Quote Originally Posted by gdengr View Post
This is an excellent discussion, especially for the inexperienced group. Does weather pattern impact your choice of lure or method?
I am a trout fly fishing guide so I have a lot more experience with salmonid species however I am also a crappie fishermen.
Very cold water means very slow presentations. Minnows can work great. I also have found when ice fishing to put my split shot closer to the minnow. I have watched crappie swim and slowly chase a minnow when the shot is a foot or more from the minnow. Seems unreal but I have watched them do it down through the hole. Also I like to use a bobber and sweeten my gig with something such as a small mill worm, mousse or whatever you prefer. As water starts to warm fish your jig slow usually under a float. Many time crappie as well as other pan fish will search warmer water after the cold winter. At times you can find them up a creek in the back water from a lake.
Just a few few degrees change can make a difference in the aggressiveness of the fish also. In my area usually around mid to late March sunny days are prime times for crappie fishing. At that time I start to cast jigs and do slow retrieve. As the water continues to warm crappie get into pre and regular spawn. Usually I try to find cover such as down trees and or weed beds and so on. By summer time I have caught them on many lures and even fast retrieves. We have caught some really crappie on rapalas fishing for bass.