Crappie

Crappie fishing near Ava, Missouri, centers around the smaller lakes and reservoirs dotting the landscape. These waters, often overlooked in favor of bigger destinations, can provide surprisingly consistent crappie action. Focus your efforts in the spring, during the pre-spawn and spawn, when crappie move into the shallows to nest. Target areas around brush piles, submerged timber, and weed beds in 5-10 feet of water. Minnows and small jigs are the go-to baits. A local trick is to use a slip bobber rig to present your bait at the desired depth, especially when fishing around submerged structure. Public access can be limited on some lakes, so research beforehand. The crappie in this area tend to run smaller than those in larger reservoirs, but what they lack in size, they make up for in numbers. Expect to find both black and white crappie in the same waters.