The average-size crappie harvested at Millers Ferry measure 10 1/2- to 11-inches long. As is the case in most lakes, anglers at Millers Ferry fish for crappie primarily in the spring. Yet you can catch big limits of papermouths during August, November and February from this reservoir. Millers Ferry, one of my favorite places to fish crappie, consistently produces big ones throughout the year.

Through the years, the creek channels running out to the main river have been the most dependable places to find crappie. During the summer months, when the weather heats up and current is coming through the lake, you may locate numbers of bigger fish holding just under the lips of the breaks on the channels. Millers Ferry has so many good-looking backwaters that most crappie fishermen overlook the potential of the creek channels during the spawn in spring and then lose interest in the species during the summer months.

"You can expect your average crappie to weigh about 2/3-pound there," Armstrong noted. "We've collected some crappie measuring 13 inches and longer from the lake. In fact, I had one fellow call and tell me he caught a 16-inch crappie, which is really big."

Due to its fertility, this lake always had an abundant supply of shad. But about a half dozen years back, the population took a downturn. In the last two to three years, the shad population has rebounded, giving crappie plenty to eat now and promising more good fishing ahead.

WEISS LAKE
How can we possibly have a crappie-fishing roundup without mentioning the Crappie Capital of the World? For years, Weiss Lake on the Alabama/Georgia border has claimed the reputation as Alabama's tops and one of the most productive lakes in the nation for this species. Crappie fishermen from all over the country flock to this Mecca of papermouth action. And for good reason!

This extremely fertile reservoir has inflows from three different river systems and always has consistently produced big slabs.

"Last spring and fall were really good for crappie fishing," reported Dan Catchings, the District II fisheries supervisor. "Last year's spawn was moderate, but we aren't too concerned. Weiss had a weak spawn in 2004, but a fairly strong spawn in 2003. As long as the lake has a good spawn every two to three years, there are usually enough keepable crappie in the lake to more than satisfy the fishermen coming there."

In 2005, as Catchings noted, anglers at Weiss Lake had very good seasons, and he forecasts another good spring in 2006.

"One of the reasons I can predict a good spring for Weiss Lake is because the lake produced some slow-growing crappie in 2001," the fisheries manager emphasized. "Although a lot of crappie were spawned in 2001, these fish seem to be taking forever to reach the minimum 10-inch length. This year, all those crappie will be more than 10 inches, and some will be up to 11 inches in length."

That heavy nutrient load coming into the impoundment from the multiple rivers supports a heavy shad base for crappie to feed on.

Some Weiss Lake crappie fishermen have expressed concern about the abundance of naturally reproducing saltwater stripers in the reservoir. Their fear is these large fish may be preying on crappie as well as baitfish.

"We checked the stripers during the third week of October 2005," Catchings explained, "and found they were reproducing in the upper Coosa River on the Georgia side of the lake. Food studies we've done indicate that the stripers aren't feeding on the crappie. Stripers feed on shad. Three years ago, Jeff Slipke produced a scientific paper that found no evidence stripers had any negative impact on the crappie at Weiss."