What type of fish reports cause bigger crowds?

10 inch plus bluegills
12 inch plus crappies
A hot walleye bite
Multiple 50+ inch muskies caught
10 inch plus perch
5 lb plus pike
5 lb plus bass…

My thought is panfish, specifically big crappies.

I tend to agree. Maybe kind of depends on the time of year though too. A hot panfish or walleye bite brings in hordes.

I’d go with crappie 1, walleye 2, but yeah, pending on timing, those could easily be flipped.

A hot panfish bite…easier to fish for and target.

I’d also add that if it’s early ice and people can walk that’s probably even going to attract more people.

Not even close… a true hot walleye bite trumps all –

FryDog62 wrote:

Not even close… a true hot walleye bite trumps all –

I think I’d agree with FryDog as far as spot-burn goes. Depending on the lake, you may have 20 boats sitting on a rock pile. Panfish are close, though – and around the Metro I’d say maybe they’re even the winner here.

Panfish.

I have sometimes looked at ponds in the twin cities area that I know don’t hold fish and thought what would happen if somebody suddenly blasted it all over social media that there was a white hot panfish bite on these ponds?

How many people would suspend rational thought and go out there and give it a try just because social media said it was happening? A hot panfish bite is like a gold rush.

Grouse

Any ice fishing report that someone posts on Facebook. One reason why I have never been a Facebook user. But in reality any panfish bite gets people excited.

A lot of lakes hold walleyes that people can get to bite. But big crappies pull people in like bugs to a light.

When Upper Red crappie boom was in full stride the truck parade going back through Hudec’s was much more than the hot walleye bite pressure now. Back around 2000 there was a west metro lake that people discovered had big crappies in it. People were coming from Iowa to fish it. It lasted until it froze out the next winter.

spring walleyes

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Almost all good reports will trigger interest in folks. This became very apparent several years ago when we started posting pics of fish online, especially on the water. I learned my lesson.

I would jump on a hot gill bite depending on how far I had to travel…

Any hot bite report will bring out the hoards. Panfish, eyes and even reports of good pike. Only thing that draws in a crowd faster/sooner is a net lifting a fish in boatside. I’ve lost many a eater walleye trying to hoist one in without the net.

I think a hot walleye bite trumps all. The muskie guys I know keep things very quiet.

Randy Wieland wrote:

spring walleyes

x2

Just the word “hot” triggers me. When its panfish or walleye Im glad because I will get to eat some fresh fish but I am just as excited to go after bass and pike.

mnfisherman18 wrote:

I think a hot walleye bite trumps all.

I feel like when people hear the Upper Red Lake early ice bite starts, its like a gold rush.

i never run into this hot bite and bigger crowds……….. mainly cause i’m usually a week way to late!!!!!!!!!!!

gimruis wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>mnfisherman18 wrote:</div>
I think a hot walleye bite trumps all.

I feel like when people hear the Upper Red Lake early ice bite starts, its like a gold rush.

Thats like the rainy. Its the same time every year. It’s like clock work

Early Red last year was a total gong show!

In eastern SD and western MN it’s the perch reports in winter that cause the thundering herd to migrate.

blackbay wrote:

10 inch plus bluegills
12 inch plus crappies
A hot walleye bite
Multiple 50+ inch muskies caught
10 inch plus perch
5 lb plus pike
5 lb plus bass…

My thought is panfish, specifically big crappies.

I’d have to agree, with walleye #2. What used to be my go-to lake for crappie and walleye is ruined. It used to be pretty uncrowded and overlooked. 12″ crappie were common, 15″+ were available. Same with walleye-plenty of 30 fish days with good size and year class structure. Somehow word got out; not by me-I’m the guy that will tell you there isn’t a fish to be found in that lake if you ask-and within a year the average crappie size was dropping, within two years so were the walleye. That winter, some asshat organized a crappie ice-fishing tournament that drew a large-ish crowd to “my” little 400 acre sweet spot.
These days, crappie and walleye can still be found, but it’s work. 9-10″ crappie is more average now, and much less of them. Same for walleye-they’re hard to find now, and when you do they’re pretty much 12″ cigars or the occasional fish in the release slot. Breaks my heart…