According to Tim Huffman, if you’re chasing crappies in late winter, a good place to find them is a river or creek channel bend.

In general, many crappies migrate to deeper water when water cools in early winter. The fish stay there until waters start to warm in spring. No matter the situation, they try to take up positions for feeding and survival.

Depending upon the region of the country, late-winter crappies are likely still deep. One spot they can be found is on a channel bend. There is nothing magic about a bend in a creek or river, except that it’s something different a crappie can relate to. A bend often has brush and a little current.

Bends are easy to find with contour maps. Electronic maps are great but paper maps work, too. Simply find a channel on the map and follow it to a bend. It may be out in the middle of the lake, but they’ll often be in obvious places near a steep bank.

Use electronics to search the bend for cover and fish. Don’t waste time fishing low-percentage spots; instead, target ones with cover and fish showing on the graph.

Vertical presentations are usually best for fishing deep. The fish may be hungry, but using slow-moving baits is important because fish are lethargic. Straight up-and-down presentations include jigging, spider rigging or spotting fish on LiveSonar. Jigging is done with one or two long, hand-held poles. Holding a pole is an advantage for feeling light bites and getting a quick hookset.

Baits should be placed in and around cover. Logs, brush and stumps are often found at bends. Wood can float in during high water, with currents pushing it into the bend where it hangs on other cover or sticks in the mud. Dropping a jig or minnow in the right spot will lead to good results.

Spider rigging is a multiple-pole technique using long poles placed in holders in the front of the boat. Fishermen can use the state pole limit—usually two or three in the North, more in the South—to push baits. A fisherman using three poles, with two baits on each pole, is presenting six baits at different depths, so percentages for a bite increase. Slow trolling can be used to move along a bend or stop baits totally still in cover. Slow trolling is hard work, but is a proven technique for deep fish.

Whether a fisherman uses one of the methods mentioned, or another, it’s critical to properly present baits. Move baits slowly, then slow down some more. Be patient, but always on alert for a light bite. Stick with smaller baits until fish get more aggressive next month or soon after.

Winter crappies are seldom loners. Catching a crappie usually means repeated presentations to the spot will result in more fish. When the bite slows down, try a different bait or color. Also, try moving to another spot for a while and then returning when the fish have settled down.

If you like crappie fishing, you’ll find more insight on the best ways to catch them in every issue of MidWest Outdoors. Subscribe on our website.