Crystal Lake (Dakota Co.)

[Been Rippin Lip]

Hello Everyone, Ive been on this site reading and learning things from everyone and I greatly appreciate it! I'm new on here and wanted to let you know that I fished crystal on tuesday and got on the ice at 4pm fished thru 6:30pm, caught ten crappies biggest being 9inches and sunfish galore on waxies. all released for another day!

[mrfish1991]

Thanks for the update BRL...and welcome to the site

i am going to be heading out on friday after school with a bunch of buddies

[hbomb49]

I have been on crystal a few times the last couple weeks and haven't caught any crappies bigger than 5 inches. I tried right out by the point past the launch around the other houses. What depths are you fishing at? What are you using for bait/jigs? Any help would be helpful its a close lake and would like to catch some crappies from it.

[MnMike58]

I use a tear drop jig with a crappie minnow in about 20-24 fow.

The crappies didn't start biting last sat till about 5:40.

[mrfish1991]

Yup that sounds about right to me too, the fish were suspended about 8-10 feet off the bottom

Ive also caught them on euro and straight plastics

[Been Rippin Lip]

Yes that is the exact tactics I was using, I used what is called a pilkey, It's a lure that is used in Iowa, they sell it in gandermountain, but its called something else. worked great, outfished anything else 3 to 1

[broncosfan]

I think I'm going to head out again this afternoon. Question, new to ice fishing, what kind of presentation am I suppose to try to make when using waxies and the really small jigs? What type of bait am I trying to mimic? A fresh water shrimp? Meaning I should make the worm look like the tail or a minnow trying to eat it? Am I trying to make the worm look like its eating the jig? Is there a better spot on the forum to ask this question?

[CrappieFshr651]

Usually when i fish for crappies with waxies or euros i hook 2-3 of them right behind the head. My favorite presentation with waxies is a quick fast jigging motion followed by a slow rise/slow drop. I like the slow rise/slow drop presentation with crappies minnows too. A few days ago on Chisago that was the only way i could get the crappies to bite. Keep that jig glowing too.

[Trollin226]

Thinking about hittin Crystal tomorrow. Have not been out their this year. Wondering whear you access the lake from. Drive out from the access or walk out from the fishing pier. Any places to avoide?

[JOHN T jr.]

TROLLIN226---YOU CAN DRIVE ON FROM THE ACCESS-----THE BITE HAS BEEN LATE EVENING OF LATE....MOST SEEN TO BE SUSPENDED 5FT TO 6FT OFF THE BOTTOM.....

[Been Rippin Lip]

Hey Broncosfan, I use what is called the t-bone method, take the smallest jig u can find and hook it in the middle of the waxie. Get yoourself a ice buster bobber and set up 6-8 ft off the bottom with a crappie minnow in one hole and t-bone a waxie in the other, the waxie will outfish the bobber until about sunset, then it will switch to the other. 20-23 fow just west of the metal perm ice house should be a great place to start.

[Trollin226]

John thanks for the advice I'm lookin forward to gettin out tomorrow

[mrfish1991]

how did you end up doing broncosfan?

thanks again for letting me fish with you

[broncosfan]

Mr. Fish, caught about 6 more crappies after you left, then it just shut down. Anytime, feel free to stop by, nice to have a big enough house. We went to the Valley Lake fishing contest the next day and my son kept asking to put on the euro larvae. He though you were quite the fisherman. . . . .

[jigginjim]

You guys fishing near island or west ernd of lake>

[247icefishing]

Fished 21fow out from the fishing pier tonight. Crappies didn't start biting until 5:30. Bit best from 6-630 and then slowed down again. Both minnows and waxies were working. Only one 9" out of the 20 we caught and released. Fun but slow for all of this warm weather we've been having.

[mrfish1991]

I usually fish by where the summer fishing dock usually is

[MnMike58]

247icefishing we must of seen each other fishing, I was in the same spot. I had a black f150, a 7 year old and a black dog.

[247icefishing]

I think I remember seeing you out there MnMike, I talked to some people out there. I was in a red truck with my uncle. I was the one with the noisy Jiffy! I'll come say hi next time.

[hbomb49]

Any roports on how the ice is after the warm week? was there last weekend thinking about this weekend if its safe or not.

Thanks

[mosquitoman]

i have the same question as hbomb i guess. I am coming down from fargo for a friends wedding and am going to fish the south metro all weekend. just wanted to know how much water was on the ice....... the startribune had a funny article about the ice today. showed a car driving on the "water" and was asking people what they thought. i dont think some of the poeple who made comments have ever been ice fishing!

[mrfish1991]

im hoping the ice is ok out there

i was out before the rain/warm weather and there was around 20"

im not sure how much water was on top of the water or the ice conditions but i will be going out on saturday if nothing more than to just check it out

[mosquitoman]

well i will be out there on saturday morning/afternoon. I will be in my fish trap guide and blazer with ND plate. dont mind company so anyone feel free to stop and say hi.

[mrfish1991]

will do mosquitoman...if u dont mind, do u think i could possibly fish with you, i trashed my auger last weekend so im S.o.L for that...i have all of my own stuff just need a little bit of company

[mosquitoman]

for sure! i just fixed mine last weekend. i have the strike-lite and broke the plastic drill unit by drilling into an underwater stump. nothing makes your gut drop like hearing a crunch and seeing chuncks of wood come up the hole with the water!

[mrfish1991]

Alright cool, i will show ya some of the spots ive caught them this year

[mrfish1991]

would u wanna meet me at the boat launch around 2 or 3 tomorrow? and then go from there

[jonboatjunkie]

I fished Crystal Lake earlier this evening. There's a good 2 feet of ice on the lake. Everyone was driving out on the lake. Without the snow it's VERY slippery. I fished on a point in 20 feet of water. Crappies and bluegills were suspended from 5-15 feet down. I only caught 10 though. They were real finnicky; not too serious about biting. Very small too... I left at sunset because I left my lantern at home. Good luck to all who go tomorrow. I'm heading to Bald Eagle to try for some 'eyes in the morning.

[mrfish1991]

thanks for the update JBJ

[jonboatjunkie]

You're welcome!