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Crappie Location: Finding Spring Slabs
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Crappie Location: Finding Spring Slabs (cont.)
RIVERS
Rivers aren't all current areas. There are backwaters, bays, cuts, and so forth, where crappies can get out of the current and spawn in slackwater. Small, brushy backwaters or connected lakes like AREA A often see the first spring crappie use. Large areas like the oxbow lake shown here warm up more slowly. (The old river channel runs through the oxbow. When the river shifted course, the oxbow became a slackwater area connected to the river.)
AREAS B-1 and B-2 are brush filled cuts or small bays in the back end of the oxbow. Great spots! C-1 is a brush point on an island. It's deeper, more exposed to the wind, and will attract crappies a bit later than AREA B. AREA C-2 is similar to C-1, except that it's more exposed to the river current. It's a late spawning spot, but is a good choice if backwaters are absent or they lack suitable bottom content and/or cover. AREA D, meanwhile, is a shallow, brushy hump near the old river channel. It's also more exposed to the elements, and is a "late" spot.
During cold front conditions, crappies will pull out of the shallow cover and gather in deep timber, or lie in the bottom of the old river channel, Some fish may even school up at the intersection of the oxbow and the river if an eddy (calm-water area) forms at C-2.
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