Fishing Gaines Creek for the 1st time

[CrappieBeater]

OK Guys I know it's kind of odd to ask the potential competition for help but here I am ...
Going to Gaines Creek for the 1st time Saturday and have no clue where to go , or where to try...

I'm planning on putting in at Hickory Point and from there I'm completely lost.

My typical method is that the wife dunks minnows and I'll jig or flip a jig under a cork. I keep reading about the crappie hugging the timber and all but have no idea if it matters which way to head from the ramp? Downstream towards the lake, or upstream toward the shallower areas? Or does it even matter?

Also what are the water hazards like if you stay in the channel? Provided I can do that, is there much lee way if you miss the channel? I'm concerned about missing the channel and hitting a submerged stump field.

Thanks for all the help and great info! Mark thanks for sharing so much info and helping us less successful fishermen.

If you see a boat named Greenfire with Crappie.com stickers on the windshields that would be us.... get us out of the trees and say howdy,

[Fishers]

OK Guys I know it's kind of odd to ask the potential competition for help but here I am ...
Going to Gaines Creek for the 1st time Saturday and have no clue where to go , or where to try...

I'm planning on putting in at Hickory Point and from there I'm completely lost.

My typical method is that the wife dunks minnows and I'll jig or flip a jig under a cork. I keep reading about the crappie hugging the timber and all but have no idea if it matters which way to head from the ramp? Downstream towards the lake, or upstream toward the shallower areas? Or does it even matter?

Also what are the water hazards like if you stay in the channel? Provided I can do that, is there much lee way if you miss the channel? I'm concerned about missing the channel and hitting a submerged stump field.

Thanks for all the help and great info! Mark thanks for sharing so much info and helping us less successful fishermen.

If you see a boat named Greenfire with Crappie.com stickers on the windshields that would be us.... get us out of the trees and say howdy,

My first time down there was my last trip on this thread. I started at 1:30 left at 7 and caught 28 decent fish. I had no problem finding fish once I started fishing shallow cover - as long as deeper water was nearby. I went down stream, but from looking at google earth, I would say its going to be "fishy" any way you go. A far as the channel goes, its slippery. I wouldn't goose it much. Oh by the way, bring minnows, I was wishing I had them that last trip. Good luck!