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By Zack Azar

April presents a mixed bag to outdoorsmen across central Alabama. Turkey season continues all month, and with warmer temperatures, the fishing is getting better. This month will see turkey hunting transition from really active gobblers during the first half of the month to a slowdown towards the last half. 

As hens go to nesting, the gobblers will slow down a bit and hunters will have to modify their tactics to be successful. For fishermen, April finds crappie and bass moving into shallow water to spawn, and this makes them much easier to locate and catch. 

Late season turkey hunts are notorious for slow action, so don’t expect to go out and call

like you did in March. As the season wears on, the hens shy away from toms, becoming more and more elusive as they disperse to their individual nesting sites. 

Meanwhile, the hot-blooded gobblers are searching tirelessly for another mating opportunity. Near the conclusion of the spring season, fewer and fewer hens feel the need to be bred. This means that late-season toms focus all their efforts on trying to find that one hen that might possibly be interested. It’s going to take an adjustment in attitude and approach. Also, by now there are few places left where turkeys haven’t been pressured by hunters. 

As a result, surviving toms are call-shy. With mating drawing to a close, both hens and gobblers are less vocal and typically less excited for action. Rather than running and gunning for toms, bring more patience to the woods. Call sparingly, every 10 minutes or so, and remember that it is better to under-call than over-call. Plan to sit tight for an hour or two. Again, birds are call-shy and slow to work late in the season. Patience will often be rewarded with a shot at a gobbler. 

April sees daytime temperatures begin to warm into the mid 70-degree range, and as the water begins to warm, crappie will migrate into the shallows. Broad, shallow flats that offer a wide area across which the sun can penetrate are some of the first areas to warm up on any lake or pond. 

It’s a fact that crappie feed more actively in warmer water so temperature is a key ingredient in catching these fish. Try to locate trees that have fallen into the water, stumps or standing timber. 

Small minnows are deadly on spring crappie, as are many artificial lures. A 1/16-ounce jig in either a hair or rubber body model is probably the most popular. They will also readily strike an in-line spinner, a Road Runner or a beetle spin. If the bite is slow, don’t hesitate to experiment with different lures and colors until you find what they want.

Bass are also moving shallow this time of the year in preparation for spawning. During the pre-spawn as well as the post spawn, I have had a great deal of success using soft jerk baits, hard jerk baits, spinnerbaits and lizards. I look for gravel bottoms in 4 – 8 feet of water and water temperature in the mid to upper 60s. If stumps or downed trees are present, that’s even better. Don’t overlook piers and docks this time of the year. They can be bass magnets, as the fish move into more shallow water.

Next month, we will explore some post spawn bass fishing tactics and look at ways to help you catch more bluegill and shellcracker. They will be bedding soon, so be sure to read next month’s column. And remember, if you have the opportunity; introduce a young person to fishing this spring.  

Zack Azar is a retired businessman and columnist who spent many years volunteering in a high school press box. He wrote monthly columns for the Alabama Gazette for seven years and has four grandchildren involved in sports at Lowndes Academy.