Downsizing for Winter: Open for Debate

[Minners N Jigs]

Where has the idea or thought that it is necessary to downsize for winter fishing come from ? This is just an observation, but aren't the forage baitfish actually "larger" in the winter than in the spring and summer months ? There's essentially no fry present, only very mature options. With the crappie gorging themselves on these larger shad, why then do most anglers downsize their bait offerings this time of year ? Most of the crappie I have caught in the last week have had these 3"+ long shad chalked full in their bellies, yet still feeding...

I can tell you the reason I have always downsized..... Because that's what I was "taught" to do, and since I have caught fish this way, I've never questioned the logic, just did it because "Hey, it's working"...

Here's the topic open to debate and discussion: Winter time Crappie: Downsize ? Don't Downsize ? Upsize ? Super Size ?

I've heard Huckabee say Upsize. Others say downsize. What say you CDC ?

[trypman1]

Great Thread- I do not change weight or size for cold weather. I just fish much slower.

[Bob/MN]

With the colder water the matabalism slows down and the fish eat less and less frequent. A fish that is full will reject a large offering but may try a small snack.
Just my theory.

[NJcrappie]

Personally I'd change color or presentation before size.
The only exception I'll say is some times a trout magnet will produce when nothing else will and its usually in the dead of winter. Years back a buddy introduced them to me and suddenly my winter fishing got better. So there's most certainly merit in the downsize theory,at least in the semi clear waters I fish.

[INTIMIDATOR]

Where has the idea or thought that it is necessary to downsize for winter fishing come from ? This is just an observation, but aren't the forage baitfish actually "larger" in the winter than in the spring and summer months ? There's essentially no fry present, only very mature options. With the crappie gorging themselves on these larger shad, why then do most anglers downsize their bait offerings this time of year ? Most of the crappie I have caught in the last week have had these 3"+ long shad chalked full in their bellies, yet still feeding...

I can tell you the reason I have always downsized..... Because that's what I was "taught" to do, and since I have caught fish this way, I've never questioned the logic, just did it because "Hey, it's working"...

Here's the topic open to debate and discussion: Winter time Crappie: Downsize ? Don't Downsize ? Upsize ? Super Size ?

I've heard Huckabee say Upsize. Others say downsize. What say you CDC ?

You do have some smaller sized natural minnows in all lakes!
In our lake we still have 3 inch shad swimming around from the different spawns they have!

So NO, I do not downsize until the water is lower than 40 degrees.
At water temps of 39 degrees, Crappie start to have issues swimming....so they slow their metabolism, suspend, and just eat enough to survive...then you have to really slow down and just basically ice fish!

[CrappiePappy]

You do have some smaller sized natural minnows in all lakes!
In our lake we still have 3 inch shad swimming around from the different spawns they have!

So NO, I do not downsize until the water is lower than 40 degrees.
At water temps of 39 degrees, Crappie start to have issues swimming....so they slow their metabolism, suspend, and just eat enough to survive...then you have to really slow down and just basically ice fish!

Correctamundo !! And I've even seen Shad less than 2" long in Oct/Nov ... in a lake in East Tenn.

There may also be a factor in the fact that Crappie can see clearer/better/farther in cold water, so they may be able to discern the "fakeness" of larger baits more easily than smaller ones.

... cp

[Yaker]

I'm just betting,( guessing ) that the colder the water,the smaller bait crappie or for that matter other fish take.The more southern waters may never get to the point of slowing fish metabolism compared to northern waters.All the years of ice fishing will teach you that downsizing baits during hard water produces more fish,more often.

[Minners N Jigs]

Correctamundo !! And I've even seen Shad less than 2" long in Oct/Nov ... in a lake in East Tenn.

There may also be a factor in the fact that Crappie can see clearer/better/farther in cold water, so they may be able to discern the "fakeness" of larger baits more easily than smaller ones.

... cp

The 2" inch shad you're referring to, would those be fully mature ? Or late fall spawn fry ?

Even at 2" that's often times a "larger than recommended" size offering IF you listen to a lot of anglers advice on winter time (Dec-Feb) crappie fishing. It seems many recommend baits under 2" for winter fishing, which is what prompted the starting of this thread. While I have zero experience with it, I often see ice baits around the 1" size.

[INTIMIDATOR]

Small shad are from Late Fall spawns.
These are 2 inchers from Nov. 2014 and late Oct 2015.
This is why are Crappie are growing so well in the North....with regular and late shad spawns, due to our messed up weather, the Crappie benefit from perfect sized "sushi" thoughout the year!

[Alphahawk]

I fish smaller year round...a 1/64 ounce Trout Magnet. I catch plenty of fish.....crappie......white bass....Smallies.....Gills......spotted bass......trout....but rarely large mouth with it.....but then again I don't target large mouth....but for whatever the reason they don't care for the small bait. Crappie however, love it. My presentation is always extremely slow. I was never taught to do this it is just the way I have been fishing for the past 8 years or so...it has served me well. It is my experience that in winter fish love the smaller presentation. I don't have any empirical evidence of this...just my observation. Before going to strictly UL fishing and micro jigs I would catch crappie with larger baits...but less of them than I do since going with micro jigs.


Regards