Fishing this week

Hey Gang,

I received several emails over the weekend asking me what to expect with the cold front we're experiencing right now.

Here's my advice. If you were catching fish in an area, continue to fish that area. The cooler weather can slow the bite down, but the fish won't (usually) move too far once they have committed to shallow water.

I'd expect to see a window of time during the day, maybe two-three hours where the fish would really bite good. The rest of the time you can expect slow, but steady bites. If the crappies don't seem to be chasing minnows, try downsizing to a waxworm on a small red hook (#12) or an ice fishing jig.

As the days pass and conditions remain steady and then improve, expect the window for active feeding to expand. As temperatures rise into the mid 60's, start to pay attention to stumps, logs and other laydowns as many crappie will relate to those types of cover to spawn.

The opener is just a few days away.

Good Luck Out There
CT