Many anglers regard Beaver Lake as a deep, clear-water reservoir. However, the lake stretches from Eureka to south of Fayetteville, and not all of those stretches hold deep clear water. When runoff from recent rains muddies the water, murky water angling becomes an available option all over the lake in the many creek arms.
     In the fall, many anglers seek fish in what they consider shallow water. Crappie fishermen that call Beaver Lake home consider water less than 10 feet in depth shallow. That's because crappie move deep when the summer heat warms the water temperature and lowers the thermocline in the lake. Deep crappie can be caught as proven all summer long by savvy crappie anglers, but more anglers catch crappie in the fall and spring of the year.
     Just like in bass fishing, crappie fishing seems easier when the fish are shallow because there is just less water to cover. Shallow water is easily probed with a variety of baits. But some anglers find crappie consistently in water much shallower than you might expect.
     Eric Heimbach of Bentonville fishes Beaver Lake regularly and has been for a number of years. He catches crappie consistently and flourishes when they feed shallow. "I generally start fishing about 2 feet down and then just work deeper as I go if I am not finding fish there," Heimbach states. He opts for simple equipment and bait but works the bait precisely and methodically around cover.
     "I just get in an area and start looking for wood," Heimbach continues. The wood he refers to come in the form of trees that are laying in the water, standing timber, brush piles, and stumps. He really shows no preference for one cover or the other, but he says at times one will out produce another all over the lake. He just works each type until he finds one that the fish relate to consistently.
     For this type of fishing a 10-foot cane pole or telescopic pole and 14-pound line proves easy and efficient. The long rod enables anglers to place the bait in cover away from the boat. The heavy line helps pull fish and hung hooks from the cover. Usually a small cork a few feet up the line and a split shot big enough to make the float sit down in the water does the job. Tip the line with either a #2 Aberdeen hook and minnow or a tube jig and you are prepared to catch shallow cover crappie.
     The key to catching crappie says Heimbach involves studying the bite. If the crappie are shallower than you are fishing, the float will sort of rise up and lay on its side. If they are deeper than you are fishing they will slowly start swim the float down under the surface. Then you can adjust your bait's depth until you catch them regularly.
     Once you catch a crappie out of a piece of cover, it‚s a good practice to try to get the bait in the exact spot in the cover again. "For some reason," Heimbach says, "I catch a lot more crappie by putting my bait in the same 6 inches of water each time." If your bait is a foot away from the spot you caught your first fish, you may not get any more bites. You can speculate all day as to why that is, but proof is in the experience.
     Minnows are the preferred bait for this method. You can leave the bait in the prime spot longer and it has an action all its own. Minnows can be purchased at a number of the area tackle shops and marinas, and three dollars will keep you fishing all morning.
     The other great thing about crappie in shallow wood is you don't have to have a boat. While a boat allows you more freedom and spots to fish, bank fishermen can get in on the action too. With a cane pole you can reach most angles of the cover near the bank and find that a lot of crappie can be caught like this.
     Outdoor enthusiasts of all sorts find this type of fishing appealing. Generally it comes as a relaxing break to the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Take a snack, a cozy lawn chair, and some drinks and make a family day out of the trip. Who knows you might even come back with some dinner!