ADVANCED DEEP WOOD FOR LATE SEASON CRAPPIES by Jeff Knapp photos by the author S ome of the year's best crappie fishing is in late fall, from the time the water temperature drops into the low 50s to when the access areas ice over. It's a simple pattern that involves finding deep wood cover holding fish-brush piles, cribs, shoreline laydowns along creek channel swings-and then picking them apart with different presentations until you discover the choice of the day. * Deep is relative. In clear water, cover may be in 30- to 40-feet of water, whereas 15- to 20-feet depths can attract fish in a dingy water environment. * Sonar reveals wood cover and the fish in hiding. Basic 2D traditional sonar will show deep wood. More advanced units using down imaging and side imaging-commonplace on many anglers' boats-offer more information. Down imaging provides the target separation necessary to determine if fish are present in deep wood. Side imaging also allows you to scan a much wider area when searching for cover. * Shoreline laydowns are easiest to spot since they are exposed. Ones found where the channel swings tight to shore tend to be best and are common since these areas often have steep shorelines. As banks erode root systems, mature trees fall into the lake. Crappies will often congregate on the tips of this cover and are visible on down imaging, even more so on side imaging as you idle along the cover. * Typically, what we call brush piles are trees imbedded in the bottom, deposited there by