“If the water was clearer, you could pitch small jigs with plastic bodies; but we had to fish vertically tight to the cypress. Using the trolling motor, start downwind from a line or stand of cypress trees and stumps. I moved up slowly into the wind until I could dangle a jig right next to a stump. My rod and reel set-up was a 9-foot Shakespeare Catera rod (SPS 6090-2L) and a simple Shakespeare Synergy Steel Underspin reel with 6-pound-test Berkley Trilene XL line.

“Most of the cypress trees are on flats running 2 to 4 feet deep, so it's classic shallow crappie fishing. Again, just reach up to the tree with the long rod and let out enough line for the jig to reach bottom. The rod's in one hand while the other hand adjusts jig depth by pulling on the line between the reel and the first rod guide.

“The most productive thing to do was to lower the jig to the bottom, then raise it 6 to 8 inches to a foot and hold it still. That's when the water's dirty. In clear water the crappies held from about half way down to about 6 inches above the bottom. In that instance, it worked just as well to set the jig about halfway down and suspend it below a float. Simply cast the combo beyond the stump and bring it past the stump. Or just flip it right up to the stump. Even in the dirty water, crappies often held on the shaded side of a tree if the sun was out.

“Generally speaking,” says Stange, “if you have stands of cypress, you're more likely to find fish; but the fishing was slow and we had to cover every tree. But a 2-pounder's no big deal on Millwood. We used 1/16-ounce jigs tipped with 2-inch Berkley Power Minnows. Chartreuse-and-white was a great color.

“As is so often the case around wood, you end up fishing very tight to cover, so fishing vertically is better. One year on Santee-Cooper [SC], however, the lower lake was clear enough that we would start by pitching jigs and plastics around the edge of brushpiles, when crappies and bluegills were aggressive. You just have to experiment after you read the conditions when you get there.

“In stable, warming weather and clearer water, pitch or cast around and above the wood. During and after cold fronts and when the water's dirty, you probably have to fish vertically.”