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Just wondering what you use as your go-to bait for crappie when things are slow in the early winter prior to ice forming on the lake.
I know it depends on various conditions, but if nothing seems to be working what seems to be your best bet?
Just asking for my education and a desire to share some thoughts!
Feed us some more info. Is this from shore or boat? What are you using right now? Temps, if you know. The colder the water, the slower they get. One thing some will tell you in spring ice-out, to stay with the ice jigs from winter, to more near, guessing 50 degree temps. Chaunc is the real guru for fishing, he fishes year round.
Just put my boat away for the season but Sunday I fished Shenango lake and did pretty good. Water was only 38* but the bays were covered in thin ice. Used baby shads in monkey milk, blue ice, and minnow colors. Early was best. Later I had to shorten my baits a little to get em to bite. Wind swept points were best as the ice hadn’t formed there yet. 12 to 16ft over and near brush was the places they were holding. This area produced for me all fall and into winter but I can’t access it by ice as it’s across the river channel and I don’t trust crossing that ice with moving water under it. And it’s at least a mile from any access point by foot anyway. Had a good end to a good season Sunday.
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Chaunc, good job, and a few meals for you.
Further info as requested...
I'm fishing from shore- (plan to buy a kayak this off season).
Water is pre-ice, cold but no solid water. And fishing over a deep drop-off from a rocky shore that quickly turns into silt on the bottom. I do OK with crappie magnets of various colors, but some days seem to be in the doldrums. So...is there a go-to you would use in this situation if all else is failing?
Now might be the time to try some smaller baits, or some ice jigs.