Crappies are well known for their affinity to wood cover.

But this doesn’t mean they’ll always be hovering in shoreline laydowns and off-the-bank brushpiles, particularly during the spring when the need to reproduce is a factor. The fish are often on the move.

Take, for instance, a trip I made late last month to Crooked Creek Lake. It was the first day the lake had reopened to boat traffic after a high-water event that raised the pool elevation over 20 feet.

While the lake was down to its normal pool level (843 feet above sea level), the surface was a mess. I’d expected floating debris and logs. But in addition to that was a thick film of algae, likely the result of the slug of nutrients washed into the lake, coupled with bright, sunny days. I almost turned around to seek an alternative.

With a degree of skepticism, I launched the boat and idled out into the lake. Once I’d motored a few hundred yards, the algae bloom lessened. I pulled up next to a shoreline laydown, picked up a 6.5- foot light action rod, and made a cast toward a shoreline laydown that had been productive a couple weeks prior.

Tied on the end was an 1/8-ounce underspin Roadrunner jig dressed with a Bobby Garland Baby Shad. I tried various depths in the water column, different retrieve cadences and speeds, but other than one light bite that didn’t hook up, the action was nil.

The next spot was an offshore brush pile sitting in 12 feet of water. I lowered a ¼ ounce blade bait I’d powder boated chartreuse and pink down to the bottom and began a lift/drop jigging motion, hoping to lure a crappie to two out of the wood.

But instead, the lure was engulfed by a healthy channel cat that had to weigh on the plus side of five pounds.

Having had no crappie success on the first two spots, ones that had both provided recent action, it was time to come up with a new plan. With the sun starting to bear down and the mercury rising, a laid-back session of searching with the sonar unit seemed appropriate.

Feet propped up, the screen on the sonar unit set to view in traditional sonar, down imaging, and side imaging, I began running parallel to the bank in about 15 feet of water, watching the three pictures on the sonar screen for signs of fish. I passed by several shoreline laydowns that extended out near the boat. The screen showed fish, but not concentrated in any one area, rather fish scattered anywhere from near the bottom to halfway down from the surface.

I tied on an 1/8- ounce jig, dressed it with a three-inch Gulp Alive Minnow, made a cast behind the boat, and began slow trolling along the same stretch, moving around 1 mph with the bow mount trolling motor. I hadn’t gone 20 yards when a sharp tap indicated a bite.

Soon a nice 10-inch white crappie was in the boat. Encouraged that the slow troll tactic might work, I continued. Not long afterward, another crappie took the jig/fake minnow combo.

Since the sonar screen revealed fish at various depths, I added a second presentation by casting out the underspin/jig combo and placing the rod in a rod holder. I figured the jig/minnow was cruising a couple feet off the bottom; the underspin two or three higher.

As the session continued, crappies consistently hit both offerings. The best spots were open water areas just out from woody cover. By the time I finished an hour-and-a-half later, I’d caught a couple dozen crappies, half of which were quality sized ones from 10 to 12 inches.

Like most fish species during the spring, crappies are often on the move. Taking a mobile approach that searches the water is often the best way to take them.

Jeff Knapp is an outdoors columnist for the Butler Eagle