I'm not too familiar with the Big Maumelle. I mainly concentrate on the lower Little Maumelle. However, the crappie's habitat and movements cannot be too much different. Most of my success this summer has been spider-rigging (slow, slow trolling) with minnow-tipped jigs. Some days they just want a minnow and other days they want the combo. I have found most fish between 12-16' deep in 14-20' of water. They are mostly hanging around brush, so if you can find good brushpiles, vertical jigging would produce fish. But, it is easier to get out and scout while slow trolling around the channel and ledges. I haven't done as good as the summer progresses, and I'm almost certain that the majority of the fish have moved back out into the primary river. I have only gone once this summer and gotten skunked and that was mainly due to the wind. So, if you try this technique, you will at least catch some quantity of crappie.