Building crappie beds isn’t just a thing of the past. It’s just as important now as it was several decades ago. Some waters have winter drawdown making this a good season for placing or driving beds.
There are a few general rules. (1) Beds are usually best in areas where there is little or no cover. An example, in human terms, is a motel a long distance from other motels; it will be a popular stop for travelers if nothing else is available. (2) Deep water nearby. Channels edges are very popular but a spot 75 yards off the channel may be just as good. (3) Put a waypoint on it immediately. It’s funny how dropped cover can be very difficult to find if not marked or buoyed. (4) Hardwoods or plastic are the longest lasting.
Basic rules don’t always work. Stakebeds along the fencerows at Truman is an example. There are hundreds of trees yet fish like a good stakebed because it’s something different. The rules are good guides but often beds have to be placed, fished at different times of day and at different seasons before their best and worst situations are learned. –T.H.
