The author and his fishing partner put this catch together in just a few minutes' time. They each had their 37-fish limits in three hours! Photo by Marc Murrell.

Serious crappie anglers know that winter fishing for slabs is tough to beat. Fishing on a variety of Oklahoma reservoirs from October to February often yields plenty of fish -- and some big ones! Kaw Reservoir in northern Oklahoma near the Kansas line is one place where quantity and quality fish regularly are one and the same. If you're looking to cash in on the finest fishing of the year, you shouldn't wait; it won't be long before those slabs are pulling up stakes and heading to their spring retreats.

"I love fishing Kaw most anytime, but February is a great time to catch crappie there," said avid slab angler Jim Bybee. "Those fish hang out in brushpiles or along the rocky riprap, and if you find them concentrated, the action is often hot and heavy."

Kaw Reservoir may not have as big a crappie-producing reputation as other Oklahoma waters, but it's definitely a lake you don't want to overlook. "I'd say it's in the top five for crappie among our reservoirs," said Bill Wentroth, north-central regional fisheries supervisor for the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation. "It's pretty consistent, particularly in the winter."

The reservoir is at the mercy of Mother Nature when it comes to fishing conditions. Wentroth said it's the first major impoundment on the Arkansas River, and so it can get a lot of rainfall in some years, particularly in the spring.

Consistency is often key to successful crappie angling. With that in mind, Wentroth says February typically doesn't see the big inflows that disrupt fish patterns. Anglers have figured that out, and winter crappie fishing really has been catching on.

"It used to be you wouldn't see a lot of guys out in the winter, but now it's pretty popular," said Bybee. "If you get a nice day on some waters there will be a lot of boats out, but Kaw doesn't get just tons of pressure like some of the other ones do."

Kaw's crappie show excellent growth rates, possibly some of the best in the state. "And that's key when those fish only live to be an average of 4 years old," Wentroth said. "We're seeing 11 1/2- to 12-inch crappie when they're only 2 1/2 years old, and that's great because in Oklahoma we're trying to get them to reach 10 inches by that age."

Wentroth attributes the high growth rates to an excellent forage base. Gizzard shad abound in the lake and other baitfish are handy, making it a virtual drive-through for hungry sport fish. Plenty of food makes for both good numbers of fish and healthy, heavy ones to boot.

Anglers should begin their search for Kaw Reservoir crappie in brushpiles, says Wentroth. Many of them are located along the rocky riprap of the two causeways that dissect the reservoir. It's difficult for fisheries biologists to mark the piles due to the water level fluctuations, so they place them at standard locations straight out from the telephone poles along the causeway.

"Most of them are in 12 to 16 feet of water," said Wentroth. "They're on the Sarge Creek and Washunga Bay causeways, and it's just a landmark anglers can use."

In addition to the brushpiles, Wentroth mentioned the bridge pillars as being another area where February crappie can be caught. Another spot is unique to the lake.

"There are some water towers near the Kaw City bridge that people fish because they're right on the river channel and the fish will move up out of the river channel and stage there during their pre-spawn movements," Wentroth said.