In this video, Scott Mackner shares his favorite bait for targeting large crappie through the ice.
A great place to start looking for panfish during early ice is in small basin areas adjacent to the main lake. Many of these areas hold forage and baitfish this time of year, making them a perfect place for bluegill and crappie. When targeting fish in these areas, don’t be afraid to increase the bait profile, as this will help pick off the larger fish.
Rattle baits are often overlooked for panfish because they’re generally considered more of a predator bait due to their size and aggressive presentation. While crappies do generally eat small bugs and zooplankton, as they get larger they become predators and feed on small baitfish making these rattle baits a preferred bait.
When choosing baits, try to match the baitfish in the area. To do this, Scott recommends a size #3 and #4 Ultra Light Rippin Rap or Z-Viber bait. However, any small rattle bait or jigging rap that mimics a big shiner, baby sunfish or crappie will do the trick.
Next time when targeting big crappies, don’t be afraid to grab a small rattle bait, jigging rap, or anything that will mimic a large size bait fish.
