Photo by Ron Sinfelt.

It seems like nearly everyone -- man, woman, child -- likes to crappie fish. That really shouldn't come as any great surprise if you think about it for a moment, however. Crappie are plentiful, bite aggressively and taste great. That's about as good as it gets.

Moreover, it doesn't require much expensive tackle to catch a mess of them. A simple rod and reel, or an old-fashioned cane pole, hook, bobber and a pail of minnows will get the job done. If you have a boat, that's fine, if you don't, that's fine, too. There are plenty of bank spots around that'll accommodate you, your kids, your family or your friends.

And you can catch them just about anywhere in North Carolina. Every region of the state has at least a few good spots.

The Piedmont Region has the lion's share of publicity in the state, and with some justification. There's an abundance of good crappie waters here, both lakes and rivers, any of which will give up a limit of papermouths, along with plenty of giants that'll secure your braggin' rights for the season.

The Coastal Plain Region is no slouch either. The inland fisheries are on the rebound and now offer respectable, if not extraordinary, crappie opportunities.

And don't look down your nose at the Mountain Region. It may not be as good as the other two, but it still offers anglers several good choices, especially if you're willing to think differently about your crappie fishing.

With all of those things in mind, let's take a closer look at what's available for 2008.

THE PIEDMONT REGION
There are so many good places in this region that it's hard to know where to start. If you want high numbers, with a reasonable population of big ones thrown in, Badin, High Rock and Tuckertown reservoirs on the Yadkin River-Pee Dee river system should be at the top of your places to visit.

All three are more or less centrally located and within easy driving distance of Raleigh, Charlotte and Winston-Salem. Because of this, they're heavily fished, but the resident crappie population doesn't seem to mind, or if they do, they don't show it.

"They have the size and natural reproduction to withstand the fishing pressure they receive year after year," said Christian Waters, North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) Piedmont Region fisheries supervisor. "As far as numbers go they are some of the best we have, and really some of the best in the state."

Badin is by far the best of the three for big (defined as 12-inch, more or less) crappie, at least by reputation. There's more wood, in the form of laydowns and sunken brushpiles, within its waters than in the other two. Both major arms of this reservoir support vast expanses of weed growth that holds baitfish, and consequently, crappie, nearly all year.

Many of the bigger slabs are caught on crankbaits -- narrow-bodied, shad-colored wooden floaters are especially effective -- along with bigger safety pin spinnerbaits. Work these baits around and through any wood you can find. Pay particular attention to those places where weeds are growing, the more the better.

Crappie are notoriously color sensitive. Their preferences can change from day to day or hour to hour. Always try a different color before you leave a good-looking spot.

When it comes to numbers (defined as limits of fish up to 9 or 10 inches) however, you're better off looking toward High Rock or Tuckertown. The best bait in either of these reservoirs is an old-fashioned minnow, impaled on a shiny hook and held down with a small split shot. Suspend this rig under a bobber. It's been working for decades on these lakes and will likely continue to work for decades more into the future.

If you're looking for giants (defined as 12- to 15-inch fish, or better), Waters suggest fishing either B. Everett Jordan Lake on the Haw River or Falls of the Neuse on the Neuse River. Both have well-deserved reputations as big crappie producers.