Icing!

[Turk]

Well its just about here! Ice fever will hit soon and with a cold snap fishing can take place in no time. 4" minimum safe ice DNR recommendation for walk on.

Seeing as the bite has been on the average sub par for two years I'm hoping the crappies go on a great bite this season.

Last year those 14.5 inch walleyes turned up in numbers in the ice fishing crappie holes, which I thought was a little unusual, I'm curious to see if they show up this year too?

I'm not too crazy for ice, as the Croix has a good bite for eyes (big ones too) and saugers now (jig and minnow worked very well today)on the openwater but icing crappies is very enjoyable!

I know a lot of you guys are ready for ice!

Keep Catchin'

[JJB]

I was up north last weekend and walked on my first ice of the year Olny to about knee deep of water but it was enought to get ya pumped up about ice season on the way.

Has anyone been seeing that big year class of crappies we had the last few years. Last year we got into a couple just about at 15 in and one white crappie at 16 inches(I didnt even know they were in the river).One of the other guys got the 16 and I am hoping this year we can top that.There has to be a few 16 inchers swiming aroud this year if not a 17 just seeing what you guys think.

I also wonder what the big ones main forage is in the Croix ???? (shad) I know down by my house in hastings we have seen them feeding on some big shad... bigger than I thought they can eat but that must be why they get so big down there.

[Sturgeon46]

Do you guys catch crappies off Anderson Point or only across the river in the hole on the WI side?

[Turk]

ST46,

ALL over - those crappies roam, yes that point is good but it gets so crowded. My tip is to find the spots where the current is noticeably stronger (stronger vs. the slow water) and away from shacks. I am intrigued greatly by that current - there are places your line is going the way it ISN'T supposed to go (tell that to the river)! i.e. straight west. If you can find some of these areas, as they move from river level changes from year to year but usually stay constant in a given ice season as the levels stay constant. Keep track because the current flows with a pattern and not randomly. Get into a few of these areas and track them in your book/brain they can really help concentrate fish.

Now with that said, if the crappie population is poor this year a lot of this current flow doesn't matter, it'll be tough anyway, but we know that and that's fishing....

Hopefully this current flow talk made sense I'm not sure I explained it as I know it, but hopefully it helps.

Keep Catchin'

Turk Gierke