Tunica Cutoff
Another hot crappie venue that differs from the reservoir-heavy list is Tunica Lake, also known as Tunica Cutoff. Tunica is an old oxbow of the Mississippi River that is 11 miles long, half-mile wide and is shaped like a giant horseshoe. A turnout leading to the Mississippi River is connected via a weir dam that holds water in Tunica during non-flood stage of the river. The lake’s lined with willow trees and a large number of lay-downs on the outer bend. The opposite banks are typically shallow flats that are bordered by the switch willows.

“Water level is a big key to fishing Tunica,” Driscoll noted. “The weir cuts off at 9 feet, the best fishing is typically when the Memphis gauge of the Mississippi reads 9 feet and above. If the level is 12 to 14 feet at the Memphis, then there will be at least 3 feet of water back in the willows, and that is where anglers can really wear out the crappie, especially during the spawn.”

Tunica is usually one of the last waters in the state where crappie spawn. Because the water supply is from the Mississippi, Tunica is generally colder than surrounding crappie waters and takes longer into the season to reach peak spawning temperatures. In fact, many Magnolia State anglers fish a “round-robin” spawn by starting at Ross Barnett Reservoir in late February and working their way north up the I-55 reservoirs, then cut across to the cooler oxbow lakes, including Tunica.

At Tunica, as at most of the oxbows in the state, wade-fishing is a popular tactic. Anglers access ditches and cuts off the main lakes via small aluminum boats from the water or ATVs along the bank. Once the location is reached, they simple wade right in after the papermouths.

Wade-fishing is akin to hand-to-hand combat with spawning slabs: Anglers sneak quietly through the jungles of willows using specially made “wading rods” that allow them to reach way back under willow trees and bushes to dangle a jig on 24 inches of line.

Tunica Cutoff is five miles west of the town of Tunica and U.S. Highway 61. There is a $4 launch fee at the public boat ramp. For more information call (662) 363-9711.

State Lakes
One of the primary reasons that crappie are one of America’s favorite game fish is that they can be found in diverse locations -- from huge reservoirs to small farm ponds. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that only large bodies hold large crappie.

While most of the ponds overseen by the MDWFP in the state lakes system are managed for largemouth bass, bream, and catfish, some of these bodies of water also host populations of crappie. Among those is Lake Mary Crawford in Lawrence County. This 128-acre impoundment has two boat ramps and about a dozen fish attracters. Back in 1998 it produces a crappie that tipped the scales at 3 pounds, 4 ounces.

Another option is to try some of the lakes in Mississippi’s state parks. Lake Tangipahoa in Percy Quin State Park in Pike County is one example. The lake covers 700 acres. In Forrest County, Geiger Lake in Paul B. Johnson State Park provides another 300 acres for fishing.

One of the benefits of fishing state lakes is lower angler pressure, particularly for crappie. Since most smaller lakes are managed for other species, their crappie numbers are lower, but the fish’s sizes are greater.

Adapting big-water tactics to smaller lakes can be a challenge, but is often rewarded with slab-sized crappie. Such lakes that have submerged or standing timber are usually good locations to find some big slabs. Standing timber is a prime location for vertically jigging a 1/32- or 1/16-ounce jig up against the structure. Since crappie usually prefer a “no-action” presentation, gently raising the jig off the bottom and letting it settle can be a deadly tactic.

More information on Mississippi’s state lakes and state park lakes can be found on the MDWFP Web site under the links for Fishing or for Parks. The site is www.mdwfp.com.