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People ask me about catching crappie after the ice melts. When, where, and how? First thing is make sure you are safe, as the water after ice out is cold enough to kill you. Survival suit or life jacket can keep you alive if something goes wrong. Also don't get trapped by moving ice that still may be on the lake. The wind can move ice very quickly, stay safe. So the when, and where, is the same day the ice moves away from my favourite crappie fishing spots..... I keep my fingers crossed for a few days in a row of sun and warm as the last ice is melting. A lucky windy day is always a nice surprise to push the remaining ice away . As soon as these areas are free of ice, you can catch ice out crappie. Sometimes as early as the first week in April. As for this spring, April 12th or 13th should be the day as I mentioned to Goshawk in my post back on March 22. As far as how to catch them....Start with the baits that have worked well for you in the past. My preference is a larger 1/4 ounce pink jig head and plastic baits. This keeps me from hooking into smaller crappie or bluegills and sunfish etc. You can tell when it is a smaller fish when it hits the bait, so I don't even bother setting the hook. Also pinching the barb in is a good idea because there is usually so many fish at ice out. This way there is less chance of injuring a fish, and if one or two get away, who cares. Specifically where the crappie will be differs from lake to lake. Here is a similar chart of what you should look for in the Kawarthas. Find an area on a chart of the lake you are going to fish that looks like this. An hour or so before and after sunrise and sunset you will find crappie, I guarantee this. All you need to do is follow this one simple rule. Follow the "10" foot depth line on your chart around the area you have caught crappie before. After the sun rises, follow the crappie as they move more shallow. As the temperature rises even slightly, the crappie will move more shallow. There is always Osprey flying around the Kawartha lakes in the spring and summer. They are after the same crappie we are. I have mentioned on previous posts that watching the birds can help you locate fish. If you don't know where to start look up in the sky and maybe there will be an Osprey up there showing you the way. Also when the geese and red-winged black birds fly close to the water, you can see the crappie moving. Crappie can see the birds flying close to the surface of the water. This startles the crappie and they all move at once. The surface of the water looks like it is boiling for about five seconds as the fish scatter. Cast into that area and again, I guarantee you will catch a crappie. Later in the day the crappie will move out of the shallow water back to the "10" foot line on the chart. Overnight you can catch them on the deeper side of that line. Good luck and stay safe.
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Thank you Lionel. Good luck to everyone. Looking forward to seeing some ice out crappie pictures as I might not get to fishing until the 17th if I can get to it at all. Very busy this month with this and that and the other thing.
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Awesome post CM. I can't WAIT for ice out crappie. I didn't really have too many options last year in NW Ontario but this season, being an hour out of the kawarthas max, it's going to be fun! Crappie fishing has always been my favourite style of fishing. And I always love fishing with a bobber. I went south today to a Grand River connected pond. Caught over 80 small crappies and a few Gil's. Nothing over 10 inches but I am pretty sure it was a stunted population. Great time nevertheless.
My goal is to be up in the kawarthas next weekend. Really hoping Scugog would be open in the Port Perry area by April 9th. Always have a fun time over there.
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Excellent. I fish a big pond like that as well. Hundreds of small crappie. The only predators around the pond are a few muskrats. Good luck on your fishing season stay safe.
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Thank you for the comments gentlemen. I forgot about the seagulls, they can show you where the minnows are swimming close to the surface on a warm spring day, Under those minnows are crappie and bluegill etc. A few of my friends will be on Buckhorn next couple days. There is open water over there. If you see a black on black 21 foot center console, that will be them crappie fishing. If you get close enough to ask how the fishing is, that would be too close. That is how I met them years ago. I got too close, but they were having no luck at all back in the day. I tease them all the time now that if I didn't show them how to crappie fish many years ago, would we be friends today. Lets just say they are not as grumpy as before. But they still don't like to be crowded, so don't say I did not warn everyone. Good luck and stay safe if anyone gets on the lakes early this year. None of these guys has a life jacket....Don't forget to wear your life jacket.
Fishing Kawartha Lakes
Fishing forum for the Kawartha Lakes & Area. Rice Lake, Lake Scugog, Sturgeon Lake, Balsam Lake, Chemong Lake, Buckhorn Lake, Pigeon Lake, Stoney Lake - Fishing Reports, Ice Conditions, walleye, bass, muskie, crappie, perch & more!
Fishing Kawartha Lakes Forum : Fishing Tips, Current Conditions, Fishing Reports & more! Fishing Kawartha Lakes & Area
Ice out crappie., Very soon.
