![Alabama pro Matt Herren expected to be launching his Skeeter FXR in Dayton, Tenn., this week for the Bassmaster Elite at Chickamauga Lake.](http://develop.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/02herren_launching2.jpg)
![But since the world had other plans, he went to the lake he calls his](http://develop.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/03herren_launching3img_6569.jpg)
![It was a nice escape â and a trip he always tries to make once or twice this time of year.](http://develop.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/04herren_launching4img_6572.jpg)
![All of his standard equipment was in place for the day, but his Humminbird Solix units and Minn Kota Ultrex were in for a different kind of workout.](http://develop.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/05herren_techimg_6574.jpg)
![The rods on his deck were a easy giveaway that he was in search of crappie instead of bass.](http://develop.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/06herren_rodsjpg.jpg)
![The search started as the sun was coming up.](http://develop.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/07herren_graphsimg_6578.jpg)
![Like a lot of Alabama anglers, Herren enjoys](http://develop.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/09herren_fishing.jpg)
![Crappie use the docks year-round for shade and structure, and they congregate around them heavily during the spring spawning season.](http://develop.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/10.herren_fishing.jpg)
![Their positioning under the docks requires a different approach. Using a small crappie jig, the angler must grab the lure, pull the rod tip down and use a sling-shot-type action to propel the bait into tight places.](http://develop.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/11herren_fishing.jpg)
![Sometimes a standing position just won't work.](http://develop.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/12herren_fishing.jpg)
![Once the jig is under the dock, it's just a matter of letting it fall and waiting for that familiar](http://develop.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/14herren_fishing.jpg)
![Then comes the hook set.](http://develop.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/15herren_fishing.jpg)
![After the bite, there's the fight.](http://develop.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/16herren_fishing.jpg)
![Though crappie don't grow as large as bass â a big one in Alabama weighs about 2 pounds â they are still a blast on light tackle.](http://develop.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/21herren_fishing_0-scaled.jpg)
![A good drag system and lots of patience are good tools to have.](http://develop.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/19herren_fishing.jpg)
![Their thin mouths make it easy to rip the hook out. That's where the patience comes in.](http://develop.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/22herren_fishing.jpg)
![Sometimes a net comes in handy.](http://develop.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/23herren_fishing.jpg)
![Of course, bass anglers don't always have patience for a net.](http://develop.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/24herren_fishing.jpg)
![With smaller fish, it works out OK.](http://develop.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/25herren_fishing.jpg)
![That's another one for the livewell.](http://develop.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/26herren_fishing.jpg)
![Herren wasn't the only Elite Series pro with this idea today. Across the way, reigning Bassmaster Angler of the Year Scott Canterbury is doing the same thing.](http://develop.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/27canterbury_fishing.jpg)
![Before lunchtime, Herren's livewell was loaded with crappie.](http://develop.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/28crappie_livewell.jpg)
![As one of the most prolific and tastiest fish in the water, crappie are a prized delicacy across the country â especially in the South.](http://develop.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/29crappie.jpg)
![The end result of a day on an Alabama lake this time of year is often a bowl full of crappie fillets that can be frozen and enjoyed a few at a time for the next several months.](http://develop.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/30crappie_fillets.jpg)
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