Quote Originally Posted by LSL Angler View Post
This question is for Matt Engel since you work the missouri river. Are we missing catching some big crappie if we don't fish the rivers and only the lakes. I know you guys get to shock and see whats out there and always thought i should be fishing the river a little more. Thanks for answering our questions.
The best place to find crappie along the river is in backwater areas with slow moving or slack water, or in blue holes (scours/ponds flooded or dug out by the river during a flood year). The main channel or side channels can be really tough places to find crappie, but blue holes and backwaters can produce large numbers of large crappie (12-16"). Oxbow lakes can definately be reinvigorated during flood years as well. Big Lake (oxbow) here in St. Joe, MO has a good population of crappie 12+", but you have to fish through schools of gar and white bass to get them.