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So what do you think would be the best approach to target Crappies through the ice in mid'ish February in Northern Illinois. I am planning on fishing in a Cancer Charity ice fishing benefit and would rather target Crappie than Blue Gill.
Walk on Water Ice Benefit
Find a lake map and look for structure. Look for points, holes, drop offs, humps, ect. That's all I can think of right now. I'm sure others will chime in with more and better ideas.
February can have the fish in winter doldrums. As mentioned, you should be taking a look at a map of the lake. If you can find a pic of the lake to post or a map link for the lake, post it here and I'd be happy to help out. Be sure to shown the map with north up or the north orientation arrow along with any current direction.
I just googled the lake and did an aerial enlargement to see if I could judge the water's depths and maybe establish some breaklines. If you can post a map showing water depths it would be very handy.
I do see three areas that have my attention. Does the Il. dnr have a website that shows the lakes of the state? If there is a state hosted map on-line, find it and copy the "http....address" to a post here.
I'd suggest to look for the weedbeds and fish the weedlines deeper edges. Works for us when we fish Presque isle bay on lake erie. Crappies, gills, and perch are caught in these areas.
These are waypoints from areas that produced various fish last winter. The tag refers to site number and depth. For instance Wauc Boat 1-10, means I walked out from Wauconda Boat, was the first stop and was 10 feet deep. This is the southern shore line. I have a full map but it is in PDF format and not sure if and how I can attach that. Can't upload it to photobucket
http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i2...akeMap0001.jpg
OK, I printed it, then scanned it and then uploaded it to Photobucket...I know. prolly an easier way but computers hate me anyhow.
http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i2.../BangsLake.jpg
In addition to those waypoints given, I like those two points that seperate the two distinct bodies of water.There is a bowl of 32 foot water smack in the middle of the picture. Between that hole and the point directly above it you'll find some tightly banded water depths. I like that. The point immediately to the right of the hole has a similar sort of tightly dropping shoreline and I like that too. Both of these areas would have my full attention if the weather has an abrupt change of a serious cold front comes thru within a day of this event. If the skies are bluebird with no snow cover I'd stay close to these areas.
If there is a snow pack or you are having a long stretch of stable weather, or you are fishing cloudy or low light conditions, I like that 8-10 foot pit just SE of the Cook Park sign. That 10 to 18 foot basin in the upper portion of the lake off that point is another area I'd target during stable weather. Actually that long 14 foot shore to the right of and between the trough showing the waypoints and the deep hole is interesting if the weather is consistent.
My general rule of thumb is to fish like the weather is. If the weather is stable and nice, fish areas where bottom contours are moderate in change. If the weather is ugly and has shown a redical change, then the depth and radically changing lakebed elements will get my attention.
This looks like a fun lake for ice fishing.
I like that, simple to rememberQuote:
Originally Posted by CTom
Pretty good info. For me it seems the longer the ice is on the shallower the active fish will go. Life needs light and the whole cycle moves up to get it. With the long ice period last year we started getting crappie in 3'-4'fow as well as the traditional locations. So if you've "lost" them you might look shallow. Good luck
Here in Minnesota, late January into February is the turning point of our winter. This is when we see the deepest ice depth. Lots of things happen when the ice is at its thickest but two things in particular. The first is radically deminished light for the weeds. While they may be some green yet, they are not getting adequate light to produce oxygen in sufficient quanities to keep fish in their midst for very long. Weeds may be a part of the daily cycle near shallower water, but the absolute need for deep water is first and foremost. The areas I have pointed out where the depths change dramatically in a very short distance offer both the deep and the shallow with minimal movement by the fish when weather and barometric extremes come into play. Lateral movement by crappies and sunfish is going to minimal at this time of year and they use less of their precious energy stores by moving vertically than horizontally...the air bladder does the work and requires far less energy output than swimming does. By all means check the shallow weeds, just keep in mind that weeds which are found quite close to water with depth and sharp breaks are likely to be the weeds with higher production rates.
The deep water is another factor that fishing at this time of year calls for. Deep water is the warmest water. Deep water offers the fish sanctuary and that includes the bait fish crappies feed on. Most of all, deep water offers the fish the most stability when the barometer is acting like a yo-yo. The February/January period is a pivot point in the winter weather. Cold and high pressure days are as likely as are warm weather stretches that last a week. February generally brings a lot of snow and light getting thru the ice becomes and issue. With dropping oxygen rates and unstable weather, those fish are not much different than our wives in that they snuggle deeper and keep looking down deep for the warmest spot available and if they leave this secure place they do so only for a short time.....like in getting a snack.
As I look at the map of this lake, I have noted areas that keep me focused on locations that offer me everything I have mentioned with the least amount of travel and set-up time. Would I start fishing the deepest or shallowest first? I'd see what the morning offers weather and sky-wise and then consider what the past three days have been like first. More than likely if the weather has been stable I'd start on the first decent break where the depth gradient shows a significat drop in the shortest horizontal distance and opt to fish over the deeper water away from the break. Find that break and move over water six feet deeper but fish at the depeth of the break. If a front is approaching and snow starts I'd look at the bottom edge of any deep weeds. If the weeds are short in height and still found with sufficient water over the tops, I'd try the tops of the weeds too. When I turn the flasher on I do three things: I look at the depth, I check for bottom huggers and I check for intermittent flashs or marks off the bottom or away from structure like weeds....while these marks do not tell me what kind of fish they are, larger crappies on the feed make marks such as this and are often the guilty party. These crappies are the most catchable and are the fish you will not see sucking up to the bottom with the masses of small sunfish and perch and immature crappies. Every time I move to a new location I establish this practice and will drill a ton of holes to offer freedom in movement. What I am doing is creating a mental map of where I am at each hole and then work the water according to where I see the marks. At some point a pattern will show itself. And at some point this pattern will fall apart. What the fish tell me determines when I am fishing or searching, but when I am working a compact area like this lake map shows I can put a whole lot more energy into specific areas that offer a broad window with minimal movement.
One variable that slipped my mind is mud. In winter fishing beinning about late January, I like a mud bottom. Mud harbors several bug and worm species that react to available light and water temperature along with the moon's phase. Blood worms are an example and hatches of these worms can happen at several different periods during the course of a winter. When blood worms come out to play they do so in such profusion that crappies can literally hover in one spot and not need to move to eat. Blood worm hatches can be so prolific that they show up on a locator in numbers great enough to create a false bottom reading often times several feet thick. These worms need mud. Am I looking for a mud flat? No. I look for a minor hump or depression where mud is found. One super spot is where a deep weedline, say 15 feet on the outside has a few feet of flat 15 foot water running out to where it breaks into deeper water. Low light, stable weather, this could be primo. If the snow pack is heavy or the day is cloudy, low light could easy mean until 10 AM and begin again at 2:30 pm. Shadows or a north slope would be a bonus. Humps are other magnets [hint here]. They don't have to be ten feet high and are often nothing more than a 12" bump on a fairly flat bottom with mud on them.
That is a lot of information to digest. I appreciate the input. If any of you are in the Northern Illinois area, you should stop by and fish in the Walk on Water ice benefit. Lots of great prizes and the chance to help a worthy cause.
Doc nailed it. In mid to late January we find them1 to 2' below the ice. Oxygen content is lower also.