New Here with a question

This is my first post, so if I'm posting a thread in the wrong category, please be kind and send me in the right direction.

I have always been a dyed-in-the-wool catfish fisherwoman and never thought I'd learn to love anything else so much -- until I bought a home right on the lakefront here in Lake Lafayette in Lafayette County. There is an abundance of smallmouth bass and last year, my signifigant other took me crappie fishing at Truman. What a rush! Last spring we took an old cedar tree, attached it to a cinder block and wired it to the underside of my dock in the hopes of creating a good crappie habitat. The water has always been so murky that I could never see what was going on down there. This week, with the advent of the colder weather, the lake is clearer than I have seen it in 3 years. Lo and behold, I have a crystal clear view of the cedar tree and on it are large, round appendatures that look like varying sizes of hedge apples. Some are as large as a basketball. I know nothing about crappie but that they are fun to catch and delicious to eat. Are those crappie eggs I'm seeing down there or can someone tell me what it is?

LLCove; it's good to have you on board and I know you'll find good people and good info on here. I posted a thread below on a thread that may help you or I hope it does. Go to the first thread on it and there is a picture.




http://www.crappie.com/gr8vb3/showthread.php?t=11022

Check out the article link at the top of the page. Those bamboo condos work great...GREAT...I can't explain how good they work.

Also on your dock make a bait feeder

Use 8" or 10" pvc pipe it needs to be long enough to reach the bottom. Cap the bottom. Drill 3/8 inch holes every foot all over the pipe from the bottom up. Do not drill where it will be above the waterline. Attach it to dock. Fill it with fish pellets or dogfood. Refill it as needed.
This will bring in the little baitfish. The baitfish bring in crappie to set up house around your dock...did I mention to build some bamboo condos....they work GREAT...