NORTHWEST ARKANSAS — Hang around a gaggle of crappie fishermen for a little while and the subject of jig colors will arise. What is the best crappie-jig color? What color catches the biggest crappie?

Slab crappies are meat eaters—sure enough minnow munchers. They take artificials well at times, especially jigs—but big crappie will turn their noses at even the best of the best crappie lures.

While just about everybody in Alabama likes to eat crappie, finding and catching them can be somewhat of a challenge for those who are not on the water regularly. One way to locate pods of these tasty ...