Outdoors Articles Library

Red Lake Crappie Call
by Randy “RandyMan” Johnson

Red Lake holds some of the best crappie action I have ever seen. However, the lake is a very large body of water with little in the way of structure. For this reason, there is no way to point to a spot on the map and say "here is a spot where they will be". That is why being mobile is so important. If you have a portable ice shack you know how nice it is to be able to stay on top of a school of moving crappie. Keep in mind that a school of crappie can be spooked by noise. Your best bet is to explore places where there are few or no people set up. Along with being mobile, you need to use a good auger and if it is late ice, use an extension as the ice often gets over three feet deep. I have used the same Jiffy for years. If you keep the blades sharp and the motor tuned, it will cut circles around most augers.

Electronics will also greatly increase your catches. Some people are very reluctant to spend the money for electronics, but those of us who have them will not fish without them. There are several types of electronics out there and all have advantages and disadvantages. In my opinion nothing is better than the Vexilar product line. They have proven to be one of the best on the market. As far as using a GPS, some say the crappie schools go to the same spot every time. I have not found that to be true up to this point. This being said, I always bring GPS with and use it to track where we are and where we have been. If you know there is bad weather coming, it is a good idea to also mark the ice bridges and roads for a safe return to shore.

Because there is little structure and these fish are scattered in groups over a vast sheet of ice, you will need to call them in with jigging in order to really catch a bunch of these 12+ inch beauties! One of my favorite "CRAPPIE CALLS" is a quick 6-12 inch raise of my rod tip. Sometime only 3-6 inches works as well but then slowly lower the rod tip. You should lower it as slow as possible. You will have to pay special attention to the line and rod tip. If you see your line go slack or rod tip raise up set the hook.

The wiggle technique can be used by itself or during any other type of jigging pattern. By adding this little wiggle, you will often increase your catch rate. With the bait usually 3-6 inches off the bottom I will just wiggle it to simulate the flutter of a injured bait. In most cases, the smaller the wiggle the better when fishing for crappie.

Another technique is the rip method. You actually take the jig and rip it up 3-12 inches and let it fall back down quickly. This works well for calling crappie into the area. You may have to incorporate a slower method once the crappie arrive unless they are very aggressive. So if you see a crappie or two come by for a look but will not take it, slow it down and wiggle it a little.

Another good attraction technique is to pound your bait on the bottom and raise it just off the bottom when they come to look for the food. Never be afraid to change up your jigging technique or try a new one as well as incorporate more than one into a series of jigs. Try to remember you are imitating an injured minnow or a water bug.

Glow baits are a must when looking for these wonderful crappie. When searching, try jigging with a loud crappie caller, like a glowing, rattling spoon tipped with a minnow head. Once you see a fish or two on the Vexliar, change over to a small glow jig (Red and orange jigs are currently working the best during the day with blue and green doing better after dark). It is also a good idea to have your second line (legal in Minnesota) set up with a plain hook and minnow. Most of the time it takes a crappie call to bring them in but a simple hook to catch them.

Please do not forget to throw some back for next time!

Enjoy the experience
Randy Man