Page 8 - Crappie NOW - April 2018
P. 8
Story & photos by Greg McCain
The crappie move with the waxing
Crappie hate current. Even and waning of the current, and Overstreet
knowledgeable anglers agree on this fact. changes tactics based on where the fish are
Given a choice, crappie prefer water with positioned. Ultimately, the moving water is just
little or no movement. another tool that helps Overstreet become a
There are fishermen who have little more efficient fisherman.
choice but to deal with current most times “The days when there’s not at least a
they are on the water. They are forced to little current are few and far between,” he said
adapt to it just as the fish acclimate to the while fishing Swift Creek, an Alabama River
turbulent environment as well. tributary on Jones Bluff Reservoir. “Even on a
Alabama pro Gerald Overstreet is big creek like Swift, you can expect the water
one such angler. The majority of his non- to be moving some based on what the main
tournament fishing takes place on the river is doing.”
Alabama River, mainly on Millers Ferry. The
secluded impoundment, which runs from
near Selma to just below Camden in south If the current kicks back on to
Alabama, is a moving river for most of its
100-mile length. a higher volume, Overstreet
The entire fishery, from near reverts to fishing back down in
Montgomery down to the Gulf coast region, the wood.
is synonymous with current. The moving
water is created at dams along the course
of the river, and the current ranges from mild
one day to raging the next. Rarely does lake- Overstreet’s approach is methodical
like fishing exist for extended periods during and systematic. Upon launching, most of
daylight hours. his initial time is dedicated to using his
The changing current conditions, electronics.
however, rarely stop Overstreet from “The first thing I do is scan the river
consistently boating tournament-caliber channel and the bank, usually looking for 15
crappie throughout the year. Through his to 20 feet of water over the old river channel
years of experience, Overstreet has learned bank before it was impounded,” he said.
that crappie indeed become conditioned to “Scan and look for wood and mark waypoints
moving water and become fairly predictable on that wood. Once you have current, the
in their behavior. fish will sometimes bury up in the brush, get
“Current is something that I deal with on behind logs or behind bigger limbs from an
an average day,” he said. “It’s not something old rotten treetop, anything they can use to
to be afraid of because the fish are generally break that current. They will drop down and
going to do things you can predict.” get behind that stuff to break the current and
use it as an ambush point when the current
8 Crappie NOW April 2018
