| Because crappie is a plentiful species of fish in | | | | December. |
| several areas of the country and great fishing can | | | | Events range from local to regional, culminating in |
| be found almost year round, there are crappie | | | | week-long national tournaments at some of the |
| fishing contests somewhere almost every | | | | best lakes in the country. Rules are somewhat |
| weekend of the year. In cooler months of the | | | | typical, though exact start times may vary and |
| year, you'll find that most tournaments are | | | | some regulations differ slightly, especially when |
| concentrated further south where the waters | | | | achieving the national level. For example, the |
| don't freeze and stay slightly warmer through the | | | | Cabela's Crappie USA Classic in 2007 will be held in |
| winter, while spring and summer hold promises of | | | | Kentucky Barkley South Lake in Tennessee in |
| contests pretty much everywhere. | | | | early October. The tournament calls for the lake |
| Often, some of the earliest events of the year | | | | to be off limits to fishermen for the previous two |
| can be found in Florida, where weather is warm | | | | weeks in order to guarantee that the lake isn't |
| year-round in the tropical southern part of the | | | | stripped of crappie before the tournament. Rules |
| state. Here, you may find contests referred to as | | | | state that tournament fishing is allowed between |
| "super events" as early in the year as February. | | | | the hours of 6:30am and 3:00pm on Friday and |
| Early March may find contests beginning in other | | | | Saturday, with anyone who is not in line for |
| areas in the south as well, including several lakes in | | | | weigh-in at 4:00pm each day to be disqualified. |
| Alabama and Georgia. As spring moves forward, | | | | It is important to remember that all contests |
| expect to see tournaments creeping farther | | | | have a set of guidelines similar to this, and any |
| north, to Tennessee and Kentucky, where there | | | | violation is grounds for elimination. Many crappie |
| are some unbelievable lakes for spring crappie | | | | fishing tournaments have size limitations that must |
| fishing. Later spring and early summer weather will | | | | be met in order to keep the catch, and some |
| work the lakes in areas like Indiana, Illinois, and | | | | have regulations on boat sizes, motor sizes and |
| Ohio. Contests in these states can stretch into | | | | types, and required distances between fishing |
| early fall before working back down to the | | | | boats for safety purposes. |
| southern coastal states in late November and | | | | |