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Last weekend, a couple of friends and I fished a lake that is often overlooked in the Nisswa area, probably due to the fact that the lake is known for giving up larger crappies, but in smaller numbers.

We stopped by a bait shop on Hwy. 371 around noon Saturday to pick up some minnows and gather what information we could before continuing on to the lake. We didn't buy anything more than a $3 scoop of crappie minnows, so the cash register total wasn't nearly high enough to reward us with up-to-the-minute information and a close look at the shop owner's personally marked fishing map. Regardless, we left the shop fairly satisfied the owner did in fact tell us everything we needed to know. When you go back and forth with these bait shop guys long enough, you begin to realize there's often a wealth of useful information imbedded in otherwise sketchy and nebulous responses like "maybe" and "it's worth a shot." Heck, sometimes it's what a bait shop guy refuses to tell you that can tell you the most. We arrived at the lake and didn't see another soul. It turned out that we began fishing far too early in the day. We didn't know that at the time until a local fellow that owned one of only two permanent houses on the entire lake drove out to kindly inform us that the crappie bite occurred between 4:30-5:30 p.m. Not only that, but he also reported that the brief daily bite was a tough bite. Wonderful.

When the magic hour finally arrived, our flashers began to mark fish. Not too many and not too often, but they were down there and they did behave like crappies - albeit stubborn crappies. It seemed the old guy was right on both counts - we were seeing fish but the bite was indeed tough. As a matter of fact, it took at least 10 minutes to catch one of the buggers to confirm we had crappies underneath our holes. Like I said, it took some time, but I caught the first fish and was delighted to see it was a fat, twelve-incher. So we at least solved that part of the mystery.

I switched jigs often during those 10-15 minutes when my baits were being closely scrutinized, but not eaten. I finally began thinking along the lines of "low-pro-no-glow," settling on a plain #10 fine wire red Gamakatsu Octopus hook with a small splitshot placed about 18-inches up the line. By using this simple rig, I hoped two things would occur as a result. I wanted the lip-hooked minnow to swim as freely as possible, and I wanted the minnow to dart around as quickly as possible while attempting to flee from the crappies. In other words, I wanted to see my bobber telegraphing that Mr. Minnow was freaking out when ambushing crappies were in the neighborhood. Ultimately, of course, I hoped the fleeing prey would elicit an instinctual predator response in these crappies, whether they wanted to eat or not.

We didn't catch so many fish that I can say for certain this rigging technique was the most effective way to catch fish last Saturday, although this rig of mine did catch the most fish. One thing is for certain, when a crappie did decide to hit my minnow, the take was anything but subtle. My bobber literally shot down the hole and the fish hooked themselves. No hook setting required.

So the next time you mark crappies but can't convince them to bite a typical high profile lead jig, abandon conventional thinking and tie on a small low profile rig like a plain hook and splitshot. A free-swimming, darting minnow that behaves naturally just might be what those fussy crappies are looking for.

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I spent a few minutes on the phone with the guys at Frankie's Live Bait and Marine, and reports are that the panfish bite has been very consistent lately, despite the long stretch of bitterly cold weather that we just put behind us. Also, we're experiencing something a bit unusual on our area lakes, and that is a good crappie bite in the early afternoon. Word is that beginning around 1-1:30 p.m., the crappies on North Center have been consistently active.

Also, the south end of Chisago Lake has been a consistent panfish producer during the late afternoon, particularly out in front of the A-frame and Eagle's Nest. Also, look at the "saddle" between Sunset Point and Park Point, as well as the west side of Pancake Island on South Center Lake for brisk sunfish and crappie action.

If you're looking to pick up some pike on tip-ups, folks have been doing fairly well in the big bay off the west end of Green Lake.

Wisconsin anglers should look to Long Lake (east of Centuria), Wapogasset (near Amery), and Big Butternut (due east of Luck) for sunfish and crappies.

Be safe and I'll see you on the ice.

Dan Brown's weekly outdoor column is brought to you by Frankie's Bait and Marine, in Chisago City, and St. Croix Outdoors, in St. Croix Falls, Wis.

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