If Weiss Lake does not fit into your angling plans, a great alternate is Neely Henry, an impoundment just downriver on the Coosa River. Though relatively small in size at 11,200 acres, this lake boasts a population of large crappie, according to fisheries biologist Dan Catchings. He said that up to a third of the fish on this lake are over 10 inches, making them ideal for anglers wanting large crappie.

Being part of a riverine system, the crappie in Neely Henry should not be at all difficult to find, but finding large schools consistently is another matter altogether. Fish shallow areas having wood cover in the spring; then in summer start fishing the river channel ledges that have brush cover present. The fish inhabit these areas just about all year.

"It's a great alternative to Weiss," Catchings said of Neely Henry.

Another strong selection for crappie in this part of the state is Lake Guntersville, a reservoir far better known for the large bass that come from its waters than it is for any other fish. But the lake also harbors an excellent population of crappie. An electro-fishing survey done by Alabama fisheries biologists in spring 2004 turned up plenty of large fish, with some 70 percent being above 10 inches, according to Catchings.

"Some of the fish were over 12 inches," he added. "The fish are nice-sized on Guntersville right now."

Great locations for finding a mess of crappie this month on the 69,000-acre reservoir are the large tributaries joining the lake, such as Browns, Town, Mud and Roseberry creeks. This month look for the crappie to move shallow after a warm spell, which should situate the fish near wood cover at the backs of creeks. A well-placed minnow beneath a slip-cork should be the ticket for a quick limit.

In late spring and on into summer, fish bridge pilings, riprap and boat docks with an assortment of marabou jigs and small plastic grubs for the best success.

CENTRAL ALABAMA
In central Alabama, two obvious choices for excellent crappie stick out as the best among many. The bodies of water are Dannelly Reservoir and Dallas County Lake.

Located just southwest of Montgomery, Dannelly Reservoir -- better known as Millers Ferry -- is a 17,200-acre impoundment with a host of great habitats and a strong crappie population. Aside from the numerous brushpiles, which have been strategically placed throughout the body of water, it also has well-defined creek channels, numerous lay-downs and a solid forage base consisting of threadfin and gizzard shad, said Joe Zolczynski, fisheries biologist for the lake.

While fishing should still be good this year, Zolczynski looks for the lake to yield mediocre numbers and size of crappie this year compared to previous years.

"We expect to see a decline, where anglers will see average catches of average-size fish," he forecasted.

Still, that doesn't mean anglers should forgo the lake. Quite the contrary, in fact. Millers Ferry, which is a relatively unpressured lake, still has a great population of both black and white crappie. As the water warms in the spring, crappie can be caught in shallower water farther up creeks such as Chilatchee, Bogue Chitto, Pine Barren and Oak, said Zolczynski. Most anglers use shiners, but white and yellow jigs are a great option as well.

"Dannelly offers a wide span of crappie seasons," the biologist said. "You can catch crappie there just about any time of the year."

The axiom "Good things come in small packages" was obviously created with Dallas County Lake in mind. It is widely recognized as a very good fishery for crappie. But in a way, the lake has been a victim of its own success. The great crappie fishing that has taken place there over the last few years has caused overall papermouth numbers to dwindle.

Therefore, Haffner said, the numbers are down, but the size of the remaining fish should be up considerably, with 1-pounders being the average. Anglers looking to pluck some of these large crappie should start out in spring fishing the numerous trees that have fallen in the water along the shore. These locations are ideal for spawning. Other great locations to try include the main creek channel meandering through the lake and the plentiful brushpiles, which are marked with buoys.