For more information on the West Alabama Crappie Association, visit www.westalabamacrappie.com, or call club president Jesse Wright at (205) 932-3997 or club vice-president Steve Minor at (205) 932-5257.

WEISS LAKE
Last spring on Weiss Lake, anglers brought 162 crappie weighing at least 2 pounds to the scales at J.R.'s Marina near the town of Cedar Bluff. While the marina is popular, its scales account for only a fraction of the big crappie removed from this fishery during this season.

For this spring, District II Fisheries Supervisor Dan Catchings predicted anglers should catch good numbers of keeper fish, with some 2-pounders. The minimum size limit on Weiss is 10 inches.

Four-time national crappie champion David Stancil of Oxford, who considers the upper Coosa River his home waters, said anglers skilled at finding fish can expect to catch papermouths weighing up to 2 3/4 pounds in April.

"Weiss is a great crappie lake," Stancil explained. "It's shallow with an abundance of cover that makes crappie easy to catch in spring. The lake also supports tremendous numbers of shad and minnows. But Weiss' greatest feature is its excellent structure."

For Stancil, structure and the cover it provides is key to winning crappie tournaments.

"To catch big fish on Weiss Lake," he continued, "either fish drops on the ledges or contour lines as shown on a map. A contour line may not indicate a significant drop, but 90 percent of the cover anglers have put in the lake lies on a contour line or on a ledge."

When searching for these slab magnets, focus on only one area of the lake. Stancil warned a lack of focus is the biggest mistake anglers make in spring.

"Weiss is different than other lakes," he said. "In April, anglers do not need to fish the entire lake. Just pick one creek and find fish. Don't run from creek to creek, because every segment of the lake holds the same size fish. For the same reason, it's a mistake to listen to reports about where fish are biting."

He recommended anglers begin their search by fishing ledges dropping from 10 feet down into 16 feet of water.

Weiss has a reputation for producing heavy stringers on jigs trolled on long lines, but Stancil revealed that's not best for catching big fish. Instead, he slow trolls vertically, which is also known as straight-line trolling. This pro fishes with 14-foot B'n'M poles from the bow of his boat. Only three such poles may be used at one time on Weiss Lake.

Straight-line trolling allows Stancil to precisely fish his jigs or minnows at any depth. For example, if the top of the cover is 12 feet deep, he sets the lures at 11 feet and then slows moves into position to hover over the cover.

For current fishing conditions, drop by J.R.'s Marina on Little River or visit the Web site at www.jrsmarina. com. The marina's telephone number is (256) 779-6461.

PICKWICK LAKE
Keith Dodd is president of the Shoals Area Crappie Association and a crappie guide. The association holds tournaments on Pickwick, Wilson, Wheeler, Cedar, and all Bear Creek Development Authority lakes. But, Dodd said, the best fishing in northwest Alabama this month occurs on Pickwick Lake.