Targeting suspended mid-winter crappies with the Humminbird 385ci

[Jason Halfen #511]

As ice caps thicken and snow packs deepen on frozen lakes across the Northland, crappies that spent the early part of the winter in shallow weedbeds are forced to retreat to the relative stability of deep water basins. These fish will typically suspend off the bottom and roam basin areas in search of small forage fish, hatching bugs, and other great things to eat that are present in the open water areas....all while avoiding the predator fish species that follow the crappies out of the weeds.

Catching these roaming, open water crappies is generally not too difficult, as long as the angler is willing to invest the time required to locate the schools...and remain mobile as the schools move around the basin. This is not the time to hunker down in a permanent shelter, or get too comfy in a warm portable. Grab your Humminbird 385ci, head out into the elements, and find those fish. Check out this article to see how I use my 385ci and LakeMaster digital GPS maps to efficiently target these open water fish.

Targeting suspended crappies with the Humminbird 385ci and LakeMaster digital charts

[Don G]

Jason, is this a real time flasher like the Marcum units or does it do some kind of conversion?

Thanks

[Cane Pole]

How you keep them holes from freezing back up? That flasher have a heated line or something? I am ignorant of frozen water except in a margarita.

[Jason Halfen #511]

Anglers will not notice any sort of performance difference in the field between the flasher function of the 385ci and a traditional, mechanical flasher. The addition of internal GPS, LakeMaster (and Navionics) map card compatibility, and a built-in open water sonar mode with dual beam capabilities make the 385ci a very versatile piece of electronics....perhaps more-so than a mechanical flasher.

[Jason Halfen #511]

How you keep them holes from freezing back up? That flasher have a heated line or something? I am ignorant of frozen water except in a margarita.

A steady parade of fish through the hole will help keep it from freezing back up....most of the time.

[Don G]

Anglers will not notice any sort of performance difference in the field between the flasher function of the 385ci and a traditional, mechanical flasher. The addition of internal GPS, LakeMaster (and Navionics) map card compatibility, and a built-in open water sonar mode with dual beam capabilities make the 385ci a very versatile piece of electronics....perhaps more-so than a mechanical flasher.

Jason, as you know, there is a problem with most electronic units from the TM,etc RF interference...I don't think you would get this interference from the mechanical flasher..Is that correct or am I off-base?

[Jason Halfen #511]

I can't speak to that right now, as I've only used the 385ci through the ice. Once the water softens up a touch, I'll report back with information on the unit's open water performance.

[gabowman]

You make winter time fishing on the ice look easy...........and productive too.Thumbs Up