Variances in temperature and weather conditions dictate where fish will and won't be. Northers in the spring are common as armadillos upside down on the highway (Report: Armadillos are not born dead on the side of the road. I actually saw one alive - just before it ran in front of the truck.) and play havoc with both black and white crappie patterns, driving them back into deeper water to wait out the cold snap. They usually won't go into the deepest part of the lake, but the fish will find a comfortable layer in their earlier staging areas.

During stable weather, when the fish are shallow in the creeks, the technique is simple. Locate laydowns, or any structure in the creek - the thicker the better - and with a long pole with plenty of backbone and heavy line, lower the bait in the thickest, nastiest part of the brush. The best way to determine good crappie cover in these areas is the following rule of thumb: If you need a chainsaw to get through the limbs and into the water, you'll have more action than you can stand. They can be hanging around in less than 18 inches, looking for love and a quick meal.

One exceptional location for spring crappie through April and May is shallow flooded grassy areas. Fishing the flats is one of the most productive techniques. These open-water flats are where the males prepare the nests for the females, who stay away shopping and doing their hair until the water reaches the mid-60s. The males stake out their territory in the shallowest water possible, preferring to make their nests on fine gravel. If that's unavailable, they'll settle for sand.

Wade fishing the flats is an exciting change of pace for the adventurous angler. Marshall likes it because, "it puts me eyeball-to-eyeball with them." A good set of neoprene waders is a must for this time of the year, for 65 degrees might sound warm there in your living room - or that little tiled throneroom where we do most of our reading - but it's chilly to hairy-legged boys like me. Careful wading and probing, a slower kind of fishing, is always productive.

A long rod with a cork holding the bait a foot or so below is dabbled into likely-looking holes in the grass or vegetation. Minnows are deadly in this environment. The aggressive males will hit with surprising ferocity, and the fight can be considerable. Anglers again look for structure, but here it can be as tiny as a single twig protruding through the surface of the water. Wade fishermen can thoroughly work likely-looking cover with this equipment with a minimum of effort.

Marshall cautions first-timers about this method. "Anglers need to be familiar with the water and move cautiously. Deep holes are deadly to fishermen in waders." His favorite jig in this case is a 1/16-ounce Blakemore blue and white turbo tail.

Experts say another consideration is the phases of the moon. A full moon results in heavy nighttime spawn - you know how those kids are in the dark. Anglers who venture into this entirely different netherworld of crappie fishing will delight in large numbers of slabs on the stringer in no time. However, the downside is slow daylight fishing during this phase. Those who can wait until the dark of the moon will usually boat more fish in the daytime.

Springtime means wind, and experienced anglers know that a north wind will drive the slabs into the northernmost bank where the water is calmer. If the wind hasn't dropped the temperature too drastically, you can still find the fish suspended against traditional structure such as drowned trees and stumps near the mouths of creek channels, and in the feeder creeks themselves.

By the end of April the spawn is over in most Texas lakes. The fish begin to move back into deeper water as they head for the traditional structure holding both fish and anglers.

Crappie can be anywhere once the spawn is over, seeking water temperature which suits them. They move at will, sometimes where you expect them, such as around bridge pilings or docks, and other times suspended 5 to 15 feet around inundated trees and submerged brushpiles. Any quality depthfinder will locate these fish magnets where thick wads of fish avoid the noonday sun.

At this stage of the game in May use the marked brushpiles on the state's newer lakes, where they're clearly marked on lake maps and easily located by buoys. If you catch a few crappie from one spot and the action slows, move somewhere else - but don't hesitate to come back later. The odds are the fish will move back once the disturbance is over.

Marshall doesn't waste much time at any one location when he's fishing, no matter what the phase. "The key is to jig a likely-looking spot for a minute or two. If you get only one or two bites, or none at all, move to another location until you hit a big concentration of fish. Then get the skillet hot."

Stay on top of the changes in weather patterns and the variations in water temperature. With these few tips in mind, you can have a fish fry in the making each time you hit the water.

"Hey Wally, how does that Palomar knot go again??? ... never mind, grannies have worked for years."