Iced some nice gills today

We stayed away from the big water looking to make a gill post.
We hit a lil lake I like to go for those in the spring.
We started in 13 fow and Doug got on the board quick with those gills.
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h2...eseason296.jpg
Sorry about the last pic...the camera was still cold.
I struggled with 1 after a few hours.
Taged plenty of smaller crappies though ,but Doug had their number.
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h2...eseason298.jpg

so we made a move for some deeper water but did not get any deeper with a 20 yard move towards the hole.Caught a few more ,but we just were not in them like I new we could or should be.
I pulled the pin again and we moved close to a old cabbage bed.
Marked fish immeadiatly in 10.5 fow.
Now it was my turn.I tagged several....nice to full a real tug!
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h2...eseason299.jpg
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h2...eseason289.jpg
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h2...eseason290.jpg

I suppose most of the nicer gills ranged from 7-9 with a 10 in the mix or close to it.
We tagged around 100 smaller crappies plus the gills.
Doug and I had a good time .
I did not see any real monsters ,but thats normal for ice fishing.
Come spring will be a different story.
Here's a few more pics of the day.
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h2...eseason288.jpg
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h2...eseason283.jpg
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h2...eseason284.jpg
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h2...eseason286.jpghttp://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h2...eseason285.jpg

Hitting the big lake looking for some slabs come daybreak.
Check back tommorow to see the rest of the story.

Sounds like a good trip. Some of those look nice and fat.

Question for ya... when you target crappie what changes do you make? Is it all location or presentation as well?

Have ice fished perch, cats, bass, gills and walleye. Walleye being the only one to drastically change presentation. This is the first time I want to hit the crappie, I have a batch of salted minnows and was hoping they would do. Was planning on using some of my ice jigs with a half minnow. Tip-ups work? Any suggestions?

Nice catch ! Looks like a yellow jig of some kind ? Thanks for posting the pic`s

When I hit a lake I usually know what colors work the best already...mostly location location location.
I run & gun until I locate them.

Hitting crappies for me means a hair jig with no meat.I'll work a verticle lift.
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h2...eason226-1.jpg

Way to go Keith! Stay safe out there. Your friendship is invaluable. Thanks again for all you do.

Nice gills Keith, fun to catch, but better in the pan.

Way to go CrappieKeith!!! I iced a few small perch yesterday but fishing on the lake I was on was brutal (Ice Fishing Tournament was going on--not very many people havin much luck). Will be headin to a smaller body of hardwater today and hope to have some pics! Congrats again on your catch and tight lines!!!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by crappiekeith

Hitting crappies for me means a hair jig with no meat.I'll work a vertical lift.

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was using some of Your hair jigs yesterday, i love it no tipping the hook with meat means warmer hands and more fish. I was fishing about 34 ft catching mostly crappie and some nice gills of the hair jig, also i even caught 1 very small perch :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ready2fish

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was using some of Your hair jigs yesterday, i love it no tipping the hook with meat means warmer hands and more fish. I was fishing about 34 ft catching mostly crappie and some nice gills of the hair jig, also i even caught 1 very small perch :)

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I think I'm up to 13 different species of fish on T.H.E. Jig
Glad to see your working that water column catching fish!!!!


Thanks Ship...back at you. We are on about 2 foot of ice and making more.

Alright, I gotta bite... What's the secret weapon, aka THE HAIR JIG. Or is it just that, a secret?? Any picts or at least a description?

Made it out today for only an hour, spent 15 mins on the hole, I drill by hand. Only ended up with 2 gills. Weather man lied though, was calling for clouds and 10-15 mph winds, but no such thing. May be taking some time from work and go out Tuesday.

Still cant get them to bite the jig thru the ice here but on open water, they slam them. Keith, do you make them in pink? Seems to be one of the only colors that work well here consistently thru the ice.

Chaunc....you have to work a lift.Get the jig in front of those fish and reel up slowey. You may have to lift up to 5 feet above them to get them to give chase.
Are you using a flasher?A rod with a spring bobber?I'll try to find a video to show you what we are doing later today.

Here ya go AtticaFish

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_bVefDirc0p...ie+closeup.jpg

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_bVefDirc0p...he+jig+pic.jpg

Believe me Keith, i'm lifting, using a vex, and a spring bobber rod. I've put it right in their face and they just follow it up. I slow rised it all the way from the bottom to the ice. They follow all the way to 3 ft, sometimes, as i stop it and jiggle it. Let it sit for almost a minute then begin again. They just wont hit it. I go to a pink and white teardrop, tipped with a few maggots, and get a few to hit. I even tipped it with 1 maggot at times. I think it's just the color that i'm using. I'll try again tomorrow.:)

You may need to go smaller.
The lakes that are froze over with snow on them kill weeds that make oxygen .This slows those fish down.
I've went from a 64th,then dropped to an 80th and now with 2 foot of ice that's been covered for 2 months I'm down to 100th oz.
If they get aggresive I'll bounce back up to an 80th maybe a 64th but when they follow they want to feed only when they get to a bigger jig they will cover me or stop at my 6.That's when I know to get smaller.
It makes all of the difference.
2 weekends ago I took a new guy out.
He had some jigs from this summer 64th's. I had a 80th on and was smoking them.
After 6 slabs to his none I say let me see what you have on.
Same color combo but a 64th.
So I say tear that off and I gave him an 80th.
He drilled fish so fast your head would spin and at the end of the day out fished me.

Chaunc...if they are lifting 3 feet they are catchable I promise you or my name's not CrappieKeith!
Size matters!

I wish I could sit shoulder to shoulder with you bud.