Page 8 - Crappie NOW - February 2019

Story & photos by Darl Black

t’s beginning to look a lot like…an specific cover he has marked on his GPS
abbreviated ice fishing season in NW during open water season. Then he starts
I Pennsylvania. With a shot of really cold moving from hole to hole to find the fish
air at Thanksgiving, area lakes skimmed with his sonar. “Maybe I’ll catch several
over early and many hole sitters were from one spot before the pack moves.
anticipating safe ice within a week or two. When crappies quit biting, I move. You
But rain and warm temperatures wiped out could sit there are day waiting for them
the ice cover. Christmas and New Years to return, but by running and gunning you
passed without ice forming. However, I will end up with more fish.”
am confident anglers will be drilling holes
by the first of February. Baits
One individual anxiously awaiting safe Lefebre has narrowed his selection
ice is Dave Lefebre of Erie, Pennsylvania. of baits for crappies to two specific
Although Lefebre is a professional bass categories – one style of lure for active
angler by trade, he is a crappie fisherman feeding crappies and one lure for non-
at heart. He looks forward to ice fishing aggressive fish.
each winter during down time from the “For active crappies I choose flashy
pro bass tours. While Lefebre was taking vibrating style bait – either a traditional
a break from gear preparation, I prodded Rapala Jigging Rap or Rapala Slab Rap
him to offer several specific tips to help which is a mini lipless vibration crankbait,”
you ice more crappies. explains Lefebre. “These baits drop
quickly to crappies I initially spy on the
Run & Gun sonar at each hole I check. I’ll jig these
“Perhaps the most critical point to make lures to draw strikes from eager biters.
is this: rarely is crappie fishing on ice a Typically, I’ll catch two or three with these
matter of camping out in one spot,” stresses lures before the fish shut down.” If you
Lefebre. “During early ice and mid-ice in don’t have either of these baits, a small
our region, those fall concentrations of ¼-ounce blade bait or slab jigging spoon
crappies break up into smaller wolf packs will work.
to forage. These packs, or small schools, Next Lefebre goes to teasing remaining
will stop briefly on a rock pile, stump row crappies with a finesse presentation to
or bottom contour change, but they do not garner a few more crappies before the
remain in a holding pattern for very long.” pack moves. For this presentation he
Although the crappies are on the move, uses a 1 or 1.5-inch micro tube on a 1/64
they nonetheless remain in a defined
territory and revisit specific pieces of
cover as they circumnavigate a flat,
long tapering point, creek channel edge Dave Lefebre with Presque Isle Bay crappie
or deep weed edge. Lefebre drills a lot
of holes in the area, placing them over

8 Crappie NOW February 2019