CRAPPIE WHEN IT SIZZLES

Criss's System Works -- Why?

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.

Like most crappie fishermen, I can come up with many reasons why crappie won't bite on a 100-degree day. But unlike most crappie fishermen, Phillip Criss takes the mindset of, "crappie have to eat every day, regardless of wind, weather and water conditions. To catch them, I must find the places they feed. The hotter the weather, the fewer spots crappie can go to where they feel comfortable and find food.

"Baitfish will feed actively along creek channels and river ledges wherever a current breaks. I often will find crappie when I locate a current break with some type of structure like stumps, treetops or roots. Because crappie feed actively when the current begins to run, you may catch a limit of 30 to 40 crappie in a productive place. When fishing during the hottest times, you rarely, if ever, will have any competition for a good fishing spot. All crappie fishermen know you can't catch crappie when the temperature reaches 100 degrees."

As Criss laughed and smiled, I finally recognized him as the leprechaun who had found the pot of gold no one believed existed. Had I not caught crappie, I, too, would not have believed him. However, now I know you can catch plenty of large slab crappie in the heat of the summer.