This happens once in a while and it may be more common than most of use realize, since that part of the water column is not shown on the flasher. We catch them quite frequently during open water that shallow right below our feet on the docks and along the walls. No reason they should not come up that shallow in winter. Same fish after all. So far we have taken bluegills, perch, pike, largemouths and one sucker from the bottom there, but only one dinky crappie.

Last evening a guy who knows the lake and came out to check on us while walking his dog dropped a comment about where he takes them in the spring, but then clammed up real quick when I forgot my manners and immediately asked him about the size. Don't blame him either, really. BUT we are now sure that they are there in numbers big enough and fish large enough to clam up about. We haven't fished that lake in open water yet, but if we can work them out a bit this winter, that should help us next summer, too. Time to dig into the Bag of Tricks for some alternative tactics. If I know my fishing partner at all, we won't move off until we work them out at at least a little bit.