Jones' trolling strategy is simple. He puts out half a dozen jigs or minnows (usually using some of each) and varies his line lengths. With all rods in holders, he moves the boat along slowly and waits for the rod tips to bend. Jones generally keeps the boat over the creek channel during the spring, but he will wind back and forth over the channel edge as he searches for the fish.

Like most veteran trollers, Jones pays attention to the location of every strike, and he keeps a close eye on his electronics. He takes note over every detail he gathers anytime a fish hits, especially if he hasn't really homed in on the pattern yet. He'll often backtrack over areas where a couple of rods go down at once, and if he stumbles across a significant pod of fish, he'll anchor and switch to tight lines or slip-corks, depending on the depth and the kind of cover the crappie are using.

As spring progresses and the fish begin moving into brushpiles and even to treetops along the edges of the creek, Jones switches to casting tactics, rigging minnows or jigs on slip-cork rigs and putting a rod in every angler's hand. Jones' clients have fun placing their baits, watching their corks dive under and hooking the fish. More importantly, if the fish are concentrated on specific pieces of cover, he has found casting with cork rigs to be highly efficient.

Jones fishes mostly with minnows under corks, but on some days he finds that the crappie would rather have a jig. He uses slip-bobbers because he can explore a wide range of depths with the same rigs. Even on unseasonably warm days, when many fish have moved up into shallow brush along the edges, other schools may be over brushpiles on the edges of creek channels in 12 feet of water. Jones can position his boat right beside a deeper pile, set stoppers for each cork at appropriate depths and let angers fish the rigs the same way they would if the fish were 2 1/2 feet deep. Cast out and watch for the cork to dive under.

The reciprocal licensing agreement between North Carolina and Virginia allows anglers properly licensed by either state to fish anywhere on Buggs Island that is accessible by boat, on the Dan River east of the Brantley Steam Plant and on the Staunton (Roanoke) River east of the Highway 360 bridge.

More than 30 boat ramps provide very good access to all parts of Buggs Island. Occoneechee State Park, just north of the U.S. Highway 58 bridge, and the Rudds Creek access offer good access to the middle part of the lake.

To plan a crappie fishing trip on Buggs Island, call Roger Jones at (800) 597-1708 or visit his Web site, www.hooklineandsinkerguides.com.

For lodging and other area information, visit www.clarksvilleva.com.

If you want to couple a fishing trip with a family vacation, try looking into staying at The Little Retreat (www.kerrlake.com/cottages or 800/ 843-0633). They offer beautiful A-frame cottages in a wooded setting, with 800 feet of lakefront and a docking space for your boat.