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.

“As I’ve mentioned earlier, knowing the different water depths that crappie will hold in during the spawn is a critical key to finding and catching crappie,” Tony Adams reports. “From the end of February until the end of April in my area, and at any other time of the year, I’ll use a Humminbird HELIX 12 Fishfinder (https://www.humminbird.com/learn/fish-finder-series/helix) with a transducer on the back of my boat. I ride over the places I’ve marked that have underwater structure. My depth finder lets me see the structure and whether or not any crappie are concentrating on that structure. That depth finder also tells me how deep the crappie are holding.”

As soon as Adams passes over structure and determines at what depth the crappie are schooled-up, he throws out a buoy marker so the lead on the end of his buoy line doesn’t fall in or near the structure he wants to fish. He wants the buoy to hit several yards from the structure because the buoy is only a guide to let him know where the structure and the crappie are located.

“Then, when I use my Minn Kota Ultrex trolling motor (https://www.minnkotamotors.com/learn/featured/ultrex), I can move up close to the structure and fish all the way around the structure,” Adams reports. “I’ve found that instead of trying to hold and fish only one portion of the structure, my customers can catch more crappie by being able to fish all the way around the structure before the fish stop biting, or we leave the structure because we’re catching too-many little ones.”

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, “Crappie: The Year-Round River Fisherman’s Bible” at https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07YDXB4G9/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_taft_p2_i5, available in Kindle, print and Audible. You may have to copy and paste this link into your browser. When you click on the book, 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. To learn more about preparing crappie, go to John E. and Denise Phillips’ cookbook, “The Best Wild Game & Seafood Cookbook Ever:

Tomorrow: What Structure Tony Adams Fishes for Spring Crappie