Another favorite option is the back of Bluestone Creek, which is due east across the lake from Buffalo. The best access to the fish in Buffalo is from the Buffalo Access area west of Clarkes­ville off Hwy. 58. Likewise Bluestone Access is just north of Clarkesville off Hwy. 15.

The Dukes hang to the right at the fork and go back under the Hwy. 49 bridge. Similar to Buffalo, there's a big flat where they'll start and troll back out to the intersection with the Roanoke River channel. "You can find almost the same conditions in all the creek arms above the Clarkesville bridge," Duke said, "They're all good and they'll all work on a trolling pattern."

While the Dukes use tight-line tactics at Falls Lake, they prefer to troll jigs for Buggs Island slabs. This method of crappie fishing goes by a variety of names: long-lining, flatlining, fast trolling or just trolling. What this tactic is not is a vertical presentation. Vertical presentations are what most folks in crappie circles call spider rigging and are often go-to tactics in the cold of winter and the heat of summer when crappie move deep.

For the purpose of long-lining, rods are deployed out to the side and from the back of the boat. Long-line trolling does not work from the front because lines will tangle while fishing. The boat moves forward under the power of an electric trolling motor and the baits on each rod trail behind the boat. Long-line trolling is a systematic tactic where the couple fish 16 rods, eight from the sides and eight from the rear. True to its description, the jigs are cast far behind the boat and may be as far as 150 to 200 feet back, especially when trolling the shallows.

The diameter of the fishing line used and the amount of line out factor in how deep the bait will troll. Ed and Trudy prefer Triple Fish brand, a high-visibility, abrasion-resistant mono line in 6-pound-test. The high vis will allow the angler to notice if lines are crossed back behind the boat and makes detecting a light-biting fish easier. Abrasion resistance is necessary because the best fishing grounds tend to be near some type of cover. A simple knot that can be tied quickly is best.

"The key to this tactic at Buggs is understanding that the boat will spook crappie as it passes over them," Ed said. "It pushes them out to the side, that's why the side rods are 16-footers, as the boat is pushing the fish right into the path of the oncoming jigs."

"And if Ed doesn't get them out there, I'll get them with the back rods as they move back to where they were," Trudy said. "I'm fishing way back there, at least 150 feet. When the crappie filter back in after the boat passes, I get a second shot at them."

Trolling jigs with a variable speed trolling motor, the Dukes can control the depth of the jig by trolling faster or slower. They can also control how deep they fish with the tiny 1/48-ounce jigs they use. The jigs are outfitted with either a triple ripple jig skirt or a Charlie Brewer slider grub. Trudy also has her secret weapon.