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