[cool][#0000ff]There is a pretty good population of crappies in Utah Lake, and they can reach decent sizes. Since they are not as abundant as white bass and since most people easily catch plenty of whities, not many take the time to learn the ways of the more difficult to catch crappies.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Ice fishing, during the winter, probably gives crappie chasers the best shot at catching a few...if they fish the right places the right way. First, look for them in protected areas, like inside harbors, rather than in the main lake. Second, look for them in and around structure...brush, trees, docks, walls, pilings, etc. Third, fish them OFF THE BOTTOM. They tend to suspend at some depth above the bottom, rather than hugging the bottom like white bass and even bluegills. Having a good sonar and knowing how to read it is important.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Crappies also go for smaller lures, with waxworms or bits of fish flesh or crawler for sweetener. They are not the aggressive biters that white bass are either. They often hang almost motionless in the cold winter waters and swim slowly up to your lures. If you give your jigs too much motion, it can spook the crappies and they will drift off without biting. Sometimes they hit "dead-stick" presentations better than those with any movement at all. And, when they do take the lure, they often just suck it in from an inch or so away. No whack. Unless you have a tiny bobber or strike indicator you will never know they are there. Your bobber might just move a half inch to one side...or your strike indicator might just make the slightest dip. You have to be right on them and pay close attention.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Crappies are schooling fish, especially under the ice. You can fish a lot of water without finding them, but once you discover where they are hanging out, you can usually score a few if you use the right stuff and use finesse techniques. Sometimes they will cruise within a couple of feet of the surface and you can actually look down into the clear water and watch them swim up to your jigs. They can be tough to get to bite though.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]And, the crappies can suspend at any depth, on the same day on the same waters. So, "prospecting" might be in order. I like to rig with a tandem (double) jig rig...with two tiny tear drop jigs of different colors...one chartreuse and one white. I tip each with a fresh waxworm and send it down. Using a light supersensitive rod, I start it up off the bottom slowly. Jigging a bit and then pausing...dead still...for several seconds...watching the rod tip and keeping my senses tuned for the tiny "tick" on the rod that is often the only thing you feel on a strike. Bring the jigs slowly to within a couple of feet from the top and then drop them down again. Watch carefully and if your line stops sinking before it should, tighten up to feel for a fish. Not unusual for crappie to intercept light jigs on the way down.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Where to find them? Inside the harbors are the best spots. Under docks and next to pilings...on the shady side...are the best places to start prospecting. The upstream side of the pumphouse area has traditionally been a good spot for icing a few crappies. Sometimes good schools of them will circulate around in the area close to the walls, but not many are caught, except by accident...or by crappie specialists who learn the ways of these tasty morsels.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Crappies like water deep enough that they have plenty of depth in which to cruise without being crowded by the bottom or getting too close to the top. But, in low water years, they will come into surprisingly shallow water in the winter. But, they are sensitive to commotion, so use stealth mode. Drill your holes and then put up the auger. Be patient and wait for the spooked fish to circulate back to you. That may take awhile, but once they return and start biting they will stay around as long as you don't make too much noise. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I have had a lot of crappie bites ruined by people stomping out on the docks I was fishing...or being noisy and tromping up on the ice and drilling holes right next to my boots...if they lived long enough. Solitary quiet anglers will always have a better chance at crappies than a noisy group with a lot of kids running around on the ice. Crappies are not very sociable.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]So, crappies are almost the complete opposite of the wide open white bass. They actually seem to be attracted by commotion at times and when they come in everybody catches them. No so with crappies. And, instead of jigging big lures on the bottom...as with whities...fish small and slow, up off the bottom.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]That's about the best advice I can offer. Now, here are some of the proven past spots. 1. The pumphouse. 2. American Fork Boat Harbor. 3. Lindon Harbor 5. Provo Harbor 6. Lincoln Beach Boat Launch area...near the dock. 7. Inside the springs at Lincoln Beach. 8. Inside the "L" at Lincoln Beach. 9. In certain GPS honey holes off Lincoln Beach. 10. In a couple of deep spots near Bird Island. 11. Inside the Pelican Point Marina (Saratoga Springs). 12. Inside Saratoga Springs private harbor and around some of the hot springs.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Utah Lake does not always freeze over. You can catch some crappies in the open waters of these areas but it really does take stealth and finesse. That translates to using long limber rods (to handle bobber rigs), light line, small jigs with wax worms, and tiny bobbers. Fish close to docks and other structure, and start a foot or two above the bottom and either raise or lower your jig periodically to look for the right depth. Let each cast sit absolutely motionless for minutes at a time, and then SLOWLY move it a few inches. Then wait some more. Watch the bobber like a hawk. If it even shivvers, tighten the line and check for weight. Don't set the hook like you would for a big catfish.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]In water less than six feet deep, a bobber set at a fixed depth will work. In deeper water you can use a slip bobber to drop the jig/bait down deeper. If you don't know how to rig one, learn. It can mean the difference between fish and no fish.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Well, that's about as much as I think I know.[/#0000ff]
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