Spawning structure

[windsprint]

What characteristics of a lake do you look for during the spawn. Say you are on an unfamiliar lake and the spawn is on---what areas do you target and what do you look for.

[CrappiePappy]

WOOD !! Rofl .... Well, that's what I look for. Since none of the lakes I fish have any major amount of water weeds, it seems the Black Crappie just use the same basic areas & wood cover that the White Crappie will use. They might do it a bit earlier, but sometimes they're found together (or in close proximity).
I want that wood to be on a bank protected from any current, and in water less than 10' deep. A pea gravel bank, old dock, pocket off the main line of the bank, deeper rock bank in between shallow mud banks, blowdowns coming off the shore into deeper water ... all have held spawning fish, at one time or another, on various different lakes I've fished. But, the ONE factor that seemed to always be present on any of these places, was wood cover of some kind. Didn't have to be as big as a tree, or even a stump, as I've caught good sized fish from nothing more than a handful of waterlogged twigs, that wouldn't cover a dinner plate.

... cp

[Locator79]

Wood, grass, pads, flats, I've caught just about everywhere once they move up to the shallows.

[waterboy1]

Sand and gravel flats away from current, stick-ups and brush near shore or shallow water.

[Bronson]

I expect to get bit when fishing wood during the spawn. Start shallow and that can mean less than 2 foot of water. Natural wood, like the ends of a tree that's fallen in the lake, brushpiles and stakes are some of my favorite.

If your not sure, go down a bank casting a jig w/curly tail. That's when I'm looking for the "Judas" fish, the crappie that bites and lets me know there's a bunch more still there. Then it's time to take up collection. Some of your bigger crappie will sometimes get next to a little piece of wood out on a flat. Some people put out little pieces of cover that are spread out and hard to find. They catch some of their best crappie off these.