Tactics

Catching winter crappie when the bite's hot is a no-brainer. They'll hit everything from a 1/4-ounce spoon to a walleye jig and minnow. In the dead of winter, however, when the thermometer bottoms out, catching crappie can be hit and miss. Adding to the challenge, they're usually deep and suspended. During those tough days, it pays to have a few extra tricks up your sleeve.
Location is one of the biggest challenges. After fall turnover, most crappie move to deep water and hang out in loose schools. They spend winter in deep lake basins. Top locations are usually close to spring spawning areas. The first deep water off a long, weedy finger bay is a good ice-fishing bet.
You don't need electronics, but they are a big help. Some anglers prefer portable LCR fish-finders, but I wouldn't leave home without a flasher. Its faster, although transient readout allows me to quickly scan for fish right under an ice hole. If I mark a few fish, or even baitfish, I know I'm in productive water. In deep basins, there's always a lot more barren water than crappie. Electronics help weed out empty spaces.
Suspended crappie can be high off bottom, which makes it more difficult to fish blind. I've seen crappie suspended 30 feet (9 m) off bottom in 60 feet (18 m) of water. Luckily, they're more often within 5 to 10 feet (1.5 to 3 m) of bottom. A flasher or LCR shows you exactly where they're holding, but it won't make them bite. That's where your angling skills come in to play.
 
the trick was to jig just above fish and make them fight over the bait, because schooled crappie are competitive. "If they don't come after the jig right away, then drop it down to their level, give it a wiggle, then slowly pull it back again. That usually does the job.
As we lightly jiggled our 1/32-ounce jigs, tipped with maggots, they showed as light dots bobbing up and down on the flasher's screen. It was like watching an underwater video game, but this was no virtual reality. Thiel slowly lowered his jig and wiggled his rod tip. There was no obvious strike, but on the flasher I watched the crappie and his bait become one. Thiel saw the strike and tightened his line. Sure enough, it arched with the weight of a fish. That's the beauty of electronics. sliding a plate-sized crappie onto the ice. "You can actually see how fish respond to your presentation and anticipate a strike."
As demonstrated, nothing bites as lightly as a crappie. Most walleye ice-fishing tackle won't even register the take of these fish. Using a light slip-float helps you to detect a crappie strike and allows you to accurately place a bait in front of deep, suspended fish. In cold weather, however, slip-floats ice up and become a nuisance. They're most effective in mild weather or inside the warmth of a heated shelter.
The best all-around way to detect light-biting crappie is to use a 2-foot ultra-light rod with a mushy action and a sensitive tip. You should be able to easily bend the tip to touch the handle. Pairing it with a micro-sized spinning reel loaded with 2-pound-test monofilament or fluorocarbon line allows you to work jigs weighing from 1/16- to less than 1/64-ounce. This is an unforgiving set-up if you hook a walleye, but you'll catch a lot more crappie. Keep your drag loose, to avoid break-offs.
I tip jigs with waxworms or artificial baits, such as Berkley Power Wigglers. A jig is also great for anchoring small minnows under a slip-float. For real down-sized baits, try tiny Russian Marmuska jigs, made of heavy space-age metal. In deep water, bright green and phosphorescent shades are most effective, due to the low light intensity.
If a jig presentation doesn't work, put a live grub or maggot on a No. 12 to 18 hook and add a BB split-shot about six inches above it on the line. It doesn't get more natural than this. Let the grub flutter slowly to bottom. Be patient. It takes a while, but it works on stubborn slabs.
If you're feeling co-ordinated, fish with two rods, where legal. This works well in heated shelters, where ice holes don't freeze up and the wind doesn't blow. In one hole, fish a maggot or waxworm on an ultra-light jig; in the other, hang a small minnow under a slip-float. I catch the most crappie on maggots, but minnows tend to fool the biggest slabs. Double-headers are an exciting possibility when jigging two lines at once.
Winter crappie can be both frustrating and challenging, but once you find them and fine-tune your presentation to their mood, they usually co-operate. Tiny tackle and subtle presentations help you to catch fish between those hot early and late-winter feeding binges.