Setting aside his crappie rod for a few minutes, veteran Rend Lake guide Todd Gessner lit up a cigarette and began to talk about his favorite subject, Rend Lake crappie fishing. Gessner has guided on the lake for over 20 years and has seen boom-and-bust days.

"This lake is really producing some monster crappies," Todd said. "I have clients who have taken 2-pound fish and have heard of others who have taken fish up to 3 pounds."

Although reserved, the smile on Gessner's face betrayed the exuberance he has for the crappie fishing future of the lake.

Pressed further, Gessner states that his largest fish taken by a client during last year was 2 pounds, 9 ounces. He began to find fish over 2 pounds in 2007, and the sizes are getting larger. Todd explains that the average fish falls in the 1/2-pound range because many crappies smaller than that are also taken. He credits the size limits on the lake for the improvement of the fishery. According to him, it is possible to get a limit of fish over 10 inches in length on most any given day.

Rend Lake is an 18,800-acre impoundment located in Franklin and Jefferson counties just off Interstate 57 near Benton. The 162 miles of lake's shoreline are composed of a combination of buckbrush and riprap. Although crappies can be found throughout the lake, the most popular areas for fishermen are north of state Route (SR) 154 and a few hundred yards south of it. Another popular area is Gun Creek in the northeast part of the lake near SR 37.

Although Rend Lake is owned by the U.S. Corps of Engineers, the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) manages the fishery under a cooperative agreement.

Numerous stakebeds and fish attractors can be found throughout the lake. Some fish locators were made of Christmas trees and placed in the lake by the Corps of Engineers to help disperse the papermouth population. These attractors are marked with white buoys. The purpose of the Christmas tree cribs is to enhance the lake habitat and help apportion the competition for the lake forage.

Supplementing the fish attractors are probably close to 200 stakebeds composed of wood salvaged from lumber mills and placed in the lake by private parties. Their location is a closely kept secret, but they can be located with some good electronics or by watching where the regulars fish.

The crappie spawn begins in May and early June, dependent upon the water temperature and clarity. The fish will be found in 2 to 12 feet of water. Local fishermen will use a variety of crappie fishing tackle when the spawn is on. Long poles are popular, as lures can be dipped back into the brush in search of spawning crappies.