This angler is taking slabs from among submerged treetops. If the bite slows or stops there, he'll drop back to the bridge in the background and work the pilings. By moving back and forth between these two crappie strongholds, he can take a limit in no time. Photo by Bob Hood.

If anything's predictable about crappie, it's their unpredictability -- especially as cold fronts pass and habitat changes in the spring. But that doesn't mean that they're difficult to locate. Learn to find these fish under both normal and abnormal conditions, and you can catch them at just about any lake at just about any time.

Crappie (also known in various parts of the country as "speckled perch," "white perch," "sac-à-lait" and "calico bass") have been known to grow to 4 pounds and larger. In most circles, crappie weighing 2 pounds or more are considered true trophies, but few people who have caught them that large regard them as trophies for the den wall. Instead, they consider big crappie "slabs" -- as in "big slabs of fillets for the deep fryer." Indeed, the meat from crappie is considered a delicacy among lovers of freshwater fish.

So how do you catch these slabs at different lakes with their own unique structure types and varying weather conditions? Simple: Follow them through their normal seasonal patterns while being fully willing to adjust to their reactions to temperature and habitat conditions.

Sound complicated? Not really. It's almost like simple arithmetic to avid crappie anglers who use a run-and-gun approach to locate them not only during the spring but from one season to another as well.

Here are some of the basic crappie patterns that, I've found, hold true throughout the popular fish's major ranges in all parts of the country. Each pattern will produce crappie for you most of the time -- but always be prepared to shift to another strategy when a cold front pushes through. Another situation calling for change arises when you return to a lake and discover loss of habitat since you last fished; this may have resulted from the passage of time, the effects of severe storms or the influence of any number of other factors.

The major crappie spawn occurs during the spring months. Some spawn earlier or later in various states, but whenever the arrival of spring pushes water temperatures into the upper 50s and lower 60s, you've gotten into the best time of the year for catching huge crappie in ultra-shallow water on minnows, jigs and ultralight soft-plastic lures. Cattails, bulrushes, button willows and other thick vegetation standing in 2 to 4 feet of water in creeks, small coves and flats near deeper water make for ideal crappie spawning grounds.

Other hotspots during the spawning season are areas around boat docks, especially those that have been brushed. Look for slabs amid stumps, logs and brush along edges of feeder creek channels on major reservoirs and the main creek and river channels within their banks on lakes of all sizes. By boat, approach these areas cautiously and use a slip-cork or similar rig to fish the structure slowly.

At some Southern lakes, crappie buffs prefer to use a method called "strolling," which involves using soft-plastic lures such as tube jigs and small marabou or hair jigs to troll beside the boat along the outside edge of weedbeds or in creek channels.

Many owners of private boat docks place brush under them to attract crappie and other fish. Docks enhanced in this way are great for crappie in spring in particular but also in winter. Remember, though, to use common sense whenever you fish around private boat docks. In most states, the water around the docks on public lakes belongs to the public, but I urge all anglers to respect the property and privacy of dock owners by refraining from fishing around them when the owners or their guests are occupying the docks.

Crappie, even when spawning, tend to gather in the same areas in large numbers so be prepared to catch several after you land your first fish. Whether you find good action during the early or late-evening hours, leave the area once the bite slows or stops and try other sites; then, return to the first spot an hour or two later. More often than not you'll find that things have picked up again.