The day set up over this past weekend with Travis Sorokie from St.Cloud and my good friend Greg Clusiau from the Nashwuak area.
We started on a lake in Aitkin County that normaly will produce,but as fishing goes we proved that once we located a few big schools the bite was not on.
Those crappies did not want anything. They were not interested in minnows or wax worms or any other artificial lures like hair jigs and small plastics.
After a few hours we decided to make a move to another lake.
Upon arival the water temperarues looked perfect. We moved to the deep water and using our fish locator we found the schools of fish. Here again the bite was off.
We went theough the progression from fast presntations on a drift to anchoring and slowing down the offerings. Here again nothing in our arsenal worked.
It was now high noon and drastic measures were being considered.
So it was decided that we make another move. This time 90 miles north to a lake that Greg knew was producing.
The size was not what the other lakes had ,but by this time action was the only prerequisite.
The lake was actually a chain of lakes. Navigating through the chain to the area that Greg knew took a bit of negotion,however once there the school was located fairly quickly and the fish hit immeadately.
not only did they hit live bait ,but they hit every bait. It did not matter what was presented.
After a few hours I would bet that well over a hundred crappies were caught and release with a few being kept for a dinner.
Is it really time to go deep for those pan fish? You bet it is ,but not on all lakes as I have recently expierenced.
Travis was busy working a slip bobber rig and a hair jig I tied called THE Jig set to about 1 foot above were the crappies were. Greg on the other hand was all over the map with a multitude of presentations. Nothland Tackle’s Puppet Minnow,Fireball jig tipped with a Berkely power beetle,Northland’s Blood worms also did some hooking up.
Greg primarily just verticle jigged and as long as the locator was marking fish he was rearing on them.
I can recall him saying I can’t even get the bait to the bottom before they inhale the bait.
By days end it was clear that the last move was the ticket.
Sure we could have stuck it out and maybe caught a few fish, but I was on a mission to make a video and I need footage of the boys catching several fish.
I know for a fact how these patterns work and not every lake will be on.
The lakes I’ve got dialed in are not producing…they will,but not yet at least not like I know they will. It took some moving to find one and that was the key. We kept moving until we found a lake that was totally on fire.
We are in this transition time and during this time all bets are off ,but I’m thinking if you know a pattern for deep water pannies it will or is already happening. Some of the northern lakes are more apt wereas the southern lakes of Minnesota may not be ready.Being in Central Minnesota it could go either way which we saw this weekend.
With about 7 weeks to ice up at least for us it will not be long for these fall deep water crappies to really turn on here in Aitkin County.
Have fun in your area. Just drive around that deep water until you mark big suspended schools of pannies. Then anchor up and have yourself a great time.
Tight Lines
CK