Like many local crappie anglers, I was under the impression that the lake on the lower Tenn-Tom waterway offered the best crappie fishing. I will agree that the lower Tenn-Tom waterway lakes probably have greater numbers of crappie, but Holt Lake, and certainly Bankhead Lake have sizes that can compete with any lake in Alabama.

Holt Lake and Bankhead lake are very clear and deep. I've found that these crappies spawn deep, and seem to be more cautious than the crappies on the lower Tenn-Tom lakes. As the month of April has progressed, it's become harder to find fish. I fished a couple of days ago, and only caught five crappies. However, all five were better than 10", with very broad shoulders.

Judgeing by the sharp decline in my numbers, I feel that the Holt Lake crappie spawn in winding down. I'm only finding fish shallow during the first few hours of daylight. Once the sun gets high in the sky, the fish seem to vanish. I'm actively trying to learn how to troll, so that I can target these crappies in deep water.