I agree with what others are saying. I always find that December, January and February are the best months of the year for crappie, especially big crappie. I often hear fishermen talk of "Winterizing" their boat until Spring, but I've never winterized my boat. I use it all year round. I love wintertime crappie fishing---used to do it on Barkley and Kentucky Lake, now I since I live in Somerset, KY I do it on Green River Lake, Lake Cumberland, and Dale Hollow. I love it for the quality of fish and the reduced boat traffic and fishing pressure.