In this video, Scott Mackner shares his secrets to chasing early ice basin crappie, including his preferred presentations used to target them.
When it comes to early ice, Scott looks for shallow basins. In this instance, he is fishing in a 24 foot basin, and the crappies are suspended 6 feet off the bottom. When targeting early ice crappies, these “basins” aren’t typically the deepest area of the lake but instead any “deep” area that is shallower than the main lake holes. Crappie’s are often found shifting into these areas chasing bait in the fall and will hold there throughout early ice.
For gear, Scott starts by using a 3 or 4 mm jig tipped with a waxwork or a plastic. To work these lighter baits, Scott prefers a rod with a stiffer backbone but an extremely sensitive tip. The sensitive tip doesn’t just work best with lighter baits but also to detect such light bites. The stiff backbone of the rod helps fight larger fish, such as the 14 inch crappie he is catching in these videos. Not to mention, light gear makes for a fun bite.
When chasing early ice crappie, start by looking for shallow holes off of deep water. Also make sure you are using lightweight gear, such as small tungsten jigs and a rod with an ultra sensitive tip. This will help you work smaller baits and detect these light bites. By following these simple tips you will be sure to catch more fish.
