Fish-Hawk.Net

Posted: **Sun Jan 23, 2011 10:10 am**

Well it was worth braving the cold and wind last night on the Lower Rideau. The bite was slow but steady and seemed to peak about 7:45PM. We left about 8:15 because somebody's brother wanted to catch the end of the Leafs game if you can believe it? I'd rather sit in the Clam and catch fish myself. We kept ten and threw three little guys back for next year. Their diet is changing over to freshwater shrimp already. I guess mid-winter is here.

Most of the action was on small jigs tipped with Berkley Gulp waxies in a natural colour to mimic the shrimp that swim suspended under the ice. My biggest fish still fall to the Crippled Herring with a small dace minnow. Here's some pics.

Anticipation:

First one of the night

Pail of fish, get my knife!

Posted: **Sun Jan 23, 2011 10:15 am**

Great report Tom i love the night time crappie!

Posted: **Sun Jan 23, 2011 10:39 am**

Nice crappies! How far down do these shrimp you mention suspend? Great advice - thanks!

Posted: **Sun Jan 23, 2011 11:12 am**

I keep asking the crappies but they never tell me!

Truth is it will vary dependent on time of year, time of day, oxygen levels and limited photosynthesis that occurs under the ice. The shrimp feed on small zooplankton and phytoplankton that are down there too. Most of the time at night I find the fish most willing to bite about 4-6 feet off the bottom in 15 feet of water. I would assume that is the sweet spot the shrimp are floating around in too.

My son with a couple slabs before we throw them in the frying pan:

Posted: **Sun Jan 23, 2011 11:25 am**

Nice work on the crappies! I too would rather sit in a Clam and catch fish... Heck even just sitting in the Clam and not fishing would be better than watching a Leafs game.

Posted: **Sun Jan 23, 2011 12:23 pm**

Nice looking crappies.... bad call on the leafs game.

Posted: **Sun Jan 23, 2011 3:28 pm**

sweet! nice report. hoping to get out there soon...

Posted: **Sun Jan 23, 2011 3:30 pm**

How much ice did ya have out there Tom? Any slush under the snow?

Posted: **Sun Jan 23, 2011 5:44 pm**

Good job slaying the crappie!! I'm hungry now...

Posted: **Sun Jan 23, 2011 7:46 pm**

Lurewasher wrote:How much ice did ya have out there Tom? Any slush under the snow?

There was 18-20" of ice depending on where you fish. The only slushy spots I heard about were near Merrywood's Camp point. No top water out in the main basin where we fish.

Posted: **Sun Jan 23, 2011 8:02 pm**

nice slabs man

Posted: **Sun Jan 23, 2011 8:03 pm**

There was 18-20" of ice depending on where you fish. The only slushy spots I heard about were near Merrywood's Camp point. No top water out in the main basin where we fish.
........ wow that's amazing! I tryed Newboro saturday night and we were fishing on 7 inches of ice , covered with a foot of snow + slush inbetween !
The scarey part was, there was 3 half ton trucks out there. One of the fellows in a truck said they had alot more ice a hundred yards down the lake where he was fishing. 9 inches there !!!!! Another of the trucks got stuck in a slushy spot for a while ! Glad I walked out + dragged my gear out behind me on plastic sled! Oh yeah....it was colder than a witches heart ta boot !

Posted: **Sun Jan 23, 2011 8:30 pm**

nice crappies, good work

Fish-Hawk.Net

Lower Rideau Crappies

Lower Rideau Crappies