In the more northern parts of the crappie's range, ice-out is most likely the very best time of the year to catch a mess of slabs for the table. And, you don't even need a boat!

Just north of Toronto in southern Ontario is a prime example. An hour and a half's drive from the city can lead you to the southern shores of Georgian Bay, more spcifically the section from Owen Sound to the French River.

Location 

This section of lake shore has hundreds of small bays and mouths of streams and rivers, all of which are used by crappies for spawning and post-spawn feeding. My experience that the very best locations are man-made: large municipal docks, marinas and canals hold some of the most numerous schools of fish.  In addition and since crappies are so rare, you can only keep 30 of them if you have Sport Fishing license, and still 10 with only the Conservation version - plenty for the whole family for supper.

Equipment and Tackle 

My favourite equipment for pulling in dozens of these tasty fish starts with either a 5-ft ultralight, or even better, my 10½-ft light action trout rod with 2-4lb test line on a light action spinning reel. I generally use a slip-bobber, a series of small shot weights (similar to a float rig) and a small #8 wide-gap hook.

The bait of choice is the lowly minnow - 1-2" in length usually works best. However, if live bait is not available, or is illegal (in some areas), you can still have a productive day using tiny plastic grubs. The color will depend on the weather, but I've found that white and salt/pepper flake are most productive.

Technique & Presentation

Of course, everyone has their own adaptation of any presentation that exists. My preference is to keep the bait shallow - within the top 2 feet of the water column, and to cast beyond the target zone. Slowly twitch the bait into the target zone and leave it there, with very slight movment and wait.

If the fish are in and active, you will probably get a hit within a minute or two, appearing as a couple of small bites registering on your bobber followed by it disappearing completely underwater. Set the hook with your wrist only (trying not to tear the fragile lips off the fish!) and start reeling

The Prize

The more northern crappie generally reach about 1-1lbs max, but you'll be surprised at the fight you get with such a light action setup. Hey, it's fun and you get to have the year's first fish fry afterwards. A good half day fishing will net you at least 2 meals.

Oh yes, and if you think the crappies are fun, just wait until your bait gets taken by a local roaming pike - also in the area for a good meal. Now that's a fight!