Keith Sutton’s Crappie 411

Keith “Catfish” Sutton is an outdoor writer and photographer with 33 years of experience in the field. Earlier this year, he won awards for Best Daily Newspaper Story ( In the Heart of an Arkansas Swamp) and Best Electronic Publication ( The Aromas of Hunting) at the Southeastern Outdoor Press Association’s conference. Those two stories appeared in this section of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. At the conference, Sutton was also inducted into the National Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame as a Legendary Communicator. Here is his slant on what many call America’s most popular panfish.

• Time spent fishing for crappie? More than 40 years

• Favorite live bait? Minnows

• Favorite lure? Blakemore Road Runner spinners

• Under any conditions, his No. 1 go-to bait and presentation? Live minnow under a bobber • Favorite places to fish for crappie in Arkansas? Lake Greeson, several Mississippi River oxbows and Arkansas Game and Fish Commission lakes of Conway, Poinsett and Overcup • Favorite crappie lakes outside of Arkansas: Grenada Lake in Mississippi, Mississippi River oxbows in eastern Louisiana

• Favorite crappie waters in River Valley & Ozark Edition

area: Lake Conway in Faulkner County, Greers Ferry Lake in Cleburne County, Lake Overcup and Brewer Lake in Conway County, Harris Brake in Perry County, Lake Dardanelle in Pope and Yell counties, Blue Mountain Lake in Yell and Logan counties, Lake Nimrod in Yell County and Lake Maumelle (his best for big crappie) in Pulaski County • Advice to a crappie angler? Learn where crappie are likely to be found during each month throughout the year, then fish for them as often throughout the seasons as you can. This will greatly increase the number of fish you can catch and make you a better angler.