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Hi all,

I'm going to fish French this weekend and would like to catch a few fish (type not important). Any recommendations on locations, depth, times and what has been working for bait and lures?

Thanks,

Eric

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You will find "crappies" just about anywhere. Small, but can get a limit with allot of searching through and releasing. Example: Yesterday (32) fish to get a limit of 9.5" in 42' of water.

Have found them constant in 24' - 52'and the larger ones @ 24' - 30' if lucky enough to stumble on them. Anything over 10.5" are very periodic in my time out there.

I've been lucky with purple/glitter jigs and minnow heads, minnows, and plastics. Although just about any type jig I drop they hit!!

Straight out from Hoy's and towards the deep hole, and on the NW side. Have marked fish every day all over since start of the year.

Time for some biggies to start hitting \:\)

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I was thinking he had to have changed his name or something....My buddy just talked to him at Cabela's, so he is still out there!

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i spoke with him last night he came over to look at some decoys i was making I know he has been working alot?

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Was out on French on Saturday and started in 48' of water. Caught a few smaller ones but nothing of size. We decided to move a bit shallower and drilled holes from 24' to 35' and decided to fish in about 28'. Marked fish and caught smaller ones and then about 20 minutes after we set up a very nice 13+" crappie made its way up the hole. That was it for bigger ones but it sure was nice to see such a nice fish come out of there. Heading back out tomorrow night after work with some guys to hopefully find a few more of those nice slabs. I have not fished out there much in the past so does anyone know how the shorelines get with this warm weather. I am assuming that trucks can still get on but I was curious if that will be possible by tomorrow. We came on the north side by some old resort and I assume that is where we will try to get on tomorrow again. Thanks for any insight.

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Yesterdays temps and the sun started the water collection out there.My holes had 6" water cuts in them by the time I was done fishing from the running water in to them. All the snow drifted @ Hoy's access and the public access was in major melt down and by sundown had water starting to collect.Still in good shape then but I'm sure this afternoon when I go out it will be water.

I'm sure with all the snow there it won't take but through Thursday before the water is a foot deep minimum and the conditions deteriorating fast.

32' water. 30+ crappies, released all. Under 9" was it !!

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ice_it_06 - thanks for the info. It looks like it might be iffy for tomorrow but if you have another report from today that would be great. We might have to round up a 4-wheeler or just plan to hoof it out there.

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Just got back from the lake trying to scout depths and see if a new battery was my flashers problem.

Drilled about (30) holes and decided for me there is getting to be to much water to deal with. (on the lake)

Don't think after today you will find any area not holding a few inches of water unless in a snow bank which are disappearing fast as well.

Public access is 40 yards of deep slush, path is cut through it so a truck will have no problem in 4wd. Water collection will only get worse.

Hoy's has started to slush up right @ the access since I left last night. 50 yards out you are in a couple inches of water over the ice/lake.

Roberds across the road was in better condition. Less snow on the lake all year and water is starting to collect but not as bad as French.Access has no snow or slush issues. I might go there this afternoon and then call it a year !!

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You young guns can endure all the hassles that a old boy like me has difficulty with.

Still might hop in the truck and quick fish a couple times until the withdrawal symptoms are gone.:( But the daily full time set up

with the perm came to an end today.

Time to search out a second job and wait for next year and some "early" ice !!

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I am planning to head out to French or Roberds tonight. Hopefully the access points are still fine as I would really like to be able to drive out there yet. I guess I should get myself a 4-wheeler and then I would not have to worry much about the shore conditions at this time. I have a tough time walking out when I almost needed an extension less than a week ago... I will try to post results from this evening.

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Fished from 5 to 9:30 last night. Drove out of Hoy's and set up in about 25-30 feet of water (under the ice, 2-4 inches on top). Caught quite a few smaller ones with a few keepers mixed in. Did manage to ice one just over 13" for second time in a row out there but nothing else of much size. Probably the last time driving out there as the access points had lots of water forming and running onto the lake so I assume walking will be the only option, but be sure to wear some rubber boots!!!

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We're gonna give her a shot in the morning. Hopefully we'll be able to make it out cause I don't much feel like walking. Black ford, purple otter and you can guess what I'll be drinking. Stop by and say hi!

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Made it out saturday 11-3. Still out deep in 40'. We were marking fish shallower but the didn't want to coopereate. And not once but twice I had a muskie (or so I assume,saw alot of silver) grab my crappie right below the hole. The first one didn't hang on too long but the second one almost stripped all my line off before it let go, talk about a rush. I assume they were picking off dead crappies underneath the ice that had died from being brought up from 40'. We managed around 30 crappies and 1 limit for the guy I was with. A good day to probably finish the year off with. By the way, we went out of the public access and it wasn't too bad going on, a little sloopy coming off.

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