DOG DAY CRAPPIE

Catching Crappie Throughout the Year

EDITOR'S NOTE: Roger Gant of Corinth, Mississippi, has fished Pickwick Lake on the Tennessee River for more than 40 years. Fishermen haven't historically recognized Pickwick Lake, located on the Alabama/Tennessee/Mississippi border, as a crappie lake. However, Gant guides on Pickwick Lake more than 200 days a year and consistently catches good limits of slab crappie. Most crappie fishermen don't successfully catch crappie during the Dog Days of summer. But, Gant catches more crappie in the summer than any other time of the year. This week we'll look at Gant's secrets to catching Dog-Day crappie.

Question: Why do you fish in the middle of the lake during hot weather?
Gant: Most crappie fishermen attempt to catch crappie next to structure they can see near the bank. However, as much structure lies out in the middle of the lake as on the bank. The crappie out in the middle of the lake get much less fishing pressure than the crappie on the bank. So, the crappie in the middle of the lake bite better than bank crappie do.

Question: How much do you depend on your depth finder during the summer months, and what do you look for on the depth-finder screen?
Gant: I depend on my depth finder to search for large areas of brush in the middle of the lake. I know that I'll find the most crappie during the summer in the middle of the lake around structure. I also look for areas that have a lot of brush in different water depths because I have to change water depths throughout the day to find actively-feeding crappie.

To learn more about crappie fishing with Roger Gant, call him at (731) 689-5666 or (662) 287-2017. For more information on staying at Pickwick Landing State Park on Pickwick Lake, contact the Hardin County Convention and Visitor’s Bureau at info@tourhardincounty.org, call (731) 925-8181 or (800) 552-3866, or visit www.tourhardincounty.org. Pickwick Landing State Park offers fishing, boating, hiking, camping, swimming and golf. Lodging includes the lakeside inn with over 100 rooms, cabins that sleep eight and a campground that contains 48 sites with grill and electric/water hookup at each site. A restaurant at the park offers delicious southern cuisine. Call (731) 689-3135 or (800) 250-8615 to learn more.

TOMORROW: HOW, WHY AND WHEN TO CHANGE WATER DEPTHS THROUGHOUT THE DAY