I've been out crappie fishing 4 times so far this year (for 2-3 hrs at at time, no whole days yet). I'd like to get out more but it's a busy time for me. I have caught crappie each time out, but they aren't very big. I can accept that the canal simply might not have any big crappie in it, but I know that Nimisila has some good ones. I seem to be getting all little ones. I have mostly been getting them on 1 1/2 inch or 2 inch tube jigs tipped with a Berkley Crappie Nibble. I've also caught a few on an in-line spinner. So far this year, I haven't caught any over about 9 inches... and even those have been very few and far between. Most of what I'm catching is 6-7 inches. I'm mostly fishing the jigs around downed trees that I can reach from shore. I used a bobber with the jig when the water was colder but now they're chasing a little better.

Anybody got any ideas what I need to change to get the bigger slabs?

Assuming you're shorebound, try throwing to the farthest end of the tree (deeper water) or into the channel itself. Also, try something more subtle (flick tail, stinger, etc). If they're white crappie, try a minnow.

Yeah, I'm pretty much stuck with fishing from shore most of the time. I'm going to be getting a boat, but I'm in the process of buying a house right now and so I probably won't get a boat until next year. I have friends with boats, and get out on the lakes with them, but as far as evenings after work are concerned, I just fish from shore for anything within reach.

I've caught almost entirely black crappie at Nimisila, but I believe I've gotten whites as well. There were a few guys fishing minnows under bobbers when I was out on Monday, they were catching small ones as well, but fewer overall fish than I was on jigs. I'm gonna get out there again this evening for a little while, maybe I'll try to find some deeper water this time and see what happens.