If all goes according to plans, as you read this I’ll be trying to catch a three-pound crappie on Lake Weiss in Alabama.

A group of men from Glenview Christian Church journeyed there this morning in hopes of timing the spring crappie run just right.

We’ll be back in time to attend the church’s Easter program Sunday morning at 10 a.m. at the Barren County High School Auditorium. The public is invited.

We heard earlier this week that another group from Glasgow was at Weiss last week and had at least two really good days of fishing.

Crappie are beginning to bite at Barren too. Joe Cox, of Glasgow, e-mailed some photos this week of a batch of 13 nice crappie caught in 8 to 10 feet of water using a popeye jig last Friday in the rain. They were all about 10-inch crappie, the very best for eating.

If you have questions about fishing in Kentucky, this weekend’s Kentucky Afield show will have experts to give you an answer.

A panel of fisheries and law enforcement folks from the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources will join host Tim Farmer to talk about fishing and answer questions from viewers during this special hour-long, live call-in show. Topics will include fish stockings, lake and stream conditions, size and creel regulation updates and opportunities to hook kids and other newcomers on the sport.

“Kentucky Afield” airs Saturday at 7 p.m. central on KET.

Hunters will want to tune in April 5 for the special call-in show focusing on spring turkeys. That show airs at 7:30 p.m.

Many of you know that my fishing buddy Ed Darst spent his career with Fish and Wildlife working with kids. A big part of his work was attending conservation camp every summer with kids from the schools he worked in. My kids attended conservation camp at Camp Currie and they loved it.

As spring approaches, it’s time to sign kids up for conservation camp. The camps are a week long, but the memories and skills last a lifetime.

“A lot of the kids that we get at camp are kids who have never caught a fish, shot a gun or driven a boat,” said Jay Webb, assistant director of Information and Education for the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. “That’s really a big thrill for them. They remember it for the rest of their lives.”

Kids learn skills at conservation camp that other camps don’t offer. Outdoor skills like boating safety, gun safety, archery, fishing and wildlife identification are hallmarks of conservation camp.

Kentucky Fish and Wildlife operates three camps. Camp Robert Webb is located on Grayson Lake near Grayson, Camp Earl Wallace is located on Lake Cumberland near Monticello, and Camp John Currie is located near Benton on Kentucky Lake where kids from our area usually go.

Conservation camps run June through July and are open to boys and girls ages 9-13. The application deadline for camps this year is May 1. The cost is $215 for mail-in applications and $200 for online applications. Scholarships are available. Visit fw.ky.gov to apply online, or call the Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Information Center at (800) 858-1549 for more information.