Many lakes have large sections of timber or trees that are flooded. The flooded timber attracts bait fish, which in turn attracts crappie. For crappies how do we fish this structure and what do we look for? The very best crappie timber has lots of branches. The more branches the better. Look for leaning timber at an angle .The more timber leaning together the better. An example you have a tee under water that is leaning at a 45 degree angle. If you have 2, 3, or 4 are better than 1. This leaning timber provides shade and cover. The leaning timber will generally out produce standing timber or stumps.
Equipment includes 10-11 foot crappie rods. You can find these special long lines at your sporting goods store or online. For lures use a small hair jig in 1/32 to 1/8 ounce or use a small 1/8 ounce beetle spin lure. You are not going to use a bobber while fishing these jigs in the timber. The reason for using a hair jig and a beetle spin (a small jig with a spinner on the end is that they fall very slowly. Also use high visibility line which will help you detect strikes more readily.
You are going to use your trolling motor and approach the prime cover such as leaning trees or fishing standing timber depending on the situation. Flip the jig along side and parellel to the timber and watch your line carefully as the jig falls. Most of the time your strike will come as the jig falls. If you have a Humminbird locator with side imaging you will be able to see the fish right in the timber. Pretty cool.
As an example you are fishing a flooded timber section that is 10-14 foot deep. Your locator shows the fish are at a depth of 6 foot off the bottom to 10 foot off the bottom. You have a 10 foot long rod. You let out a section of 10 feet of line (as long as the rod). you can then flip different spots along side the timber and by watching your rod tip to know the depth you are at. You can flip very fast and cover much water then if you were casting. You can picture your trolling ver close to the cover you are fishing verically. If you have not seen the post pitching and flippin please do so at the highlited link.
As an example you a have a flooded section of timber 200 yards long by 50 yards wide . You can fish this piece of cover suprizing rapidly using the pitching and flippin method. If you prefer you can just cast the cover instead of flipping and pitching it. Also when fishing this method you can many times catch bass and walleye if your lake has these species. Bass and walleye like the flooded timber also. Try fishing the flooded timber with these techniques. It will help you catch more fish.