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First Timer Needs Direction


JBMasterAngler

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Plan on making the treck to URL the first weekend of the new year. Never been there before, so I have no idea where to start. I'd be looking for crappies and pike. I just need to be pointed in the right direction...where to access the lake, how far out to go, what depth. That would be very helpful, thanks in advance for any info.

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On the northeast end here in waskish the crappie can be anywhere from 4 to 9 miles out.Pike fishing can be good in these areas also.Fishing the last sandbar for pike early in the season can be good but you will have to go deeper for crappie.There are some summer weed patches but I do not know if they would produce fish and you all most need to know the general area where they were to find them. There is one just out in front of my place in 8 feet of water.

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Duruing the first part weeks of the year the pike have moved out off the last sandbar and out to feed on the edges of deeper water basin or mud/sand transitions. On Upper Red the shallow water doesn't hold enough good stuff to keep the pike fed and breathing easy so you see a major migration to deeper water, granted a few tankers stay behind but the main population goes deep. Stay off the weed beds in the winter, weeds lay down and begin to decay and consume HUGE amounts of oxygen under the thicker ice and heavy snow cover.

The nice thing about the pike moving out deep is why they are moving to the deeper water. FOOD! Mainly walleye and crappies along with a perch snack from time to time. So the same place you run flags for pike during the day turn into great places to catch walleye and crappies as evening closes in.

Rule of thumb is look for 12' plus of water and get away from the noisy crowds.

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I'm thinking that's where I'll access out of. I took a quick peak at a map of red...gonna need to do some research before I head up there. Thanks for the advice, was very very helpful.

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