Crappie fishing in Alabama

The Crappie is one of the most popular fish among anglers in Alabama. They can be found in most freshwater rivers, lakes and reservoirs throughout the state, and they are often very common in these waters. One of the best places to go crappie fishing in Alabama is undoubtedly Weiss Lake, which is known for the size and abundance of its crappie.

If you decide to go crappie fishing in Alabama, you should decide whether you want to fish for white crappie or black crappie. Black crappie prefer clear waters, so you should avoid any dark coloured, cloudy or muddy waters. For example Lake Martin is a very good place to find this fish. If you choose to go white crappie fishing in Alabama however, you should target seasonally muddy waters. The Alabama River is therefore a good place to go white crappie fishing. You may also find natural hybrids of these two species. Weiss Lake is known to contain hybrid crappie.

If you want to go crappie fishing in Alabama, you should be aware that any crappie you catch you be greater than 9 inches long or else they should be returned to the water. The current state angling record for black crappie stands at 4 lb – 5 oz, and was caught at Fort Payne Reservoir. The state angling record for the white crappie is 4 lb – 9 oz, and was caught at Lake Martin. Crappie stock levels throughout Alabama are very high, and if they are not properly managed overpopulation in some lakes can occur. This leads to smaller fish, and can affect other fish species in the area. Therefore it is illegal to move or stock crappie in Alabama, unless you have been granted a permit to do so.

It is best to fish for crappie during the spring time, when they are spawning. The best places to look for them are areas of moderately deep water, under some form of cover. During the early morning and in the evening crappie are most likely to be found in shallow water. In the middle of the day they will move further out into the lake as the water warms. They can also be found in the deeper parts of the lake during the night. If you wish to fish for crappie in Alabama you will need to employ different tactics depending on the season. During the winter make your bait slow moving as the fish are more sluggish during the cold months. In summer fast moving bait that imitates worms, minnows, insects or small crustaceans is appropriate.