of February to the last ice in March, crappies get very active and the fisherman who sticks to it, can have some great fishing. Crappies are early spawning fish and that coupled with warmer temperatures and longer days gets them in the mood to feed.

When fishing in shallow places like the Wisconsin River bottoms, you’re usually in 5 or 6 feet of water. The crappies will usually be right under the ice in these places. Set your depth to cover the first foot to foot and a half under the ice. In deeper places, start looking for that ‘magic’ depth about half way to the bottom.

Once you find the right depth, get your biggest jigs out. Rembrants in a size 4 or 2 are great. Also try a Swedish Pimple or a large rocker. Crappies like big jigs and you need a bigger hook to catch them. Their mouths are large and very fragile, so keep your ice scoop handy to dip for any that fall off at the hole. One other bait is a small shiner minnow suspended under a bobber. This will often catch a few extra fish by just letting the rig set while you jig your other poles.

Spring crappies can make up for all the fishing time you spent all winter catching very little. There are lots of them in our waters and when you catch one, you’ll most likely catch several more as the school moves through.

Dan Bomkamp - Host of "How's Fishing"

Author of "Tag: A Boy, A Dog, A Quest"


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