First Ice Crappie and LMB

I've been having the crappie itch for several years, and on Sunday, Jan 5th, took a big gamble to go up to a far northern lake. I knew the lake had crazy good bass during the summer, and some small crappie on topwater popper during the summer, but I knew nothing else much about the winter season. Didn't even know if the roads were plowed or not.

Woke up at 5am, load truck, drove for 3 hours, dragged my one-man ice shelter sleigh for 2km - 1.5 hours, finally started fishing at 10:30am. Ended the day at around 3pm, took nearly 2 hours to get back to the vehicle (got tired dragging the shelter), then 3 hours drive home... got home at 8pm, a very full day. Thankful of the safe ice 4-5" of good stuff, and a snowy crust on top.

I'm very happy my gamble ended in success! Within minutes of the first mid-basin hole, I caught my first crappie! Tried plastics with some minimal success, and eventually took to dead-sticking salted minnows, mere inches in front of their faces.

Ended the day at 20 ~ 25 crappie, all around 9 ~ 11 inch slot size, very consistent in cookie cutter size. When they're coming up the hole, every single one, I'm gasping that its a big crappie on a little minnow ice jig.

Crappie was consistently 9ft mark, regardless of bottom depth (17 ~ 21ft), I moved around three different areas around the main basin.

Funny thing is that I knew it was a hot large mouth bass lake, but I ended up landing four (4) bass through the ice, anywhere from 1 - 2lb range. Was worried about my 5lb flouro leader scraping circles in the ice, hah.

Such a crazy good lake, but most likely won't go again during the winter. Non-plowed roads = too much sleigh dragging and walking. Definitely going back for spring crappie though.

First crappie

Little 1lb bass through ice

Bigger 2lb bass through ice

Cooked, because they're delicious.

Now that is an adventure worth all your effort.....well done and thx for a sharing a great report.

Arnie

You've done that! Congrats on tasty haul, enjoy!

Nice. I too have an ice crappy itch. Somewhere I’ll have to find them.

2km sled pull on foot can be a real slog, especially if you’re fighting heavy snow on top of that. Good on you for going for it. Glad it paid off for you in the end. Very familiar with the way you prepared the crappie. Can’t beat fresh steamed fish!

Those crappie and bass are a very nice dark colour. I am guessing it's a dark (stained) lake. Lots of weeds and food for them. Stained lakes are loaded with big crappie, but no one ever seems to fish dark lakes. Most people think the fish can't see the baits, but that's not true. You are going to have fun in the spring. Hopefully nobody finds your spot, and tries to keep all your future crappie catches.

Jealous of the crappie! I supposedly have a crappie lake just 2km from me and I’m so dang lazy I haven’t tried it, despite wanting to catch one so bad! It feels so much more rewarding having hiked in and having to put in some sweat for them.

nice haul there....and lots of work to get them


there are places much easier to access btw

Oh definitely, there most likely is easier access locations

But then again, CM knows that I've tried Balsam Lake crappie for 3 years, and I've still been skunked during the spring, hahahah.... sigh...

It was a bit of that wild adventure that I wanted to go on, just the dream of an angler's gamble on a fresh lake they haven't (or rarely) been on.

Very well done Araret!

Glad to see your effort paid off big and the ice season has begun much better than the spring 2024.

That's awesome! Unfortunately I've developed a hernia so I won't be doing 1.5 hour ventures for Crappie. If I did it would be 10 toes up laying on the ice lol
The Crappie preparation looks awesome! I've had them steamed many times over a bed of rice.
Well done,nice read.