Conner recommends the traditional crappie baits -- small minnows, wax worms and itsy jigs tipped with plastics or wigglers.

"Try dancing the offering near sunken wood and if you want some fishin' fun, schedule outings on calm, sunny weather, wear polarized sunglasses to cut the glare of the water and motor along the west shoreline in search of crappies," he said. "You will find them stacked on sunken trees, along the dropoff. Cut the electric motor and cast tiny jigs tipped with plastics and watch the big slabs zoom from the cover and smack the falling lure. Sight-fishing for crappies is my favorite technique for finding big hogs and locating hotspots for limit catches."

The 100-acre lake offers plenty of bank-fishing. A state park permit is required. It has a boat launch and a no-wake restriction. Sessions is well known for camping, with 100 campsites, more than four miles of hiking trails and a fishing pier.

The Ionia Recreation Area is located on West David Highway, four miles east of Saranac, in Ionia County. Call (616) 527-3750. Make campground reservations by calling (800) 447-2757.

LAKE MITCHELL
"One of the best black crappie lakes in the northwestern Lower Peninsula is Lake Mitchell," said fisheries biologist Mark Tonello. According to him, Mitchell is just as good as neighboring Lake Cadillac, which is highly respected for fantastic crappie catches.

"Some of the best fishing occurs just after ice-out when pre-spawn crappies congregate near open-water areas. Most are good sized, ranging from 8 to 12 inches with some slab 14-inchers mixed in," he explained. "Anglers should try the outlet of the state park channel on Mitchell's east shoreline off M-115. Little Cove on the north shore is also good. Spawning takes place on the edges of weedbeds and savvy fishermen use electric motors to cover water and find active schools.

"There isn't a lot of shore-fishing, because access is difficult to find. Most fishing is done from a boat."

Boat launches are located on the east shore at Mitchell State Park and the Selma Township launch on Little Cove.

For updated fishing information, visit www.pilgramvillagefishing.com and click on "Fishing Report." For more information, call the Cadillac DNR or Central Lake Michigan Management Unit at (231) 775-9727.

LAKE CADILLAC
Tonello refers to Lake Cadillac as Michigan's most popular crappie lake and fish can be found all over the 1,150-acre lake in Wexford County. One hotspot is at the west end near the causeway, where crappies congregate in the current and offer shore-bound anglers fun adventures. Another good location is at the east end of the lake near the city dock and along the pavilion and Four Winns Center.

"Excellent fishing occurs during spring as warm weather causes water temperatures to rise into the 50s and crappies move to shallow spawning locations," Tonello said. "When water temperatures climb into the low 60s, crappies begin spawning chores and peaks when temperatures reach 66 degrees. Late spawners can still be located when water temperatures hit the 70-degree mark."

Boat launches are located on the north side off North Boulevard and the east side off Lake Street.

For more information, call the Central Lake Michigan Management Unit at (231) 775-9727.

HARDY DAM POND
"Another top producer is Hardy Dam Pond," Tonello said. "Crappies can be caught all over the lake when spring arrives and warming water tends to drive schools into the shallows for spawning."