What is the best strategy for catching crappie in lake Chickamauga?

The answer to this questions is dependant on the time of year you will be fishing. In the early spring months you should concentrate your efforts on the shallow water sections that Crappie prefer when in the pre-spawn, spawn and post-spawn phases. You will want to keep your bait rather small during this time. The preferred bait of choice being a small Crappie jig tipped with a small Crappie Minnow hooked once through the lips. I prefer either florescent pink or chartreuse for colors on my jig heads. Keep in mind of course the proclivity of the Crappie to hang around near areas of the water that have wood. Fallen trees and standing timber are both excellent places to find Crappie. As the water warms and summer rolls around you will need to concentrate your efforts in much deeper water. This is where a fish locator/depth finder comes in handy. It is not as much finding fish on your screen that is important. You are looking for structure; preferably wooden structure under the water that you know will hold fish. In the spring the structure you are fishing is visible to the naked eye while in summer you need help finding it. I like to increase the size of the bait I am using in the summer months. Crappie at this time of year like to suspend and only feed sparingly. Their energy at this time of year is precious so they prefer a larger meal to satisfy their needs.