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Crappie
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crappie
Crappie
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"Calico Bass" redirects here. For the marine fish, see Paralabrax clathratus.
Crappies (/ˈkrɒpi, ˈkræpi/) are a genus, Pomoxis, of North American freshwater fish in the sunfish family Centrarchidae. Both species in this genus are popular pan fish.
Etymology
The genus name Pomoxis literally means "sharp cover", referring to the fish's spiny gill covers (opercular bones). It is composed of the Greek poma (πῶμα, cover) and oxys (ὀξύς, "sharp").
The common name (also spelled croppie or crappé) derives from the Canadian French crapet, which refers to many different fishes of the sunfish family. Other names for crappie are papermouths, strawberry bass, speckled bass or specks (especially in Michigan), speckled perch, white perch, crappie bass, calico bass (throughout the Middle Atlantic states and New England), and Oswego bass.
In Louisiana, it is called sacalait (Cajun French: sac-à-lait, lit. 'milk bag'), seemingly an allusion to its milky white flesh or silvery skin. The supposed French meaning is, however, folk etymology, because the word is ultimately from Choctaw sakli, meaning "trout".
Species
The currently recognized species in this genus are:
|
Scientific name |
Common Name |
Distribution |
|
P. annularis Rafinesque, 1818 |
Great Lakes, Hudson Bay, and the Mississippi River basins expanding from New York and southern Ontario westward to South Dakota and southward to Texas. |
|
|
P. nigromaculatus (Lesueur, 1829) |
eastern United States and Canada |
Biology
Both species of crappie as adults feed predominantly on smaller fish species, including the young of their own predators (which include the northern pike, muskellunge, and walleye). They have diverse diets, however, including zooplankton, insects, and crustaceans. By day, crappie tend to be less active and concentrate around weed beds or submerged objects, such as logs and boulders. They feed during dawn and dusk, by moving into open water or approaching the shore.
Fishing
The Pomoxis species are highly regarded pan fish and are often considered to be among the best-tasting freshwater fish. Because of their diverse diets, crappie may be caught in many ways, including casting light jigs, trolling with minnows or artificial lures, using small spinnerbaits, or using bobbers. Crappies are also popular with ice anglers, as they are active in winter.
Angling for crappie is popular throughout much of North America. Methods vary, but among the most popular is called "spider rigging", a method characterized by a fisherman in a boat with many long fishing rods pointing away from the angler at various angles like spokes from a wheel. (Spider rigging is not permitted on some waters. In Minnesota, for example, a fisherman may use only one rod during the open water season.) Anglers who employ the spider rigging method may choose from among many popular baits. Some of the most popular are plastic jigs with lead jig heads, crankbaits or live minnows. Many anglers also chum or dump live bait into the water to attract the fish to bite their bait. Crappies are also regularly targeted and caught during the spawning period by fly fishermen, and can be taken from frozen ponds and lakes in winter by ice fishing.
Commercial fishing
Before state fisheries departments began to implement more restrictive, conservation-minded regulations, a great number of crappies, especially in the Mississippi River states, were harvested commercially in the 19th and early 20th centuries. At one point, the annual crappie catch sold at fish markets in the United States was reported to be about 3 million pounds.
A commercial fishery for crappies existed at Reelfoot Lake in Tennessee until 2003. It was one of the few commercial fisheries for crappies in recent decades.
Fishing records
According to International Game Fish Association, the most outstanding records are:
- Black crappie: 2.47 kg (5 lb 7 oz), caught by Lionel "Jam" Ferguson at Richeison Pond in Tennessee on May 15, 2018
- White crappie: 2.35 kg (5.2 lb), caught by Fred Brigh in Water Valley, Mississippi on July 31, 1957
FatSlabDaddy.com
A website built strictly to promote Crappie fishing. Includes links to the major Crappie tournament trails, many popular tackle companies, and various youtube videos geared towards Crappie Chasers everywhere! We hope you find this website helpful!
Where do you find your Happy Place?
Whether it's a quiet sunrise in my favorite cove or a windy afternoon bouncing on the waves, I can always find peace in my soul with a crappie rod in my hand and a jig on the end of my line. There's just something about Crappie fishing that brings joy to my heart and soothes my weary bones. That is when and where I truly can say that I am in my Happy Place!
One Happy Camper!
