It's almost time once again for the annual crappie hunt

I have chased them all across Illinois, Kentucky, Florida, Tennessee, Wisconsin and Minnesota.

I missed a chance last month in Mississippi to sample some of the real jumbo angling, the stuff legends are made of in the 3-pound class, and hopefully I'll be back in northern Wisconsin in the fall to catch some of the 2-pounders as well.

I am worn out from all the political squabbling by those we elected to maintain the status quo.

All I want to do is fish.

At the same time I am also carefully observing how the Illinois Department of Natural Resources will reinvent itself as it struggles to again provide good opportunities for this state's residents to enjoy a day on the water.

But I digress.

Forget about bass, bluegills, and muskies for the moment. Put your walleye thoughts and dreams aside for a while and hang in there.

I'll tread softly for all of you with cabin fever, infected brethren who are tired of watching reruns of the fishing shows on television.

Your time is here.

Any moment now - and I do mean any moment - there will be "explosions" of piscatorial activity, be it on a river or a pond. And with the open water comes a rush to the banks where crappie rods will most likely materialize from those dark recesses of your basements and garages.

The crappie is high on my list of favorites, especially when those filets hit the frying pan and I'm subsequently seated at the table, wolfing them down with a mound of tiny red potatoes and cole slaw.

This is the species I was referring to at the start of this column. And in some parts of the Midwest and southern states, crappie ranks at the top of an angler's wish list.

Bangs Lake and the Fox Chain are two locations where the pickings are a day-to-day situation. Some days are fantastic, while others can be a letdown.

At this time of the year one must look to the shallow areas in back bays and harbors. These are the target zones where the water temperature heats up much quicker than on the main bodies.

Look for bullrushes, deadfall trees, branches that hang over inches from the surface, and runoff pipes generally located at the very end of a back channel.

Spring crappie angling can provide hours of excitement if one uses the right tools.

I prefer to use a 7- or 71/2-foot light Grandt spinning rod coupled to an ultralight spinning reel spooled with 4-pound mono and a 3-foot fluorocarbon leader.

I also like to use a No. 6 or No. 8 hook when I'm fishing with minnows. A slip float is a necessity because you can instantly vary the depth you'd want to target by just sliding the stop-knot up or down.

My other proven method is to go with a 1/32-ounce Cubby Mini Mite jig tipped with either a spike (maggot) or wax worm.

There have times during the spring season that crappies will go for the waxie over a minnow, but the minnow presentation is a deadly formula.

Bangs Lake has a good population of black crappie, but I've never been able to catch some of the 12- and 13-inch fish I know are there.

On the other hand, both Pistakee and Petite Lakes have large schools of both white and black crappie with sizes ranging up to 13 inches. Petite Lake back channels offer some of the better action, but the same can be said of Pistakee.

If you are a minnow angler, keep using the more frisky baits, thereby allowing them to do their job of attracting curious and hungry fish.

And don't be afraid to get out there on windy days. A slight breeze will push your boat around, thereby giving the minnow more action.