I really don't crappie fish, but we're going on a family vacation and rented a house on the water on Athens. I was wanting to catch a mess of crappie for a fish fry one night. I have no clue where to start, really. My only experience with crappie is accidentally catching them while bass fishing. My only plan was to get some minnows from the marina and drop them over brush piles. Do they even get on brush piles that time of year or should I br looking at docks? Or should I just plan on filleting some under the slot bass? Thanks for any advice.

I dont fish lake Athens but on the lakes I do that time of the year brush piles are usually a good bet.

I've fished it many times...all the brushpiles are in 18' of water, so if you get in your boat...18' is the ticket...there are tons of piles in that lake.

I've never really noticed that, but you're right. I've got a bunch of brush piles I fish for bass, i'm may drop ep some minnows down there and see if I run in to some.

Brush will be your best bet. And you are right, once that water starts really warming up the minnows will better on most days unless you find a cloudy cool one. Creek side in chandler or the bait shop in malakoff would be better minnow options than the marina. $16 a pound at both locations and the size will be much smaller than you get at the marina.

This time of year the jigs will work better than the minnows on the brush piles, so make sure and take you some jigs.

Take time to run over to the Athens Freshwater Fish Hatchery. If you have never been there it is very interesting. You can even fish in the ponds at the site.

I live in Athens and fish for crappie in the spring but by June I switch over to the big sunfish in the lake. If you are at a house on the water and it has a boat house then you're in business. I have caught sunfish close to a foot long and the lake is full of 8-10 inch fish. So if the crappie don't cooperate don't be afraid to switch to sunfish.