hi dan this is wesley woods from huntsville alabama i just wanted to know the best bait to use in the fall for catching monster crappie an where to locate them an also when fishing with jigs do i jig them slow or fast

Hi, Wesley! When it comes to catching big crappie in Alabama, nobody can say the pickings are slim! Alabama certainly has no shortage of crappie waters, and they can actually be found in most of the lakes and ponds in Alabama, and the fall is one of the best, most beautiful times to catch them! The weather is nice, and even a bad day is a good day when it comes to being on the water in the Fall in Alabama! As you know, you can catch crappie still fishing, casting, drifting or trolling. If you are fishing for crappie in Alabama in the fall and it is morning time, fish the shallows on up to a little deeper, but keep to the moderate depths for best results. The same thing will hold true for evenings. The crappie will move around a bit during the day, and you should adapt well if you move to the outside areas around deep structure and use jigs or spoons to catch them. For best results, use live bait such as shad or a small crappie lure or crappie jig. Here is my favorite set up, but you should just experiment and use what works best for you. Try a 1/32 jig head, I like Mizmo’s crappie jighead, and a #2 hook. It has a large hook, and it makes it a bit easier to get the crappie in the boat, and the weight is good. Tie on the jighead and add your favorite tube in a color that works well for you. I like red and chartreuse in clear water and purple and white in stained water, and I like a Spec. When it comes to a retrieve, for my fishing a slow retrieves usually work best, but if you have trouble getting bites, try varying your retrieve with a couple of quick twitches and then a long slow retrieve.