Red Lake Crappies

[trav1905]

I’m just wondering if anyone has any info on catching crappies or locations to catch crappies on Red Lake?
Any locations of crappies cribs? Thanks

[Redcastle]

I agree. 4 years fishing red lake never have caught 1 and hearing all the stories catching crappies years ago

[highlife4me]

Find yourself a time machine and go back about 16 years. Hard to believe the crappie boom was that long ago, now I’m feeling old.

[NomadicAngler]

I have yet to forgive myself for never making it up there during the boom. Truly a once in a lifetime event!

[Noreaster]

Fished long before the boom. Then suddenly the word about it being a crappie heaven got out late winter of 1998/99 or so. My younger brother’s time as a student BSU coincided with the peak and he was certainly on top of it, and I got in on it too with him. It was a special time and atmosphere replete with many regular characters and a fun nightlife out of West Wind resort, and out on the lake.

Fish house floors and the ice were routinely littered with huge crappies that bit so fast they didn’t all make it to a bucket, or overflowed it. A three man limit of 45 of those fish was an impressive sight. On the best bites, using two lines was counterproductive. Even the “slow” days and evenings were fun and required a little more searching.

The lines of truck headlights leaving the ice at night were incredible, and a real adventure ensued one night for us driving in a blinding snowstorm seeking the beacon light on shore at West Wind. The walleye resurgence has been fun too, but nothing like the crappie heydays. It was wild. Those who were there will never forget it! ” title=”” class=”bbcode_smiley” />

The walleye population would have to collapse for it to happen again. After the peak a few family members and guys I know did well with limits fishing out in front of the Tamarac river a day or two before walleye opener. I have no idea if that is still possible, but that is one time of year they would be concentrated enough to catch many.

[Bigfatber]

Depending on the spring ice out and the timing of the Crappie spawning in the shallows . If you can get on the lake when it’s very calm winds/flat conditions , in the later afternoon when the water has had its chance to warm a little for that day ,by pitching out small bobbers very shallow up to the north shore reeds you should have some good luck on those Red Lake slabs , numbers obviously are nothing like the boom days , but they are definitely in these areas during the above conditions. .

[HcUser]

highlife4me wrote:
Find yourself a time machine and go back about 16 years. Hard to believe the crappie boom was that long ago, now I’m feeling old.

A good old memory, I was able to join the fun 2003, and 2004 season
now day is only in the memory, when you hear people talk about red lake crappies.

<==that the wife

work on one thing at a time, you end up with a better result....

[Hazzard]

They are still around. A lot harder to find but they do exist. 3 years ago we caught 22 on valentine’s day weekend. then we were back up the last weekend you could drive out in March and limited out the 4 of us in 2 nights of fishing.

[Bigfatber]

If targeting the crappie on the ice , yes later ice the better seems to be the ticket . And as was the case during the boom days , just at sunset and for a few more hrs seems to still be the most productive time frame . Not to say one can’t be caught randomly during all parts of day . I would say the east to the north sides .

[Author]

Posts