Planning a likely early trip to the gabbro area. I have heard there are crappies there. How common are they in your experience and what kind of size can be caught? Sure would be a nice "something different" up there to get into some nice crappies.

Yes, they are real. We came into that area from EP 75. When we were entering the south end of Bald Eagle, I hooked a fish. Turned out to be a 16 inch crappie. A bit farther down the narrows and out on the main lake, we caught another 1/2 doz.

Then between Bald Eagle and Gabbro we caught more crappie, so they are there.

Yes, but never have found them in numbers.

If you want an early trip that is outside the bwca try bass lake. It is close to high and dry lakes, up the echo trail. I have heard from vno the panfish are big.

We caught the Crappie in the lower basin of Gabbro in the fall, just trolling across the main area. We picked up walleye and Crappie mixed together, no concentration. In one pass we would pick up 4-5 fish, mixed, 10-15ft. down, in 15-20ft. of water. Real nice, almost bonafide "slabs"...12-14in., using the usual, sr8 or 9 shad rap.

I see Bald Eagle on map but don't see Gabbro. Is it not marked?

quote SeagullScott: "I see Bald Eagle on map but don't see Gabbro. Is it not marked? "

Gabbro is immediately to it's northwest. Looks like they're connected by a little falls/rapids.

I see where its a 200 rod portage from a parking lot..2/3 mile. Only 2 permits a day

That's techincally for Little Gabbro. Gabbro is between there and Bald Eagle.

http://www.voyageurmaps.com/map7zoom.html

I picked up a bunch of crappies trolling for walleyes in the NE part of the lake. Caught almost 1 to 1 walleye to crappie ratio that day.

quote mr.barley: "I picked up a bunch of crappies trolling for walleyes in the NE part of the lake. Caught almost 1 to 1 walleye to crappie ratio that day."

+1

Caught a few with my fly rod from one of the islands on Gabbro. They were stacked up along a flat wall with a deep drop-off. Good stuff.

Bump...just 3 weeks away from our Gabbro entry. I love to fish and can spend 8-12 hours a day, catching or not(usually do). My tripping buddy though has limited patience, likes to do some fishing if they are biting but loses interest quickly. However, he does have a particular interest in crappie fishing.

I can find the eyes and the SMB up there pretty reliably, and we can all find the pike. Any tips for catching crappies on general areas, structure elements to look for or methods(we will have leeches and some crawlers) on Gabbro or Bald Eagle would be appreciated, email me if you don't want to tell the world:). If we can find some crappies he will want to fish more and i will get to fish more!!

quote bassnet: "We caught the Crappie in the lower basin of Gabbro in the fall, just trolling across the main area. We picked up walleye and Crappie mixed together, no concentration. In one pass we would pick up 4-5 fish, mixed, 10-15ft. down, in 15-20ft. of water. Real nice, almost bonafide "slabs"...12-14in., using the usual, sr8 or 9 shad rap."

Up north those are Bonafide slabs :-)

Jigging with leech on Bald Eagle, South of the third campsite on eastern shore counting from the South. They were found around small islands in that area. I was not targeting them but we (my son and I) found some for supper. Enjoy.

quote nicek: "


Jigging with leech on Bald Eagle, South of the third campsite on eastern shore counting from the South. They were found around small islands in that area. I was not targeting them but we (my son and I) found some for supper. Enjoy."

looks like a big old male in early June?

I'll be in this area over Memorial. Looking forward to hopefully netting a few 2 - 3 lb slabs...

quote Pinetree: "

quote nicek: "



Jigging with leech on Bald Eagle, South of the third campsite on eastern shore counting from the South. They were found around small islands in that area. I was not targeting them but we (my son and I) found some for supper. Enjoy."

looks like a big old male in early June?"

It was first week of June. We did the loop through Gull, Pietro and Stillwater and Turtle. Most of the fish were still cold and sleepy last year.

We did well on crappies two different trips into Gabbro on the Eastern shoreline. Started catching them while trolling with rapalas and then went to jigging mini-mites or we call them tube jigs. Lot of fun as you wont feel the hit but you will see your line go limp as they come up and attack it.......