For many anglers, the tasty crappie is only a springtime target. However, with some planning, you can catch crappie year-round. Locate beaver ponds, sloughs, cut-offs and bays in your favorite lake or river. That water will warm-up more quickly in the wintertime during a warm spell. Crappie often will move into these shallow pockets and hold on submerged trees, stumps and the roots of live trees.

Fishing for crappie will be productive in these pockets during a warm spell in the cold months. Then, as a cold front heads into the area, the fishing can be phenomenal. Both animals and fish tend to feed more aggressively ahead of a front. You may find that crappie go on a feeding spree when the cold front comes in, and you may catch some of the biggest crappie of the year. However, as soon as the temperature drops even a little, the crappie will stop feeding.