Crappies on Red Rock will quit cooperating if a cold front moves in. Anglers will have to search for them out in the mouths of the bays, where they'll hold until warmer weather is back. During these periods, a slow, deliberate approach is best for suspended crappies, especially with a slip float and a small minnow.

Red Rock is north of Knoxville. Several modern boat ramps provide good access to the lake. For additional info, contact the Boone Fish Management station at (515) 432-2823.

ROCK CREEK LAKE
"Crappies are in the 7- to 9-inch range in Rock Creek, but I hesitate to recommend the lake because of the fishing pressure it's been getting," said McWilliams. "There are a few larger fish, but not many. And in general, this fishery is similar to the way one fishes Red Rock. Jigs and minnows in the spring worked around the points in the coves and the bays. I've found over the years that this is the best bet."

Rock Creek crappies acted a little differently last year than did their counterparts in other waters, said McWilliams. As the water temperature rose, lot of crappies suspended rather than make the usual move to deeper water. McWilliams has observed this behavior in the past, and an angler with electronics will have the advantage.

Be willing to motor throughout the northern half of the lake in the early spring. The lake is very shallow and somewhat featureless above Road F27, but the hole at the bridge is always a good spot to try.

Rock Creek Lake is in Jasper County and covers 491 acres. The average depth is 9 feet; it does stratify.

Four ramps are located off Rock Creek West Road, Rock Creek East Road and Lakeside Road.

Contact the Boone Fish Management station in west-central Iowa at (515) 432-2823 for more.

MISSISSIPPI RIVER
"In pools 9 through 11 we have lots of good crappie fishing," said Gritters, who manages this section of the river. "In Pool 9, the Minnesota Slough near New Albin is a good bet. In Pool 10, the Norwegian and Methodist areas south of McGregor are good, and in Pool 11 the Bertom Lake area south of Cassville, Wis., has had some of the more consistently producing backwaters."

Pool 13 is hot right now, according to biologist Jones. "There's a good class of 10- to 11-inch crappies. Fishing will be good in 2007."

Bernard Schonhoff, a fisheries manager in Muscatine, picks the Big Timber area in Pool 17 as his best crappie spot. "The Big Timber area has been a consistently good spot for crappies," he said. "The area is a backwater just south of Muscatine between river miles 443 and 445, and is known locally as The Breaks."

The Big Timber area is accessible by boat from the small concrete ramp and a gravel ramp at the south end of the river where it connects to the main river. According to Schonhoff, there is good shoreline access but most of the better crappie areas are only accessible by boat.

Gritters tells newcomers to the river to look for crappies away from the current, both on the main river and in the backwaters. Fallen trees in about 4 feet of water are usually productive, but according to Gritters, not all trees are created equal. "The best trees have fallen out and away from the bank where they are accessible from the deeper water," he said. In quieter water, using slip-bobbers with minnow is the way to go.