When Crappies Go Negative

When Crappies go negative it is time to get aggressive, well kind of.  I know this is the opposite of what most would think, but if you give it a try you just may find midwinter crappie fishing a little better.  There are various factors that make crappies go into a negative mode throughout the season and even throughout the day for that matter.  For today I won't get into what makes fish turn negative but rather what you can do to put a few more on the ice.

For many, a crappie minnow under a slip bobber is the gold standard for crappie fishing.  In fact, it may be all you know of crappie fishing and it is very effective at times throughout the year.  Growing up, this was how we fished crappies and were very successful.  My approach to fishing crappies has changed significantly over the years with the advances in technology and lure choices available for just about every application. Where years ago my choice was either a plain hook or a Demon Glow jig, I have now added a lot more to my arsenal and it makes getting those negative crappies possible.

When crappies go negative my first choice in bait is a #6 Demon Jigging spoon.  It is very hard to beat the #6 Demon Jigging spoon in Glow with the Red Spot.  For years this was my go to demon jig, but now that you can get it in a jigging spoon, all the better.  I tip this with two Berkley PowerBoat Microwigglers and off I go probing the depths, hole to hole looking for crappies.  The great thing about crappies when they are in a negative mood, they don't move much so when you find them, you got them.

Once I find crappies I slowly work them with my jigging spoon tipped with the Microwigglers.  The key to this is to NOT jig the jigging spoon.  After all, these fish are negative and not interested in feeding, but they will chase, it is their nature.  They will follow that jigging spoon up, and up and up.  The key is to get them to chase to the point that they have to either eat or head back down to the school.  With most negative crappies if you can get them to chase up over 2 feet you got them.

Again, the jigging spoon is considered an aggressive approach to ice fishing, but it does not have to be fished that way.  Use your electronics to read the fish.  If you get a crappie following and they stop chasing, you did something they did not like.  Go back down to just above the school and try to get one to chase and start the process all over again.  I promise if you work those negative crappies just like I mentioned above you WILL put more fish on the ice this winter.