Winter Crappie question

[fishsevern]

Hey guys, hoping you can help me with this one....Can you catch crappie on ice in the same places you catch them in late Spring when they spawn?

I have caught late ice crappie in the channels on erie but never tried channels mid to late ice further up north.

 

The channels I fish in the Spring are wide enough and have some deeper areas hitting 10 ft or so. The rest of the channel is average 6 ft.

 

Your experience will hopefully guide me in the right direction. Thanks

 

 

 

[NAW]

I've just started crappie fishing 2 years ago. So take this with a grain of salt. But the spots I find them in the winter is close to the spots I would expect to find them in the spring.

 

The winter spot is a 30' hole. It's surrounded by a 15' flat, that leads to a 5' flat before a stump bay with a stream entering the lake. Never tried there in the spring, but would imagine they would be stacked up in the 5' depth.

 

Not sure about Chanels or other features.

[pics]

They can be hard to pattern. I find smaller and somewhat inactive fish on the bottom of the deeper water and more active feeders suspended.... Sunken timber seems to hold active fish as well. Coaxing them to bite is another thing....

[BillM]

You want to fish the deeper basins close to where they were on the edges in the fall/summer.. You won't find them in their spring locations...

[jedimaster]

If you know where they are in the spring then just look on a map and find the closest deep hole and that's where they will egg up in the winter.

[mike rousseau]

All the spots I get winter crappie are the same spots I catch spring and fall....

 

But that's on a river system.,,,

 

 

...

Edited February 11, 2013 by Mike Rousseau

[Rich]

I've never caught anything in LPB canals through the ice. Before, and immediately after ice, they are loaded with fish. I don't get it.

[BillM]

I've never caught anything in LPB canals through the ice. Before, and immediately after ice, they are loaded with fish. I don't get it.

 

Warm water = fishies!

[fishsevern]

I got a couple spots to try now. Thanks for all those great tips.