hey quinn, sorry have'nt been on in a few day's. maple leaf is a tuff lake to fish. i have'nt been out there since they treated it for algea. that lake is just finicky. i get skunked lot's...but get'n better after putting in 1000's of hour's. what i have kind of figured out. bright color's, my favorite is silver flake head with a hot pink tail tube jig tipped with a nibble of course. don't waste your time in the very back's of those cove's. unless your bass fishing. what i notice about that lake particular is that other fisher's alway's seem to be fishing right were the center of the trees is right up on it. those trees out there are huge in circumference and have a bazillion limb's that branch off. DO NOT be afraid to fish 10-15 feet out from the tree's. there is still plenty of bark to get hung up on. unless i am fishing the dam, VERTICAL fishing is the only way to get down a way's on those tree's. and i mean any tree out there, and i mean straight up and down. in the summer i usually concentrate on fishing the tree's in 25-30 feet only. and depth's of fish vary's. in the summer 6 inche's off the bottom is usually better. but tough to get a crappie all the way to the boat cuz of the limb's. and as alway's i think, at least for me is confidence, concentration, and presentation. and practicing with a 10 jig pole. hope this help's a bit, it's a tough lake, that's for sure, but got some nice crappie. good luck! if i get out there anytime soon i will let you know how i do.
why do today what you can put off til tomorrow, go fishing instead!!!