How can I know anytime a year what I’m fishig for and what I’ll catch will be Crappie? Why is it I can fish the same color jig as another person and they catch them all day and I catch nothing.

About the only time you will be sure to catch crappie is during the spawning season and if you are not careful you might catch some bass while you are at it. But any time of the year you need to consider water temperature and shelter. Crappie like somewhat colder waters so in the summer months look for them in the deep or where the water is moving but don%u2019t forget the power of shade. Crappie like to think of themselves as the untold ninja of the waters that hide in the shadows and occasionally jump out for a quick attack and retreat. Take advantage of this and become the target. Play your jig or bait in the sun right at the edge of the shadows that include brush. I love to find a sunken tree or a Christmas tree that has been down there for a few months. This sunken brush provides food for the small bait fish and it also provides shelter that the crappie seems to crave. These tactics work great in the spring and the fall but the hardest months for crappie are the summer followed by the winter. The hot summer months are difficult for crappie fishing and almost every other fish but they do make for great catfishing and beer drinking. But if you are dead set to catch crappie look in the deep waters and play the light conditions. Crappie, any time of year, will hide in the shadows and dart out occasionally for a quick bite but if you could get your bait just inside of the shelter area you will fair even better.