Deep Down Ice Crappies
By: Spiro Agouros

The forecast was for clear weather about –35 degrees. The wind chill factor would make it feel even colder- more like –50 to –60 degrees Celsius. We chuckled about the insanity of our fishing adventure. Who in their right mind would go fishing on a day like this? Yet, here we were, me and my fishing partner Joe Adragna, gathering up our fishing gear and getting ready to head out for a lake in the Parry Sound area.

Two things motivated us. The first was our love for fishing, and secondly, we felt that we could be successful fishing for deep-water crappies even in the extreme cold weather. We would experience the cold conditions but we knew the fish would be unaffected by the temperature. So off we went full of energy and confidence. When we arrived, we discovered that the local fishermen on the lake. Still, our enthusiasm could not be broken.
We proceeded to our favourite area and fished for several hours, drilling holes as we moved about the ice. Some time later we decided to move to another area. Joe and I looked over the map and decided to try an unknown area where we drilled holes in the ice in approximately 53-60 feet of water. We put our huts face to face to avoid some of the 30 kilometre wind gusts. After clearing the hole I put my portable fishfinder in the hole to see if there were any fish in the vicinity. Our hopes were renewed when we saw fish about forty feet down.

I let my bait down and held it just above the sonar mark. The sonar equipment differentiated the fish from the bait by using different colours. It wasn’t long before I caught my first fish about eleven inches long, I decided to check and see how Joe was doing. He too had caught several fish about the same size. Later we moved about twenty-five feet away and began hooking more fish. The good fishing continued late into the afternoon and we caught approximately one hundred crappies between ten and thirteen inch range.

Having been very successful catching these deep down crappies, let me pass on a few ideas that could improve your chances of having a similar fishing experience. The first thing to consider is the importance of having good equipment for this type of fishing. Secondly, make sure you check with the cottagers, marinas and the Department of Natural Resources to ensure that ice conditions are safe. You must have at least six inches of good blue ice. Lastly, don’t underestimate the importance of being dressed properly – don’t assume that the hut heater will keep you warm. Good boots, hat, gloves, wool stocks and thermal under garments are an absolute necessity. Remember, it’s a lot easier to take clothes of than to put them on when it’s –30 degrees.

Equipment is important for this type of fishing. I like to use the ultra sensitive but strong Quantum ice fishing rods, which provide optimal sensitivity for light baits in deep water. You can use almost any ultra light combination but I like to use small level wind reels to reduce line twist. The best monofilament in my opinion is Maxima’s Ultra Green in 4 lb. Test. This line has a very thin diameter and is incredibly strong. Occasionally I will go to a 6 lb. Test depending on conditions.

Now here comes the fun part – everyone wants to know which lures to use? A lot of people think that you would need a heavy jig to fish deep. This is not always the case. I like to use the Genz Bugs manufactures by Lindy Little Joe in Minnesota. They are available at most tackle stores. I prefer weights from 1/32 to 1/16 ounces in a chartreuse yellow, green, white, pink or orange. I tip the bug with a 3-inch finesse fish. You may have to cut a bit off, which will leave you with about two and a half inches. You would normally use the same color pattern as the Genz bug but don’t be afraid to try various color combinations.

The hardest part in being successful is locating schools of crappie. First try and find a part of the lake that is a little deeper than most spots. Look for something different such as a point, shelf or drop-off area. Drill lots of holes starting from the shallow side – stagger the holes in a crisscross pattern. If you have sonar place it in the holes and check for suspended marks in the water columns. This will be your crappie. They will suspend from two feet off the bottom up all the way up to just under the ice. If you have a sonar flasher, then put your line down to about two feet off the bottom. Bring it up about a foot at a time in short intervals until you find fish.

If you’re catching a different kind of pan fish such as a small perch or rock bass, try bringing your line up a bit higher to find the crappie. You may find that the smaller fish will stay closer to the bottom for protection. If you’re catching only small crappie don’t be discouraged. Usually this is a good sign that bigger fish are present. In order to catch the less aggressive big crappies, try slowing your presentation down. If you slow down to barely a movement it may trigger action from the larger fish. This is where the sonar can come in handy. You may be able to see how close the fish is to the bait and adjust your presentation accordingly.

It is my sincere hope that some of this information will help you catch more and bigger crappies next time you go fishing on the ice.