Working cover effectively is critical to taking crappie. Crappie often will hold tightly to cover, especially in the spring and the summer. You have to know how to present the bait to those fish if you want to take them. If you use heavy lines, heavy sinkers and big corks, you'll often get hung-up in cover and either break-off your line or disturb the crappie concentrating there by shaking the brush as you try to retrieve your line.

Instead, fish with light line and a sensitive 11-foot graphite pole to enable you to feel the brush and work your bait properly. With some practice using a light-tipped pole, you'll often be able to determine which way an underwater limb is running and bounce a jig along the top of the limb to resemble a feeding baitfish. Tapping the cover with a jig may tantalize the crappie into biting. When your pole and your line are sensitive, you can work your bait carefully and avoid being hung-up.