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