I've got to say that I agree 100% with Earl and Bowman....I've fished Talquin for close to 10 years and in the beginning it would occasionally be crowded but it was only on the holidays or an occasional weekend when the weather was just perfect....the last couple of years if the fish are biting it doesn't matter what time of the week you go down there was always a crowd...while it's just my opinion I think it's got a lot to with publicity from the web...you keep seeing pictures of limits of 12+ inch fish and if you are a crappie fisherman you are gonna try your best to get to that lake and try it out....As for tournaments I know I would have never even given the alabama river a second thought until those boys weighed in all those big fish from over there....and now I'm trying to figure when I'm gonna get back over there....