THE TWIN SISTERS
As the Tenn-Tom makes its way toward the Alabama border, it spreads out into two "big sisters." These are Aberdeen and Columbus lakes. In all, crappie-angling prospects are a cut above what is found to the north.

"All three lakes home tremendous crappie fisheries," Pugh assured.

A navigation channel was cut through the middle of these impoundments on the Tombigbee River after the lakes were created. That added even more drops into deeper water to go with the old river run and some oxbows that were inundated.

"Sixty-five percent of anglers are visiting these lakes for crappie. The average crappie weighs close to 1 pound, and fishermen often have the opportunity to catch crappie weighing 1 1/2 pounds each," Pugh noted. "You won't see that many big crappie," he added, "but these lakes do produce large numbers. These three lakes are hard to beat for catching crappie that weigh 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 pounds."

Both lakes have what Pugh defines as perfect crappie populations.

"These lakes aren't quite 20 years old. They're extremely fertile. You see plenty of threadfin and gizzard shad the perfect sizes for crappie to eat," he summarized. "Most of the crappie on the Tenn-Tom Waterway are white crappie. The black crappie are usually caught around aquatic vegetation in shallow water."

ABERDEEN LAKE
"The crappie in Aberdeen are a bit smaller than in Columbus," said A.E. Smith, who has fished the Tenn-Tom Waterway for 15 years.

In that time, he has figured out a number of places that can provide action this month.

"After coming out of the Aberdeen Marina, turn left onto the main river, and go 200 to 300 yards," he offered. "If you look to the right, you'll see Blue Bluff, where many fishermen pinpoint good crappie structure and deep-water ledges. This area usually holds numbers of large crappie.

"East of Blue Bluff," he continued, "a bay that contains standing timber and other structure wraps around the Blue Bluff Campground. Here, I catch most crappie by jig-pole fishing, instead of trolling."

When it comes to the best color of jig for taking these crappie, Smith is philosophic.

"Whatever the crappie like," he mused.

At Aberdeen, however, Smith primarily starts fishing with black-and-chartreuse color schemes on his jigs, especially in muddy water.

"During the spring when the water level is up and the temperature is cooler, often I'll fish in 15 to 16 feet of water," Smith noted. "One of the advantages of fishing Aberdeen and Columbus is that you can fish in 15 feet of water and then you can fish in 5 feet of water almost at the same time. However, you have to be careful on these two pools because you can run your boat aground when you think you're in deep water."

To catch big crappie anywhere along the Tenn-Tom River, but particularly at Aberdeen and Columbus, identify deep-water drops from shallow areas. Having structure along the break at both depths is also a major advantage.

"Big crappie like to have deep water close by, even when they are spawning," Smith argued. "If you can find stumps on the sides of drop-offs, that's where the crappie will hold during the spring."