Here in south eastern PA. All of my regular early spots for crappies. They dont seem to be biting yet. The water temp has been colder than usual. Yet they do bite under the ice when the temps are in the same ranges. Which makes no sense to me. I have been marking them in all the usual spots. I think the water needs to be around 50 for them to really turn on. Thats one reason they are in the shallows. The shallow water warms earlier. Just my observation.
As was mentioned before, Chez. Ya gotta treat ice out early spring crappies as though your still icefishing. Small jigs under slip bobbers tipped with larva and/or small fathead minnows. If your lookin' for a good way to cover alot of water to find them.A slow troll with small jigs is always a gd way to target crappie year round. Using your electric trolling motor at slow speed. Or a controled drift on those windy days. An I wouldn't use jigs larger than1/16th oz. With 1/32 oz usually the choice this time of the year.Finding the school is the trick (in which they'll probably besuspended over deeper water still till water temps start to warm up). Ya find them, and ya should put some in your boat.An ya probably know, once water temps warm up to 58-62 degrees here in PA, lookout! That triggers the spawn. Find those springtime spawning areas near shorelinesand shallow water, it's like finding gold! They feed and attack everything likeparahnas! Little word of advise too. When you find those spots on your lake,keep it to yourself and only a couple of your closest friends, if any at all. As you will find them in the same spot every year during the spawn.
when trolling using jigs, do you actually jig them at all or just leave em sit??