Crappie mount

[Gambler199349]

Whats everyone opinion on how big a crappie should be to mount

[slabman1984]

I caught a 17 7/8” weight was 2.83 and let it swim again after running it to a local store to have measured and officially weighed.

[princecraft]

For me, it would have to be 16

[fishinator]

My daughter pulled a 17 1/2" through the ice when she was 8 years old. Going to have to be over that for me.

[abishop]

FOR ME, I AM PROUD TO DISPLAY MY 15 1/2 INCH BLACK CRAPPIE (CAUGHT IN INDIANA), ON THE WALL. I WILL PROBABLY NEVER CATCH 1 BIGGER. STILL WAITING TO GET MY 11 1/4 INCH GILL MOUNTED, (IN THE FREEZER).

[Jig_Head]

I've never mounted a fish, but my number would be 16"

[river_scum]

over 18 I would think about it hard.  20"+ definitely.  I have never had a fish mounted either.  ate plenty of 16 - 17s over the years.

[walleye wil]

well i think if you get one 16 or better i would mount it. you may never catch that big again, i have a 15.5 in the freezer that
i am still debating to mount or not.
caught on hamilton, but may not catch that big again. i know some have caught 17 plus but almost to hard to think of getting one that big.
i mounted a brown trout 10 years ago from clear lake, was 10 pounds 5 oz and it was first brownie i ever caught so i mounted it.
figured i would be lucky to catch another that big! mounted in shadow box from taxi!

[musky8it]

You might check on how much its gona cost you first. Don't know what it'll cost you nowdays, back in 2001 when I quit I charged $8/in.

[kevs]

Years past when we were catching 14"-16" crappie I didn't think much about it being a trophy fish. We would catch an occasional 16"-17"+ crappie and brag about it but not think it would it be rare. 25 years later 8"-12" are the norm and a 14"-16" is a monster. To many people poaching, keeping more than then the limit (look at social media peops bragging about double and triple limits). Greed and prestige is killing it. Whatever one thinks trophy, to them it is. I take a picture and keep it to myself.
 

[Jig_Head]

Apparently I need to move further east or wherever you guys are cuz y'all talk about 16 - 18 inchers like it's nothing. I'd freak out if I ever caught a crappie like that. I'm a bass fisherman but I've definitely done my fair share of crappie fishing and my biggest is "only" 15". Meanwhile river_scum is eating 16 and 17 inchers like they're chips lol

[slabman1984]

I few pictures from last 3 weeks. All from same private 40 acre lake. These are some 14”-17” crappie. All year long we catch them.

[abishop]

I few pictures from last 3 weeks. All from same private 40 acre lake. These are some 14”-17” crappie. All year long we catch them.

[abishop]

It is sure hard to beat those private lakes. wtg

[Jig_Head]

I'm just gonna wait for someone else to say it

[fishinator]

I'm just gonna wait for someone else to say it

what's that? The fact that there is no way ALL of those crappie are 14 to 17 inches since most are just a little bigger than the gills? Either that or those are some giant gills!

[abishop]

what's that? The fact that there is no way ALL of those crappie are 14 to 17 inches since some are just a little bigger than the gills? Either that or those are some giant gills!

Either way those are all quality fish. I would keep that lake a secret. I am sure with the size shown that there are some 16 and 17 inchers in there. JMHO.

[fishinator]

Either way those are all quality fish. I would keep that lake a secret. I am sure with the size shown that there are some 16 and 17 inchers in there. JMHO.

absolutely quality fish. Just sayin they aren't all in the 14 to 17 inch range as described.

[river_scum]

nice piles none the less!

lol @ jighead

[bigr]

Not so much length but weight and where I catch it. Private aquariums or ponds, lakes do nothing for me. I'm looking for a 3lb Indiana public water crappie. Been very close a few times. Maybe this will be the year. I too have eating more than my share of 16+ in crappie.

[RoeBoat]

How you ever going to get a 3lber if you keep eating those 16=18"ers?!!!  Eat away man.  I kept a lot of 7" gills this year and I LOVE eating them.  Now I just need to find someone who Loves cleaning them!

[taxi1]

You might check on how much its gona cost you first. Don't know what it'll cost you nowdays, back in 2001 when I quit I charged $8/in.

Has to be about double that now to cover the time and cost of materials. Mostly time. Shipping costs are killing us as an industry if we have to order supplies. Shipping costs just keep climbing and I don't understand why as fuel prices are fairly stable.

[taxi1]

From what I mount each year for customers I'd say on the right water if you put in your time a 3 lb. 18 inch crappie is a possibility and would be a trophy. I mount about 3 of t those a year. But you have to fish the right water as some lakes produce huge crappies while others never will.

Anything over 18 inches is extremely rare anywhere. About as rare as an 8 lb. bass and we all know how rare they are.

I did do a 21 inch natural hybrid out of a private lake for a guy several years ago.

[catskills]

are you guys taking measurements and pictures then eating/releasing the fish or saving the actual fish to mount? 

[abishop]

From what I mount each year for customers I'd say on the right water if you put in your time a 3 lb. 18 inch crappie is a possibility and would be a trophy. I mount about 3 of t those a year. But you have to fish the right water as some lakes produce huge crappies while others never will.

Anything over 18 inches is extremely rare anywhere. About as rare as an 8 lb. bass and we all know how rare they are.

I did do a 21 inch natural hybrid out of a private lake for a guy several years ago.

(Image removed from quote.)What did that beast weigh?

[DR.SPECKLER]

I get quite a few 15,16s.a 17 every once in while.ive only caught one 18” speck in all my years of fishing for them.i got 3rd place in a bass tournament with it because it was bigger than the 3rd place bass and it amazed everyone.i was a young dumb kid and ate it.lol so ive been searching for a 19”.but i will take pics and measure and let it go.

[river_scum]

are you guys taking measurements and pictures then eating/releasing the fish or saving the actual fish to mount?

tape on the side of my boat for fast easy measuring.  if im getting plenty of eaters, ill release most of the hogs.  the water quality im fishing has some to do with if it gets released.   

[RoeBoat]

Speaking of hybrids, how's your batch coming taxi?

[taxi1]

What did the beat weigh?

Only 3 1/4 pounds. As you can see it was fairly slim and probably a very old fish.

[taxi1]

Speaking of hybrids, how's your batch coming taxi?

It appears I have successfully pellet trained about half of the 500 + 3 to 4 inch fish I put in the tank. I discarded the other half  as they just weren't taking to the pellets and kept getting skinnier and skinner. It's amazing how long a fish can go without feeding!

The hatchery they came from said I was the first one to successfully feed train their hybrids! I think I would have had better success if they had been smaller, as in about an inch, as the larger fish get, the more difficult it is to train them to feed on pellets. Of course it depends on the species. Bluegill and tilapia will gravitate to pellets almost instantly!

Anyway, if I can get them to stay on the pellets once planted into the pond, they should grow even faster than hybrids on natural feed, which allegedly grow faster than either whites or blacks, at least the first two years. 

Still seriously considering getting some whites from Salamonie or Mississinewa reservoirs to cross with some blacks I get locally.

Here are a couple with the skinnier one refusing to feed on pellets. You can't really tell in the photo how thin the skinnier one is. I have bigger more robust ones in the tank, but wanted to put two of a similar length side by side.