Trolling isn't quite as simple as just aimlessly drifting around the lake while dragging a jig behind the boat. The key factor is depth, both of the fish and of your presentation. To figure out the depth at which the fish are suspended, always keep a close eye on your depthfinder; then, try to get your jigs running at a depth right above them. Crappie prefer to move up to take a bait, so don't argue with them, but give them what they want: a spread of jigs passing by just overhead.

When crappie are holding at 8 feet or deeper, a 1/16-ounce jig is the thing, but for papermouths holding shallower, a 1/24- or 1/32-ounce jig would be better. Selecting the proper jig will go a long way toward making sure that your spread is running at the right depth, but some room will remain for fine-tuning. Use your speed to regulate depth; faster means shallower, and slower, deeper.

It usually takes a little experimentation to determine what will work best on any given day. If the fishing suddenly slows, check the depthfinder to make sure that the fish haven't moved up or down in the water column; if they have, adjust accordingly. A few other hints can make your Weiss trolling day a little more profitable. Use the same line on all your trolling rods. Most anglers prefer 6-pound-test, since it gives you a reasonable chance of straightening the hook on a hung jig, and isn't so heavy it spooks fish or kills the jig's action. Keep the jigs an even distance behind the boat. Generally, the more line you have out, the deeper the jig will run. The idea is to keep all the jigs at the same depth; dial in the right formula for the conditions, and all your baits will be performing optimally fishing the best they can, rather than being spottily staggered up and down the water column.

The conventional wisdom at Weiss calls for fishing bright colors on bright days, darker colors on dark days. On a sunny day, patterns with chartreuse, lime green and hot pink are good; overcast will favor gray, brown, and especially blue. Try the Little River and Chattooga River arms, Yellow Creek, and up the main Coosa River channel at the mouth of any of the major sloughs, Deadboy Cove and Trotters Cove being much liked.

Our last trolling tip may sound like a no-brainer, but you see anglers do it all the time: Don't leave fish! If you catch a couple of fish in short order, don't just keep merrily trolling your way across the flat. The fish have shown themselves, so make the most of it. Mark where you caught the fish with a GPS waypoint or marker buoy and circle back again and again until several unproductive passes tell you that it's time to move on. You can often find fish just by watching other anglers. If you see them catch a few fish, but they just keep on going, give it a few minutes to assure yourself that they've cleared the area; then, go try it yourself.