Christmas Tree - No presents

[eyepatrol]

Went to Madison this afternoon & early evening. Searched for about 45 minutes then set up in about 23fow adjacent to a somewhat rubble bottom. Was looking for 'eyes, but when I drilled my last hole and saw the Marcum lit up like a Christmas tree, I just had to settle in and fish it.

I'm certain they were all crappies as I caught one (dinky 5") and missed another with some heft, but alllll the others just would not bite! I threw the tacklebox at 'em, let me tell ya. Shrimpos, ratsos, ratfinke's, ants, glow everything, jigging raps, you name it, I threw it at them except....I DIDN'T BUY CRAPPIE MINNOWS! I think crappies minnows may have been the ticket. I only had fatheads along, and I would use the head on the jigging rap and would have some hits, but I think it was too much. Tried subtle, tried agressive, but everything would come darting in and would stop and look, then dart away.

There were times when the fish were all over the place. I mean from on the bottom, to 4' up, to 8' up, 12' up, you name it. I even had a situation where the Marcum was SOLID red from 2' up to 12' up, no kidding. When the sun went down, I tried lighting things up and even that was working as the fish were coming through thick at 4'-6 below the ice, but I just didn't have what they wanted, and I think that might have been minnows. Tried all kinds of colors too.

I did do a little bit of jigging w/ spoon for walleyes and I also had a dead-stick down, but no walleyes. Might have seen a couple on the camera, but they were a bit too far away to get a good id on them, could possibly have been sheephead too, but they deffinitely were not crappies.

All in all a fun time to be out. Just watching the flasher was fun. Fish were thick on the flasher from the moment I started at around 4:30 to the time I left at about 7:45.

You'd think I would have known better to have crappie minnows along. Only had fatheads and waxies. Oh well, maybe next time.

bc

[james_walleye]

The 3 times i've been out there i've had that same expierience. Threw everything at them and couldnt get them. I assumed it was piles of baitfish.

[Fish'n guy]

basscatcher, I feel the pain !! Those crappies are ultra finicky and can frustrate a guy. Look for them crappies late ice in shallow and they should be somewhat more coopertive for you.

Nice report anyway!!!

[Team Otter]

Nice report Eric. I would bet a lot of the fish you were seeing was bait fish with other species mixed in. In those cases, the bite can be darn tough. It's tough to compete with the real thing.

Were you in the area I suggested?

[eyepatrol]

I was wondering if what I saw might have been some baitfish, especially when the locator was so darned red and stacked thick the way it was a couple times. There were a number of times though that I had 2-4 marks on the locator, and in those instances I'd assume they were gamefish.

I'll send you an e-mail tomorrow with more info.

[eyepatrol]

TO -

You've got mail.

[CrappieJohn]

Maybe you saw a christmas tree that someone planted just for you.

[deutchman]

First time responding; been browsing for quite a long time, after hearing about this forum from a friend. It's been very informative. I was on Madison about two weeks ago and expirienced a similar Christmas-tree pattern. I used a crappie minnow head on the bottom treble of a number three jigging rap and caught about 30 -2 to 5 inch crappies. But periodically mixed in were 10 to 12 inch whites, 1 small walleye, and 1 small northern. Fun day and the first time all season that a jigging rap caught fish for me.

[Team Otter]

Welcome aboard! Great to have you a part of the FM family.

Maybe those 'eyes on Madison this summer will be feeding on small crappies instead of gizzard shad.

[madison man]

it's good to hear there are some potato chips in there, haven't seen those small crappies out here for a few years, was starting to wounder what happened. No doubt madison has some really nice crappies in it right now, can't hardly wait for the crappie tourny come april.