Author Topic: What's big for a crappie? (Read 22337 times)

cityfishin · « **on:** Jan 25, 2005, 12:59 AM »

I pulled a few out that measured 10.5". Is that good? I tossed them all back, but they really gave up a good fight and were fun to catch. I usually walleye fish, but I tried my father-in-laws lake for some panfish.

iceintheveins · « **Reply #1 on:** Jan 25, 2005, 01:38 AM »

I consider anything over a pound a slab. Anything over two pounds is a big one indeed. Anything bigger than that is a monster. My biggest is probably close to 3 pounds, maybe more.

Tyler

P Gottshall · « **Reply #2 on:** Jan 25, 2005, 08:18 PM »

In central-IL, 10.5" is a good Crappie, & excellent eating! A 10.5" black crappie will have nice filets. On my home-lake, 1-2 fish over 10" in a day is a good day.

Crappie do get larger, & I consider 13" very good, but not so big that I feel bad about keeping it. I've read of 19", but never seen one.

Paul

twodoggs · « **Reply #3 on:** Jan 25, 2005, 09:14 PM »

I keep them at 10 in. good eaters, I don't keep all but I like a few meals each year. My best is 18 in and 3.5 lbs. talk about a good fight.

cityfishin · « **Reply #4 on:** Jan 25, 2005, 09:23 PM »

Quote from: twodoggs on Jan 25, 2005, 09:14 PM

I keep them at 10 in. good eaters, I don't keep all but I like a few meals each year. My best is 18 in and 3.5 lbs. talk about a good fight.

That's sweet. Especially on 2lb test on an ultralight rig. I thought the 10.5 was good. 18-19 inches would be a blast. I'm going to have to keep at my father-in-laws lake more.

twodoggs · « **Reply #5 on:** Jan 26, 2005, 02:01 PM »

Well, to be honest it was not on a ultra light rig. Big crappies eat big bait. I caught him on a large fat head that I had one foot off the bottom on a rod rigged for walleye. He still put up a heck of a fight.

Thriller · « **Reply #6 on:** Jan 26, 2005, 06:07 PM »

I haven't kept any, but my personal best (of course having only fished for them one year) is 14". Mind you, we are on the northern end of their range, so I don't think they'll grow quite as big as in milder climates. I have heard of bigger...the record crappie caught in Manitoba is 17".

skulldugary · « **Reply #7 on:** Jan 27, 2005, 10:05 AM »

My dad got one out of Norris Lk. in Tennessee that was 17 1/2" and we got some last winter close to 14.....

fishuhalik · « **Reply #8 on:** Feb 08, 2005, 02:31 AM »

Most any lake, 10.5's a beatiful keeper. As far as my biggest, I've caught about a dozen outta Upper Red 15 1/2 to 16. Those don't even count, though. They're like a whole different species.

Van_Cleaver · « **Reply #9 on:** Feb 08, 2005, 08:33 AM »

The size issue is always a relative one dealing with the fertility and balance of populations of fish in the lake you are fishing. I like to keep them at 10", but would call 12 or more a slab. The lake I fish most has some beasts in it; but they usually get found in the spring around the spawn. I'm starting to find fish in broad daylight, so maybe I'll pattern the big boys eventually.

crappieloo · « **Reply #10 on:** Feb 08, 2005, 05:07 PM »

10&1/2 is the magic number for me because i dont keep any smaller than that.

bigdave1018 · « **Reply #11 on:** Feb 09, 2005, 05:43 AM »

in northern states , a 14 incher is considered a huge fish because the growing season is shorter then southern states. anyone over a lb.where i fish is a real nice fish. one of my best was caught at black lake and was 14 inches. it was also special because it was the last year of the crappiethon on this lake and it just happen to have tag number 1216 in its backfin. the year was 1994 and won me a 1000$ prize[ which i parleyed into 600 $]. not bad for a 6$ investment. and for you doubters,i still have all the doctumentation and newpaper article. big dave out

kingfshr16 · « **Reply #12 on:** Feb 09, 2005, 09:34 PM »

i keep them at 10" as they have to be 9" in new york to keep.

fishuhalik · « **Reply #13 on:** Feb 10, 2005, 02:08 AM »

There's a size limit in NY on craps? Man, over here in the Twin Cities, I can hardly catch 9 inchers! A far cry from where I just moved from (northern MN).

kingfshr16 · « **Reply #14 on:** Feb 10, 2005, 09:09 PM »

Yep, 9" in ny, im fine with it though because i feel any smaller and they arent worth keeping.

BASSandICE65 · « **Reply #15 on:** Feb 11, 2005, 12:01 AM »

you guys gotta check out the monster crappie this guy caught good pic. Was 3lb 8oz look in the Mass. room

bigdave1018 · « **Reply #16 on:** Feb 11, 2005, 01:13 PM »

the oswego river sports shop on ist street in oswego has 2 absolutly gorgeous crappie mounts in his shop. the biggest one came from some southern waters and weighed 4lbs 14 ounces. incredible mount!!!!!! last i knew the nys record came from duck lake 3lb something and this is a very small body of water.

TroutFishingBear · « **Reply #17 on:** Feb 11, 2005, 06:31 PM »

I consider anything 12" or better a slab crappie. I have caught them up to about 15", which is a bit over 2 lbs. I don't think crappies fight well at all, especially compared to bluegills, but they sure are good eating fish.

AugustWest · « **Reply #18 on:** Feb 11, 2005, 07:49 PM »

Anything that tastes as good as they do, doesn't need to fight. They make up for it trying to locate them. Now that is a fight.

Van_Cleaver · « **Reply #19 on:** Feb 13, 2005, 09:06 AM »

Also, there is the issue of catching them. Located fish mid-afternoon yesterday, but getting them to bite was a challenge. Missed more hits than I can ever remember, but it was a lot of fun and I culled two over ten, to go with some gills for dinner. They aren't great fighters it's true, but still fun to catch and good eaters to boot.

Fishmon · « **Reply #20 on:** Feb 16, 2005, 11:18 AM »

They start to get interesting when they hit 12". For me, a 14 incher is a monster and 15 inches is a prize.

BUCKSKI · « **Reply #21 on:** Feb 17, 2005, 01:54 PM »

Been fishing the deep basin crappie location lately and the 11inches tug pretty well from 30 FOW on 2lb test. Anything over 12 is a SLAB in my opinion. There was a picture of a fish in the photo section that was 3 1/2 LBS what a BIG BOY
WOW
Caught many this year 3 limits in the last week and half 25 fish per day. I will take those 10 inchers all day.
By the way the same body of water I have been fishing, had 3 callicos in a pikes belly that was 30 inches long?

He did not car about nine inches

fishboy899 · « **Reply #22 on:** Feb 23, 2005, 10:58 PM »

My biggest in NY is 14 1/2" last winter throught the ice. Like slipbob said 15" is a monster for NY. I usually keep them if there over 11". But depending on where you are depends on how big they will get.

fiesty · « **Reply #23 on:** Mar 08, 2005, 05:41 PM »

A big crap is all relative to where you are, in some New England waters, the craps are overpopulated, and can never reach "jumbo" sizes, but some clean New England lakes, the fish hit three pounds with little to no effort. I would bet that on more than one occasion state records have been broken, and the fish have been eaten....

Scott Wright · « **Reply #24 on:** Nov 11, 2005, 04:33 PM »

talked to a kid who caught a 16 1/2 inch crappie that weighed over 3 pounds, this summer... it's where we're going to have our friday night crappie league this winter.. I hope the we catch some big ones this winter.

Blaine · « **Reply #25 on:** Nov 14, 2005, 06:54 AM »

We've got it pretty good out here in CT. The CT River has quite a few coves and setbacks that are loaded in the winter. Our crappie will average 11" or so. 14-15" are not uncommon and every year we see at least one around 18". Most of us target them with jigs while the tip ups are set up for pike

crappie_attitude · « **Reply #26 on:** Nov 14, 2005, 08:52 AM »

Here's a pic of the PA state record crappie..4lbs, 2.88oz. 19 1/4 inches with a 15 7/8 inch girth.

http://sites.state.pa.us/PA_Exec/Fish_Boat/images/staterecord/crappie2000.jpg

Trophy Hunter · « **Reply #27 on:** Nov 14, 2005, 01:03 PM »

Quote from: crappie_attitude on Nov 14, 2005, 08:52 AM

Here's a pic of the PA state record crappie..4lbs, 2.88oz. 19 1/4 inches with a 15 7/8 inch girth.

http://sites.state.pa.us/PA_Exec/Fish_Boat/images/staterecord/crappie2000.jpg

CrappieBuster · « **Reply #28 on:** Nov 17, 2005, 06:40 PM »

I caught a 15 incher few yrs back in a small pond stuffed with frogs. Thought i had on a bass!

walleyeslayer · « **Reply #29 on:** Nov 23, 2005, 07:06 AM »

Quote from: BASSandICE65 on Feb 11, 2005, 12:01 AM

you guys gotta check out the monster crappie this guy caught good pic. Was 3lb 8oz look in the Mass. room

i caught one that was 14 1/4 inches....anything over 12 looks big to me, i usually catch them around 8-9 inches on the average

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Author Topic: What's big for a crappie? (Read 22337 times)

P Gottshall

bigdave1018

bigdave1018

Fishmon