CRAPPIE WHEN IT SIZZLES

Laying Trees

EDITOR'S NOTE: Although skeptical about the possibilities of catching crappie in 100-degree weather, I had to believe what Phillip Criss of Adger, Alabama, a fishing guide who always had produced crappie year-round, said. He promised if we had hot weather, a clear sky and a current running through the lake that we would catch more and bigger crappie than we ever had taken in our lives. And what I learned completely changed my mind about hot-weather crappie fishing.

Later we pulled up our anchors and motored up the Alabama River to a large flat. A big tree had fallen down in 2 to 3 feet of water parallel to and about 10 yards off the bank. More than half the root system of the tree extended up out of the water. Although I assumed we wouldn't fish that tree, with the smile of a leprechaun who seemed to know where to find a pot of gold, Criss said, "we'll catch some big crappie there. Set your cork at about 8-feet deep, and bait with a minnow."

As current continued to move through the lake, Criss maneuvered the boat directly in front of the roots of the tree. We dropped our corks and let our baits wash toward the tree's root system. Our corks sank before the minnows ever arrived there. As Criss had predicted, we brought slab crappie to the boat from an area I never would have thought would hold crappie. Unhooking a 1-pound white crappie, I told Criss I couldn't believe we'd caught crappie in 3 feet of water during 100-degree weather.

But Criss smiled and explained that, "although the tree fell in 3 feet of water, the crappie are holding at 10 feet. See the big hole out in front of the tree's root system? The tree's roots already had left a big hole from when a storm blew the tree over. When the current comes downriver, it moves swiftly across the flat and then is forced downward when it hits the root system, washing the hole out even deeper. This hole closely resembles the inside edge of the old creek channel we fished earlier. The current runs along the bottom, passes over the lip of the break, hits the root system and flows downward. When the current runs, baitfish hold just under the lip of the break and in the root system of the tree. Because this hole is only 10 yards from the main-river ledge, the crappie can move off the main river ledge into this hole to feed. I also like this spot because no one will fish here in the summer. It doesn't look like it will hold crappie in hot weather if you don't realize what's happening under the water."

TOMORROW: SUSPENDED CRAPPIE