In many southeastern states, regulations are liberal. Alabama, North and South Carolina, Georgia, Mississippi, Kentucky, and other states do not restrict the number of poles anglers may fish. Another father-and-son team, Adam and Stokes McClellan from North Carolina, take advantage by deploying an array of 12-, 14-, and 16-foot B'n'M Pro Staff Trolling Rods, covering a swath of water nearly 40 feet wide.

Adam McClellan says, “We fish the open waters of larger reservoirs, looking for crappies relating to big schools of shad, rather than fish buried in cover. We watch sonar closely and maneuver with a Minn Kota AutoPilot trolling motor with the new wireless remote control. That wrist-watch size controller makes it easy to follow courses exactly and make minor speed adjustments. More than 75 percent of the time, we troll at 1.2 to 1.8 mph, and catch fish in less than 12 feet of water. We feel that speed helps to generate reaction strikes from crappies in all seasons.

“As for tackle, we use small open-face spinning reels with 4-pound-test mono, attaching leadhead jigs to a loop. Favorite baits include Charlie Brewer Slider Grubs from 1 1⁄2 to 4 inches long and Bass Pro Shops Triple Ripple Grubs from 2 to 4 inches. These bigger baits select for big crappies.”

Dipping, Dabbling, or Doodle-Socking: Terms vary for this long-rod short-line technique, but it's deadly in cover that rises well above the surface of the water. In impoundments, spring rains often raise water levels, covering thick growths of briars and vines. In natural lakes and vegetated reservoirs, cattails, bulrushes, alligator weed, and other emergent grasses draw crappies and bluegills in the same manner.

Warming water in protected coves attracts plankton, baitfish and panfish. During the Prespawn Period, fish hold near cover, then spawn on hard-bottom spots nearby. In most reservoirs, water color is stained to murky, so nesting fish can't be seen. But in the dingy cloudy water, shallow crappies can be approached within range of a pole from 8 to 11 feet long without spooking them. Even in rather clear lakes and river backwaters, fish in dense grass beds can be approached closely.

A single pole, fished by wading or from a boat, is an effective tool, often outperforming spinning tackle, particularly when fish hold in thick cover. “One old trick is to hold the pole in your right hand, “Marshall says, “while you draw the line in with your left hand until the jig is tight to the tip of the pole. Poke the tip back into the willows, buck brush, or cattails then release line to drop the lure straight down.

“When a crappie bites, retrieve line with you left hand so the fish is drawn straight up and out. If you let a crappie run sideways, that broad body will hang up and the fish will get a bit of slack and escape. Obviously, you need a pretty stout pole for this combat fishing,” he adds.

Kent Driscoll, a crappie expert from northern Mississippi, also favors a stealthy wading approach on lakes like Enid, Sardis, Arkabutla, and Grenada, all famed for producing big crappies. “The spring spawn period invariably brings dingy water and the big spawners move into cover 1 to 3 feet deep. By donning a pair of waders, you can get to spots that boat anglers can't reach.

“When wading, I always fish into the wind, so mud stirred up by my boots is washed away from the fish. A cloud of silt will totally turn them off. I rig a 10-foot B'n'M Brush Cutter pole, which has excellent backbone but a sensitive tip, with 8-pound test Stren High-Vis Gold line. I call this a “jungle rig” because it works so well in flooded thickets where crappies hold.

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