And whatever you do, don't give the weather the benefit of the doubt. If it starts darkening up to the west or south, start heading in. Don't wait until the wind starts gusting, and don't wait until you start hearing thunder. If you are more than a short distance from the ramp and your vehicle, you could get in big trouble.

If you've fished Kansas lakes at all, you know how quickly a light chop can turn into roiling whitecaps. They make navigation tricky at best, and there's no way that you'll be able to make a quick retreat in that kind of rough water.

Always err on the side of safety. The crappie will be there another day, and you should assure that you can be, too.