Generally, crappie will hold at the same depth on the same day in similar areas. For example, if the water depth is at 20 feet and you find crappie 18 feet deep in a brush pile, then you're likely to locate crappie holding 2-feet off the bottom in other brush piles.

For instance, try fishing at 13 feet in brush piles in 15 feet of water. Though fishing in 18-foot or 13-foot water is a dramatic change, continue to look for crappie at the same depth from the bottom. However, you'll probably catch more crappie if you look for sites with similar water depths.

When you locate crappie, identify how they're positioned, and how they're holding in relation to cover. If you locate crappie holding above a brushpile, you'll usually find them concentrating above other brushpiles elsewhere in a lake. If you pinpoint a group of crappie on the side of a brush pile, check the sides of other brush piles to find more crappie.

However, keep in mind that crappie will hold in different positions at various times of the day. Don't expect to find them concentrating in the same spots at noon as they are at 6 a.m. In summer, look for crappie close to the surface in the early morning and late evening. Once you've located crappie, you reasonably can expect to find them in a similar position for the next four hours or so. If the day is overcast, crappie usually will concentrate in one place throughout the day.