Summer slabs
Whether tucked in along a late summer weedline, pinned up against a steep break along a shoreline channel edge, or suspended off a pile of debris behind a bridge piling picking off the bits of food that flow by, many of my late summer angling adventures have been defined by schools of crappies in these places and others. From a basket full of eaters to a selection of slab sized monsters with mouths that rival those of their contemporary largemouth bass, in the dog days, a quick dip of a tube or a small marabou jig has been the ticket to many memories that blur into the orange-blue sunsets of the August evening. Seemingly always there with the warming of the water and the setting of the sun, crappies make for fantastic action when it becomes tough to turn fish of other species. Actively Seeking This time of year, crappies are aggressive and hungry and often aren’t hard to find. Keying in on the abundance of small baitfish, these largeeyed panfish are out for a fast meal, and schools of minnows and other small fish that relate to structure - such as the well-established weedlines that connect the edge of the shallows to deep water – are often the target.
