crane lake minnesota

Hey guys, I have been going to crane lake for past 3 years , however only 1 time in the fall, the other 2 times have been summer. I am looking for information on how to find suspended summer crappie. Mostly during the summer i will walleye fish , but after some real nice huge black crappies in the fall , obviously they are there somewhere. Would love to know steps in targeting crappies there. I have used a guide a couple times , but they won't even mess with them in the summer. At least not the one i use. To much time to look i guess. Any info would be greatly appreciated. I am asking , because alot of illinois people do go there so i am just trying my luck on here. Thanks

they will usually suspend just at the tops of the weeds. If the water is `12 feet and the weeds come to 7 feet, then set a cork at about 5 feet and try a slow retrieve. I've found that if you don't find them in one weed patch--move on. I have had very good luck with this method. The first time I found fish it was just with a flasher, but todays electronics should make it very easy. Good luck. We fished there toward the end of June but I'm sure the fish will stay in the weeds the rest of the summer also. Be prepared to catch some walleyes and northerns also.

thanks i appreciate that.

I fish Vermilion, the next lake south of there, and have found the same thing as Jerry, lasting into the end of July. Sometimes they are deep in the weeds and you pitch to the pockets. Sometimes at the top of the weeds and sometime just outside the weed edge. Beautiful fish and very healthy.

thanks

I will give it a try , thanks to the both of you

Cottonhead...I like to use a slip bobber with a tube jig and set the depth to let the jig down into the weeds about a foot or so. Then give it a little movement now and then. If no bites recast.....you will find them SOONER than later. We've used this method in northern Minnesota and had excellent results. Totally agree with XXLFISH & Cherokee Ref's advice!

thanks for the input fellas. like i was saying earlier , this time of year it seems like a guide won't fiddle to much with trying to find crappies at least where i go, because the walleyes are stacked up out on deep reefs and a little easier to find. so naturally thats where they take you. which i am thankful for as well. rather catch some fish than none. but as try and get more comfortable with this water , i will seek out the deep weed lines , and outter edges of cabbage and pads. its just so vast up there, the connections of lakes are endless, and to me very intimidating. i could leave the dock where i am at and go 80 miles all the way to rainy lake and all the while stay on american water. i don't ever see that happening , but its endless amounts of water to try. thanks guys

Cottonhead, Just a suggestion, but break the lake down into an area that you feel is fishable for the time period you are there, and learn as much about it as you can in that timeframe. Big water can be/is intimidating, but this approach definitely makes it less so. Study maps, fishing reports, keep a log, etc. My wife claims I remember where I caught every fish I have ever caught, but I can't remember the important day-to-day things! I have never argued with that, either!

We use to fish a very small area, and once we learned it, fishing was very good for a variety of species, but I targeted the crappie using an 1/8 oz. orange roadrunner head with a chart. tube and caught lots of walleyes and northerns mixed in. Stay above or close to the weeds and you will have fun. Seemed like the magic depth for fishing was 7 foot in what ever depth of water where 7 foot was at the tops of the weeds.

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