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MYTH - You Can’t Catch Quality Crappie From Deep, Clear Lakes
“Most anglers view classic crappie water as shallow, murky and full
of brushy cover,” says veteran guide Fred McClintock. “Lowland
reservoirs made fertile from agricultural run-off, such as Arkabutla and
Enid lakes in Mississippi, have a reputation for producing giant crappie.
By comparison, relatively few crappie fans have fished highland reservoirs.
Admittedly, they don’t look fishy, but once you understand how crappie
behave in these deep, clear, rocky impoundments, you can experience some
unbelievable action and catch some huge fish.”
Cavernous, crystalline reservoirs such as Tennessee’s Dale Hollow
and Center Hill are slowly gaining notoriety for producing monster slabs.
McClintock, who previously guided mainly for smallmouth bass, has found
Dale Hollow’s crappie fishing to be nothing short of extraordinary.
However, he points out that it requires a much different approach than
what most crappie anglers are accustomed.
“It’s more like striper fishing than crappie fishing,”
he says. “There’s very little wood cover in the lake, and
the crappie relate mainly to baitfish schools in open water. The most
productive approach is slow-trolling jigs on long lines around shad schools,
varying jig weight and color and line length until you come up with the
right combination. After all, there’s more than one way to skin
a cat—or a crappie.”
SOURCE: CRAPPIE WORLD, Winter 2003, P.45.
Dale Hollow Crappies
Dale Hollow Reservoir
on the Tennessee-Kentucky border is famous for giant smallmouth bass,
but it’s strong in the crappie department, too. Guide Fred McClintock
reports sizable catches of white and blacknose crappies once the lake
tops 48o F in the spring. “Last February through April, we had many
30-plus fish-a-day trips,” McClintock said. “On some days,
every fish is over a pound, with our biggest crappie so far weighing 3
pounds and 14 ounces.”
SOURCE: In Fisherman, Feb. 2002, p.25.