Editor’s Note: Tony Adams (Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tony.adams.5477; Email: [email protected], Phone: 334-695-3003) is a top-notch crappie guide on Alabama’s Lake Eufaula. Lake Eufaula forms the boundary line between the states of Georgia and Alabama, with Lake Eufaula known as Walter F. George Reservoir in Georgia. The springtime tactics for crappie at Lake Eufaula will work at other places in the U.S.

• 1/16 Ounce Eye Hole Jig – “I like a light 1/16-ounce jig when I’m jig fishing for crappie because it has a slower fall than a heavier jig head does,” Tony Adams explains. “Then the crappie has more time to look at the jig before it attacks. If I’m fishing in very-deep water or on windy days, I’ll use a heavier jig head to get the jig down quicker in the deep water than if I’m fishing the 1/16-ounce jig. I’ll also use a heavier jig on a windy day because the heavier jig will cut through the wind and help me cast more accurately.”
• Line – Adams likes 6-pound-test, hi-visibility line when he’s fishing jigs and/or minnows.
• War Eagle 2170 Blackhawk boat – Adams enjoys his 21’6” Blackhawk that’s been especially designed for crappie fishing to give a smooth ride and provide two seats for spider rigging and two seats for pole extensions.
• Graphite Poles: When Adams is fishing with graphite poles, instead of ultralight rods and reels, he prefers the B‘n’M Duck Commander 10-foot poles (https://www.bnmpoles.com/products/dc-dt) and says, “This pole is really super sensitive. It has enough backbone to allow my clients to set the hook and pull the crappie right into the boat without my having to use a net.”

Adams also likes the 10-foot pole rather than the longer poles because he says his customers have an easier time determining the length of line they need to let out to reach the water depths they’re fishing. “For instance, if we’re fishing a bottom at 20-feet deep, and the crappie are suspended 10-feet up off the bottom, my anglers can let their lines down from the tips of their 10-foot poles to the butts of their rods and know that’s 10 feet of line. The poles sit in blank Hi-Tek aluminum fishing rod holders (https://hitekstuff.com – 256-616-9934) that hold the poles about 2-feet up off the water. Then when my anglers let their lines down about 2 feet longer than the 10-foot poles, they’ll be fishing right at the same level as the crappie holding 10-feet deep are. If we’re fishing at 25-feet deep, my anglers can pull their lines down 10-feet off from the tip to the butt of the pole and then measure another length of the pole and pull their line down to half the length of the rod to have pulled off 25 feet. If I’m fishing at 25 feet, then we’ll need to estimate another 2 feet of line to pull off because the rod holder holds the pole about 2 feet above the water.”

Crappie fishermen who only fish down the bank won’t have an opportunity to catch the crappie that may hold at 25, 12 and/or 8 feet of water. Being able to have a pole that allows anglers to quickly and easily measure their lengths of line they need to fish the water depths, regardless of where they find the crappie, is a key ingredient to having a successful day of crappie fishing throughout the entire spring. For about three or four weeks during the crappie spawn, Adams consistently catches crappie at depths from 30-feet to 1-foot of water on the same day of fishing.

A lovely and convenient place to stay at Lake Eufaula right on the water is (https://www.alapark.com/parks/lakepoint-state-park – Office: 334-687-8011)

To learn more about crappie fishing, check out John E. Phillips’ book, “Catch Crappie All Year: Fishing a Single Pole, Using No Boat and Farming Crappie” in print, Kindle and Audible versions at http://amzn.to/1DBpnNh. You may have to copy and paste this link into your browser. (When you click on the books, notice on the left where Amazon says you can read and hear 10% of the book for free). On the right side of the page and below the offer for a free Audible trial, you can click on Buy the Audible book.

Tomorrow: How Tony Adams Finds Springtime Crappie