Grenada Lake produces giant crappie, but also draws the most pressure. Nearby Sardis also holds slab crappie.
During the winter, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers draws down the “Big Four” flood control reservoirs, including Grenada and Sardis. At full pool, Sardis covers 32,100 acres near Batesville. During the winter, only the main channel remains until rains refill it.
At winter pool, the main channel drops to about 20 feet deep in places. The farther away from the dam one goes, the shallower it becomes. Fortunately, people can still launch their boats into Sardis Reservoir at Engineer Point on the south end near the dam. The drawdown concentrates all the fish into smaller areas, making them easier to find and catch.
“In the Clear Creek area, water is only eight to 10 feet deep during the winter,” said John Harrison with JH Guide Service (662-983-5999). “Farther up than that, boaters run out of water quickly. Recently, Sardis produced several crappie exceeding 3 pounds and many topping 2.5 pounds.”
How to fish there right now
Even on bitter cold days, sun shining on the surface slightly heats the top layer. Fish hover just below the surface to stay warmer. In addition, the drawdown turns the water muddier. Fish 2 to 4 feet deep with live minnows or jigs.
“For suspended fish, many people now use forward-facing sonar to target individual fish, but anglers can still catch fish with spider rigs and light minnow rigs,” Harrison said. “We use two ¼-ounce Southern Pro (www.southernpro.com) or Midsouth Tackle (midsouthtackle.com) jigs tied about 18 inches apart. In the winter, lethargic fish won’t go far or fast so we push the boat forward at .1 to .3 miles per hour.”
Anglers can also slowly troll multiple baits behind their boats. In cold water, don’t expect savage strikes. Crappie simply grab a bait. Anglers frequently don’t even feel a strike. The drawdown also muddies the water. Fish plastics with contrasting, bright colors.
“I like orange and chartreuse for fishing Sardis in February,” Harrison said. “I also use a Crappie Magnet Roo (troutmagnet.com/crappie-magnet.html) in orange with a yellow belly or solid white in the winter. White works great in muddy water.”
Looking ahead
Low water also concentrates baitfish. With spawning season approaching, crappie gorge themselves on shad and reach their heaviest weights. When water approaches about 60 degrees, males move shallow. Females join them after water warms a bit more.
“On Sardis, crappie start spawning after we get three warm days and three warm nights and the water temperature starts rising,” Harrison said. “About March 10, we start catching crappie by the banks. If we get some warm rains and winds, we might catch them during the first week of March. A cold spell could make them move back out.”
As water rises in the spring, it floods timber, brush and other cover. In March, Harrison wades the flats probing pieces of cover with jigs. One tree might produce nothing. A snag barely a few feet away could hold several slabs.
“When the water gets up, wade fishing is phenomenal,” Harrison said. “That usually starts in mid-March and runs through early May. I’ve caught 2.5-pound crappie in knee-deep water. I like to fish around blown-down willow trees. Move through an area to find the fish. After catching a few crappie, slow down and thoroughly fish that spot.”
For open water, Harrison runs a 21-foot SeaArk Flex 21 Pro (seaarkboats.com) boat with a 250-horsepower Suzuki, but that boat can’t get into shallow cover. For wading, he runs a 16-foot SeaArk Slayer with a 40-hp Suzuki as far as he can and starts wading.
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