Crappie

If you're chasing crappie in Gautier, Mississippi, you're in for a treat. This area, nestled near the Pascagoula River and its associated bayous and backwaters, offers excellent freshwater crappie fishing. The maze of waterways provides ideal habitat for these panfish, with plenty of submerged structure and vegetation. Spring is prime time, as crappie move into the shallows to spawn. Focus your efforts around submerged timber, brush piles, and creek mouths. A local tip: the water clarity can vary greatly depending on recent rainfall, so be prepared to adjust your lure color and presentation accordingly. Light jigs tipped with minnows or small plastic grubs are always a good starting point. Public access is available at several boat ramps along the Pascagoula River, though some of the best spots are only accessible by smaller boat or kayak. The crappie here tend to run on the smaller side, but what they lack in size, they make up for in numbers. You can often fill a cooler with a day's effort.