Crappie Super Bowl pre-game

[new2yaks11]

Had decent day on Sunday. Weather a bit chilly. Fish still hungry. Caught a few slabs and some decent yellow perch. Pretty decent pickerel too. Hope to be able to get into some real nice crappie sometime soon. Would rather fish for them than lots of other fish. Just my preference though. I don't mind catching any fish, just love crappie fishing because they taste so good.

[ronaultmtd]

Crappie run is starting- February and March is the best time of the year to get a big stringer of these tasty fish- I say that the Crappie is the fish tailor made for UL equipment- UL spinning gear with 4-6 lb test using 1/16 jigheads with small plastic swim shads and curly tails, small minnows under bobbers, tiny crankbaits- all catch Crappies- find a school and you are in business- kinda like dolphins offshore- catch one and stay in the school and you can catch every single one- Filet slabs, salt & pepper, roll in cornmeal and drop in hot oil- yummmmm!!! Delicious-

And this is the beginning of the spawn of catfish, too...now through March- big mommas are on the prowl- put a big hunk of cut bunker on a fish finder rig in a deep channel and get ready for a sleigh ride...

[Shady]

Nice work! I've only caught a few Crappies in my time. I'd like to give it a solid effort to catch a bunch sometime, but I don't really know the best places to fish for them...

[ronaultmtd]

Lakes, ponds and fresh water streams with 12-14 feet of water are places to fish for them- they like brush tops and obstructions like boat docks, bridges, downed trees close to deeper waters- you can sometimes find them schooled up out in open water- drift for them and just let the rod stay in the rod holder with the 1/16 oz curly tail jig (yellow or white) until you catch one then anchor up and cast to them until they quit, then drift again until you find them. Small minnows works well but I usually use the tiny swim shads in clear or natural colors- a big crappie can go three pounds- most are smaller than a pound. I like ones right at a pound apiece for cleaning and eating- small ones are too much of a pain fileting to get any meat- throw them back to grow up-

[new2yaks11]

Added some photos

[J.A. Veil]

I have never caught crappie as big as your 14"er. The photo of the crappie and the YPs is very colorful and artistic. As an aside, I spent 45 minutes walking through the east building of the National Gallery of Art this afternoon. Although there were some decent exhibits, I was shocked at the number of "non-artistic" paintings and sculptures that occupied high priced wall and floor space there.

I would rather see the beauty of nature, in person or in photos like yours. [OK - I am stepping off my soap box now]

[ictalurus]

That's a nice wad of fish. I bet dinner was good.

[new2yaks11]

John,

I appreciate your comments on the photos. I didn't realize when I was taking the photos that I was casting a shadow on the fish. I wanted the natural sunlight but couldn't see the shadow when taking the pictures. I love the colors of the yellow perch and honestly the crappie have incredible markings.

Thanks again,

Don

[CB kayak 02]

Nice fish, you should sign up on Kayakbassfishing.com, they are having a free crappie challenge... top two fish get gift cards to hook1 kayak store.

[ronaultmtd]

Some facts about crappies you may or may not know- reprinted-
Black and white crappie are very similar fish that are often found schooling together. They are found pretty much everywhere in the country, with black crappie being more common in the northern US and Canada than white crappie. Though many people are unable to tell the difference between the two even when catching them together, it is fairly easy for the trained eye. Both types have the same colors, but white crappie have vertical bars on their sides and black crappie have just random blotches.

The average size of crappie is between one half and one pound, though they are known to grow much larger. Crappie are prolific breeders that will overpopulate small bodies of water very quickly if the population is not controlled. In light of this, bag limits are typically quite generous; making this is a very popular fish for serious recreational anglers and meat hunters alike.

Crappie have delicious, flaky, white flesh that has earned them the reputation among many as the finest tasting fish that swims in freshwater. The Cajun name for crappie in South Louisiana, "sac-a-lait," literally translated as "sack of milk," is a testament to the fine white meat of the crappie.

[Memory Maker]

Some facts about crappies you may or may not know- reprinted-
Black and white crappie are very similar fish that are often found schooling together. They are found pretty much everywhere in the country, with black crappie being more common in the northern US and Canada than white crappie. Though many people are unable to tell the difference between the two even when catching them together, it is fairly easy for the trained eye. Both types have the same colors, but white crappie have vertical bars on their sides and black crappie have just random blotches.

The average size of crappie is between one half and one pound, though they are known to grow much larger. Crappie are prolific breeders that will overpopulate small bodies of water very quickly if the population is not controlled. In light of this, bag limits are typically quite generous; making this is a very popular fish for serious recreational anglers and meat hunters alike.

Crappie have delicious, flaky, white flesh that has earned them the reputation among many as the finest tasting fish that swims in freshwater. The Cajun name for crappie in South Louisiana, "sac-a-lait," literally translated as "sack of milk," is a testament to the fine white meat of the crappie.

.......... and they are a preferred bait for stripers at Liberty ...... just don't get caught using them