10 Ice Fishing Tips For Crappie

Look for 10 ice fishing tips for crappies? It is a sizable task to catch crappies and these tips will help better the odds of you reeling in a crappie. Use this guide and your own techniques to have a successful day on the ice. Make those hours of cold worth it. If don't get a crappie on the line, it will be a bit tough to swallow unless you had good company and a cooler of beers.

1. Present your bait high. It is very rare that a crappie would dive down for bait, so you are better off presenting it high so the crappie can swim up to it. This way the crappie will want to attack the bait. Providing the bait in this manner also means you will feel the pressure of their bite and be ready to put up a fight against it.
2. Got one? Go back for the second. Crappies are schooling fish, so when you catch the first one, the next will you catch will most likely be from the same area. Be ready to drop in again quickly. There's only one thing better than one crappie: two crappies!
3. Morning and night. Crappies are going to be caught during the daytime, but your best chances at reeling one in is during the early morning or dusk, during their more natural feeding times. Get to the ice quickly and expect a long day.
4. Movement. Crappies rarely go for bait that is not moving, so a minnow or a jig that is moving is the best bait. Stationary bait will equal a long day of sitting for you. Live minnows are going to be the preferred bait.
5. Small minnows. If you are using minnows, use ones that are an inch to an inch and a half long, which is the best size for them to eat. Crappies will not go for anything larger than two inches.
6. High visibility line. Do not use a braided line because the ice will freeze it quickly. Use a four- to six-pound test line. It doesn't hurt to have a heavier test line on a reel you can switch.
7. Blanket for bait. If you are using live minnows, lay then on a towel or a blanket so they stay alive longer. This keeps them from freeze. Like the step from above, live bait is going to be the best to catch fish.
8. Bobber above water. You want the crappies to feel as little resistance as possible. If the bobber is sitting on the water, it is something for the crappie to pull. It also will help if they have a tough pull because it will make it easier for you to win the fight.
9. Use a fish finder. Some purists may think it is cheating, but it will up your chances and it is the best thing to help you get a crappie. Because they are schooling fish, you will see groups. This means your chances will greatly rise using a fish finder.
10. Beer. The day may be long, so pack a nice cooler of beer and enjoy the day with a few friends. Just relax and get away.