With Lake Maumelle 6 feet down, I am taking a camera and a GPS out this weekend to mark for future reference some possible spawning areas, but I'm not real sure what I'm supposed to be looking for. For example, do I have to look for sand bottom (instead of rock or mud)? If I find a stump bed, but the stumps are 100 feet from the bank in a cove, will the crappie use it to spawn or does spawning cover have to be up against a bank? If I find a snag with a root ball within a few feet of the bank, but the lake bottom's at a 45 degree angle, is that spot a waste of time? Will they use a main lake bank, or should I only look in wind-protected coves? Or should I ignore all wood cover and just mark the best weed beds?

While this website has taught me how to catch my share of the crappie other times of year, I am for some reason completely mystified when I try to fish during the spawn, so any suggestions on the correct habitat to search for would be greatly appreciated.