What does the water have to look like.

I am not sure what you mean when you ask %u201CWhat does the water have to look like%u201D. Crappie can be caught in a variety of different water conditions. They are a versatile fish that have been found in clear water as well as murky water. Of more importance is the cover that is present in the water. Crappie tend to congregate around wooden objects such as trees. They will accept both standing trees and fallen timber. Both provide them with the two key ingredients; a food source and place to avoid predation. The crappie is a unique species because it is both predator and prey. Its size allows it to prey on many small fish. Crappie however are not so large they are immune from the danger of predation from fish like bass, pike and even large catfish. There is one sign to look for in the water to find Crappies. This applies more to Crappies in the North than other areas of the country. I have fished Black Crappies extensively in Northern Minnesota and found the species to react differently in this area of the country. At night if you scan the water surface you can often see a large series of small boils in the top of the water. This boils are created by crappie gorging on schools of baitfish that typically swim near the surface. When fishing for these crappie be sure to retrieve your bait so that it is in the target area the fish are feeding. Crappie are a depth sensitive fish. If they are feeding in the upper two feet of the surface this is where your bait needs to be.