When fishermen approach a cypress tree, they see the trunk, limbs and maybe the top of the root system. When crappie swim up beside a cypress tree, they see it in a whole different light.
A normal cypress tree has a huge ball of roots under the water that stick out a foot to 18 inches from the trunk. Under that big ball is more tree trunk. When the water level is normal, this area below the roots is a prime spot for crappie to spawn.
To catch those crappie you’ve got to get your lure as close as you can to that area for them. If you just swim a lure past the root ball, you may not even have it where the fish are. That’s why “tree hugging” is an important technique to have for spring crappie.
