Having some of the best equipment, especially in electronics, isn’t absolutely necessary to catch crappie. But to be consistent, it sure doesn’t hurt, James Morgan said.
“When you are fishing an older reservoir like this one, a lot of the visible structure is gone, so you need some way to find the structure,” Morgan said. “I have electronic units on the console and the front deck. I use sonar, side imaging and lake maps.
“As you lose landmarks on older lakes, this becomes more important. And having a variety of dependable equipment gives you lots of options.”
During this time of the year, however, the sonar isn’t the most-critical part of the electronics equation.
“In the spring, if I had to use only one of those (features), it would be the map feature,” Morgan said. “It doesn’t show you the fish, but it shows you the areas you should be fishing.
“It shows you what you should be looking for — drop-offs, channels, flats.”
New trolling-motor technology also has become an important part of Morgan’s game plan.
“Sometimes when it’s windy, I’ll head the boat into the wind and get on the back deck to use the mini-cast or single-pole fish along the bank and roll from back there,” Morgan said. “It’s just easier to position and hold the boat that way. And you don’t bounce around as much.”
