Rivert Tactics

RIVER TACTICS
River crappie are nomads, moving here and there as seasons change. They begin spawning in water that's 62 to 65 degrees, and they leave cooler water as soon as possible. The thing is, water temperature isn't the same everywhere in a river. It fluctuates from one spot to another, and that can make it tough to find fish. Crappie may move out of the main river and into a warmer tributary. Or they may move to water that's a little muddier, because silty water warms quicker than clear water. It's important to find areas with the proper water temperature in order to find fish.

Start your search in areas with little current - big backwaters, side channels and other places where current is reduced. If that doesn't produce, try fishing cuts connecting backwaters and the main river, or work your baits around heavy cover in the river proper. Change lures, tactics and locations as often as necessary to establish a fishing pattern.

TAILWATER TIPS
Don't overlook the opportunity to take loads of crappie in tailwaters below big river dams. River crappie move upstream in late winter or early spring, searching for spawning sites. When they reach a dam, they congregate and mill around the area for a while, and you have an excellent chance for extraordinary catches there. A jig/minnow combination often outproduces a jig or minnow alone in this situation. Use a leadhead heavy enough to get down in the current, and cast the rig around wing dams, boulders, lock walls, sandbar edges and other current breaks where crappie can rest and feed.