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The time for getting in on some hot early ice slab action is at hand, and it’s there for the taking. Tying into monster pole bending crappies is a whole lot of fun and is an experience shared by far too few. Once you’ve had the pleasure you’ll want more of it, as it can be rather addicting. Getting your share isn’t all that tough and is a simple matter of finding them, and then enticing them.

Finding them is your number one priority and fortunately there are some short cuts to the location process. First of all you can take a look at a good map and try to find the high percentage spots which will really narrow down your search. Some of the hottest are mouths to shallow bays, where they hook up with the deeper main lake. Underwater points and sharp breaking drop offs are another good bet and shouldn’t be overlooked. Deeper weed lines also have the potential to produce and can really heat up, especially late in the day and after dark.

Ron Anlauf sheds some light on nailing big slabs like this

Where you look will depend on what’s available and you could have too many options. In that case you’ll just have to forget about taking it all in and concentrate your time on a smaller slice of the big crappie pie.

After you’ve decided on a few spots to work on it’s time to find out if there are any crappies using the area which can be done rather quickly with an electronic depth finder like the Marcum LX-1. With an LX-1 you can pour a little water on ice and shoot directly through to the bottom which will reveal the depth, bottom density, and anything in between like fish. Crappies spend a good deal of their lives suspended and are easily marked. They also tend to hold tightly together and move in unison as a school or pack. When you do get on them they show up as multiple marks, instead of just one or two.

By utilizing your electronics you can keep the time you spend searching to a minimum, giving you much more fishing time. Time spent getting familiar with an unfamiliar area can be well worth the effort and is the key to being successful.

If you’re on a likely looking area make sure you’ve taken a thorough look before you give up and head for greener pastures. Don’t expect to find fish stacked to the ceiling as your more likely to find a small school hear and maybe another over there. They may be anywhere along a break and may even be holding out well away from any break or structure, suspended over deeper water. The only way to find them is to keep moving and looking and not stopping until you start to mark fish.

Once you’ve marked a few fish it’s time to drill some holes and wet a line. When drilling holes try to open a few directly over the fish, as well as few in either direction including deeper and shallower.

Crappies seem to have a hard time standing still for any length of time and you can usually expect them to move. They may not move far but they will move, especially if some of their brothers and sisters come up missing. By drilling a few extra holes you can stay with them as they make minor shifts in location.

Finding first ice crappies is the tough part while catching them is usually easy, however there are a few things to consider when putting together a first ice game plan. Although crappies have the ability to forage on a variety of food sources, finding exactly what they want on any given day is the challenge. The key is being prepared to offer them a couple of dining options.

When it comes to nailing big slabs it’s alright to be itty-bitty. Small minnows and tiny jigs are the standard offerings and includes lures like Northland Tackle’s #8 or #10 Spider Ants, or #6 or #8 Doodle Bugs. They can be rigged below a small float or straight down and both methods can produce. The Straight rig is quicker down the hole making it a better search technique while the float is more effective once you’ve found a few and have settled in.

Another option may be using a small jigging spoon like the new 1/16oz Buck Shot Rattle Spoon, tipped with a piece of minnow. A spoon can be fished fast and is a good choice when dealing with aggressive fish.

If you’re hoping to put a few monster crappies on ice you better be prepared to stay late as they are notorious for being low light feeders. That can mean staying on the ice long after the sun goes down and requires good lighting and a handful of glow lures to get the job done.

To help light up your portable; Clam Corp. has developed a new rope lighting system that can be quickly installed and will provide plenty of light while drawing a minimal amount of power. Simply zip-strip the rope to an overhead support and attach the gator clips to a 12v battery and you’re in business.

Glow lures that glow are another important ingredient to successful night fishing and requires constant attention to keep the baits lit. A Northland Glo-Buster Bluelight can help keep your lures shining brightly and does so by emitting a concentrated ray of blue light. By holding the Glo-Buster close to your bait and running it back and forth for a few seconds your bait will light up and stay that way for as long as possible. That still means checking and recharging your bait every fifteen minutes or so which might seem like a hassle, but really can make a difference in the number of slabs you put on the ice.

Ron Anlauf

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