Seattle's Fish Room

The Many Advantages of Crappie Ice Fishing

Crappie ice fishing is becoming more and more popular all the time. It is a very exciting way to fish that has a totally different feeling than you could ever get from any other type of fishing. It can be done in both the daytime and the nighttime; whichever you one choose, just make sure you use caution at all times when ice fishing to ensure your safety. After all, nighttime is when the crappie is usually in search of food but it is also the most dangerous time to fish for the fisherman. There are dangers and accidents which are more common at night, particularly when ice fishing.

Becoming properly prepared will help prevent many accidents or problems which can occur while crappie ice fishing. When ice fishing for crappie, you need to have an idea of where to start searching or you will spend all your time drilling holes and looking for the fish. That would be defeating the purpose and take the excitement out of the whole trip. Therefore, you need to have an idea where to start. Normally, the crappie can be found in water that is approximately thirty feet deep. However, they may be deeper or closer to the surface depending on the total depth of the water. It is important for you to know how deep to fish to get the best results and save yourself some time. This is why having special equipment to help you find the fish is simply a good idea.

When crappie ice fishing there are several pieces of equipment that can make a big difference and help you get the results you are after. One item that is highly recommended is a fish finder that can help you locate the crappie much faster. This will save you a lot of time and energy finding the fish so you can spend more time actually catching the crappie instead of searching for them. Sonar and other modern equipment like the "Vexilar FL-8" can also make ice fishing an even more productive experience.

Knowing where the fish are and how deep they are located will also help you know which technique would be the best to use. Your goal is to present the bait to them directly so they will not have to chase after it or search for it. If you are to far down below the crappie they will not take the bait. The same is true if you are to far above them. However, if you can start from below them and pull it up through the middle of the crappie and continue with a bobbing motion, then you can attract their attention and you will get bites.

When fishing first ice, some of the best places to look are frozen over ponds, small lakes and rivers. You do need to be very careful and avoid thin ice that could break through causing many problems. Normally, these smaller areas are the home to many decent size crappies because there are so many weeds and other vegetation here for the fish to feed off of. However, after the colder air sets in and it gets deeper into the winter months there is less oxygen in these waters so, there will be fewer fish. This is when you need to move out to deeper waters.

About the Author

Dan Eggertsen is a fishing researcher and enthusiast who is committed to providing the best crappie fishing information possible. Get more information on crappie ice fishing here: http://www.askcrappiefishing.com

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