Let's talk about the "Flats" and "Pockets"

Since I took up this hobby of chasing crappie, I've seen many posts here and on FB that refer to the "FLATS." With technology, this should be easy to find, but there is piece missing. How deep is considered the flats? I'll ask about the Osage arm specifically, because a lot of reports are about that arm and the flats. With Lake Master and my Humminbird, I can find a "Flat" by selecting a depth I want to fish. Not knowing that depth is my short coming.

What do you all consider a pocket?

I know I'm not the only one thirsting for more info to put more fish on the deck. The last flat post I read stated they were active and biting vs finding loads and them just chasing the jig.

A flat to me is an area that gets relatively level or a slight slope which is common. I have most luck on the more shallow flats, say 5 to 10 foot. There is another one that the old creek bed splits and formed a flat the size of a city block. 20' on the flat surrounded by 35' of water on two sides. This is also very productive sometimes. I like the flats I want to fish to have a little drop and defined edge. This gives them somewhere to scurry off too when the weather changes or they get spooked. Sometimes those edge areas really hold the most fish. Hope this Rooster.

I've always heard flats mentioned with depth....never just "flats". It's kinda like saying we caught them on "jigs". Doesn't specify color or presentation or size or anything else. But when I'm walleye fishing especially, they'll talk about 10 flats or 28'-32' flats (meaning somewhere around the 30' range) etc. Mostly to differentiate from "points" or "channels" or whatever. Or "pockets".

Pockets is even more ambiguous. Could be "pockets of fish" we had to chase. Or I've used it for any little "indentation feature" on a bank line. Too small to be a "cut" or "cove".

But that's just me...

theysaid

While pulling boards this spring I was working a flat about 6 feet deep. As I would pass over a ditch for lack of a better term. It was a drop off of about 2 feet about 3 feet wide. We woukd get slam covered up in fish on the boards. It was a really small change from the surrounding water. But it held numbers of fish

Walleye fishing is where I got into fishing flats Joedog. My best crappie haunts are areas with vegetation and\or shallow buck brush\willows here in Iowa. Rooster those little variations in bottom depth that DockshootinJack talked about can make or break a good flat