If ever there was a fish made for catching and eating, it'd have to be the crappie. Without doubt, Missouri anglers catch and eat more crappie each year than any other fish species. Ranked second in popularity with Missouri anglers, crappie are easy to catch, plentiful in all of Missouri's lakes and rivers -- and, oh, so good to eat. It's hard to beat a mess of pan-fried crappie and morel mushrooms in the spring.

Each spring I spend several days crappie fishing, not only for the sport, but also to add filets to my freezer to carry me over as spring drifts into Missouri's hot summer months. Although tactics change during the summer, the catching isn't anything near as fast and furious as it is during the spring spawn.

Here, I'll share my favorite spring crappie lakes with you and highlight what crappie anglers can expect to encounter this year in Missouri's more famous lakes and rivers; then, I'll provide some fishing tips to add to your crappie fishing success and enjoyment this year.

TABLE ROCK LAKE
I like Table Rock Lake. A component of the White River system sited in southwest Missouri's Stone County, it reigns both as one of Missouri's most beautiful lakes and as one of the state's best crappie lakes, such that Missouri Department of Conservation biologists used it for much of their crappie research. Table Rock also feels relatively light crappie fishing pressure compared to other Missouri lakes near major metropolitan centers.

Regardless of what lake arm you fish, this lake supports the sort of outstanding crappie population that leads to great fishing. The James River Arm historically contains water richer in nutrients than that in the other lake arms. In this somewhat murky arm, crappie (and other fish) grow slightly faster.

MDC population surveys conducted during the last two years suggest that crappie fishing will be good to outstanding throughout the lake, with good numbers of 10-inch and larger crappie available for anglers. A strong year-class of papermouths will reach legal size later in the year.

For more information, maps, and access information, write the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, P.O. Box 1109, Branson, MO 65616, or call the MDC at (417) 895-6880.

LAKE OF THE OZARKS
Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri's second-oldest lake, was built in the 1930s to provide electricity for residents in the state's central region. The electricity apart, it also provides some of the best fishing water in the state. Built on the nutrient-rich Osage River, "LOZ" consistently provides outstanding crappie fishing year in and year out. That's the good news.

The bad news: Fishing and recreational use on the lake is off the charts. During spawning season, it's hard to find a cove that doesn't have several anglers already fishing the shoreline, looking for spawning crappie, and during the summer months, hundreds of recreational boaters take to the lake, making fishing difficult. That said, however, the crappie action is usually good enough to warrant putting up with lots of other anglers.

According to MDC biologists, crappie fishing was good to outstanding in 2005 -- almost half of the slab population exceeded 9 inches, and many broke the 11-inch mark -- and worthwhile crappie fishing should continue through 2006. The key to fishing Lake of the Ozarks lies in locating brushpiles in coves or off docks and then using 1/32-ounce jigs or small fathead minnows.

For more about fishing at Lake of the Ozarks, write the MDC at P.O. Box 180, Jefferson City, MO 65102, or call (573) 346-2210.