Fish of the Week-Topic 11: Crappie

Jerry Hamon · Post by **Jerry Hamon** » Fri Sep 26, 2008 5:30 pm

Most of the time that is true but crappie are a lot like stripers sometimes and will eat whatever is in front of them. I have caught 4" crappie on 3" Bass Asassins. In 1986 during the spawn I bought the small (crappie) minnows one day and got skunked by all of my buddes who were using bass minnows. That year you couldn't get a bite on a small minnow. I carry mostly big baits in my tackle pack but also have baits as small as the Panfish Asassin in there also.

I prefer not to catch these

basscracker · Post by **basscracker** » Fri Sep 26, 2008 7:58 pm

tcf, here's a couple of pics from the san gabriel last spring.

Jerry Hamon · Post by **Jerry Hamon** » Fri Sep 26, 2008 8:02 pm

sweet

CityByTheSeaCitizen · Post by **CityByTheSeaCitizen** » Sat Sep 27, 2008 6:17 am

A few pics of sac-a-lait that we caught in Rayburn. I wish I would have got a photo of the black racing stripes on some of their noses.

Also, how many of you have done this. You start counting, and you think you have a limit. You expect to pull 50 fish out of the livewell/stringer, and you either have 45 or 55. After this trip, we bought a counter. Open the livewell, click the counter.

I worked in Wisconsin that summer, and this was my trip back home. I realized then why I missed the south.

CityByTheSeaCitizen · Post by **CityByTheSeaCitizen** » Sat Sep 27, 2008 6:29 am

my favorite winter crappie hole. Look at that monster. I weigh 600 pounds, so the poicture is decieving.

You have to keep every crappie you catch at that time of year.

Jerry Hamon · Post by **Jerry Hamon** » Sat Sep 27, 2008 9:14 am

I love the racing stripe crappie. We catch lots of them at Lake Bonham. They have a little more fight to them. I think they are a hybrid although TPWD insists they are not.

CityByTheSeaCitizen · Post by **CityByTheSeaCitizen** » Sat Sep 27, 2008 9:26 pm

TCF wrote:I love the racing stripe crappie. We catch lots of them at Lake Bonham. They have a little more fight to them. I think they are a hybrid although TPWD insists they are not.

Interesting. I don't fish very many lakes in Texas, so I have a few questions. Are these racing stripe crappie limited to only a few lakes. I know they are in Rayburn and Toledo, but that is the only places i have caught them.

I have caught crappie all over Oklahoma, and I have never seen the racing stripe. Any useful information you can give me will make me look like a genius to my east texas fishing buddies.

Thanks in advance.

deral · Post by **deral** » Sun Sep 28, 2008 8:54 am

Mornin’ Citizen,
Those crappie are called Mohawk Crappie or Black-nosed crappie and will be found anywhere Black crappie exist. That stripe is a genetic trait that is found in about 30% of all Black crappie. The stripe can range from a solid black to a light brown color, depending on their environment. I occasionally catch them in Lake Waco.
Deral

Jerry Hamon · Post by **Jerry Hamon** » Sun Sep 28, 2008 9:37 am

Here's some interesting info from Fla.

http://research.myfwc.com/support/view_faqs.asp?id=26

basscracker · Post by **basscracker** » Sun Sep 28, 2008 11:58 am

in the fairfield pics i posted earlier in this thread, every one of those fish are of the racing stripe/black crappie variety. something you might find interesting is that the tpwd manager on site says that all the crappie in fairfield are hybrids. i didn't say anything to him, but i was thinking he was incorrect. when i got home i looked online at tpwd's site and a few others and found that there are hybrid strains that they played around with. the other thing the guy said tht made me think he was crazy was that only 25% of hybrids can reproduce. i didn't read anything about that, but who knows. i fish alot in texoma and the racing stripe are pretty rare, but they are there, too. i think maybe thats a trait that all black crappie are capable of. one thing i do know is that if i had a choice of which species to catch AND eat, the black win both categories hands down. they fight alot harder thatn the whites and i think they taste better, too. went to coffeemill yesterday, tcf, one keeper and 50 throwbacks. what's up with that lake?

Longhorns · Post by **Longhorns** » Sun Sep 28, 2008 2:08 pm

Basscracker, are you at the San Gabriel/Granger primitive launch in the pic?

basscracker · Post by **basscracker** » Tue Sep 30, 2008 2:38 pm

i think they called it the "steps," but on a map, i believe it is called the primitive launch. one of my best friends lives in cedar park and he invited me down to try out kayaking, so it was my first time there. i guarantee i'll be going back next spring.

Longhorns · Post by **Longhorns** » Tue Sep 30, 2008 3:42 pm

The "steps" are a 1/2 mile or so before the primitive launch. The steps are a way down to the river for bank fisherman. During the white bass run, folks at the steps line the river looking for their share of the run.

Dogpaddlin · Post by **Dogpaddlin** » Thu Oct 02, 2008 8:53 am

With all of the talk about matching the hatch o other posts, why is not mentioned when dealing with crappie? I have never heard of anyone fishing for crappie with small shad, always minnows. Why is this?

CityByTheSeaCitizen · Thu Oct 02, 2008 10:49 am

Dogpaddlin wrote:With all of the talk about matching the hatch o other posts, why is not mentioned when dealing with crappie? I have never heard of anyone fishing for crappie with small shad, always minnows. Why is this?

I have used small shad, and I have caught a few. Small shad don't stay alive on a hook very long, and they don't stay on the hook very well when dead.

greyloon · Post by **greyloon** » Thu Oct 02, 2008 11:01 am

The problem with fishing shad for anything is keeping them alive, especially when fishing from a kayak.

Beve · Post by **Beve** » Tue Oct 14, 2008 4:18 pm

Trophy Size: What is your trophy size for this specie?

To qualify for TPWD Big Fish Award: 15"

For me: 14-16"

CityByTheSeaCitizen · Post by **CityByTheSeaCitizen** » Wed Oct 15, 2008 1:13 pm

Beve wrote:Trophy Size: What is your trophy size for this specie?

To qualify for TPWD Big Fish Award: 15"

For me: 14-16"

What is a TPWD Big Fish Award? I can catch a few 15" crappie every week on Rayburn. I have fished with many people catching crappie on Rayburn and 15 inchers are pretty common.

Beve · Post by **Beve** » Wed Oct 15, 2008 1:54 pm

CityByTheSeaCitizen wrote:
Beve wrote:Trophy Size: What is your trophy size for this specie?

To qualify for TPWD Big Fish Award: 15"

For me: 14-16"
What is a TPWD Big Fish Award? I can catch a few 15" crappie every week on Rayburn. I have fished with many people catching crappie on Rayburn and 15 inchers are pretty common.

http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/fishboat/fi ... ml#bigfish

CityByTheSeaCitizen · Post by **CityByTheSeaCitizen** » Wed Oct 15, 2008 2:00 pm

I am one species short of a self proclaimed elite angler.

edit.

I am two species short. I didn't realize they had to be caught south of the red river. My big smallmouth were caught in Oklahoma.

Jerry Hamon · Post by **Jerry Hamon** » Wed Oct 15, 2008 3:44 pm

18.5 inches

woolleyworm · Post by **woolleyworm** » Mon Apr 06, 2009 8:55 pm

Been awhile since there have been any posts here..... I'm fairly new to crappie fishing and just got a yak a few weeks ago. I wish I would have seen this site before. My personal best crappie was an 18.25 " that tasted very very delicious. Wish I could have got some pics before I filleted him, but I didn't realize that he was in the upper end of the crappie size range. Caught on the S.Bosque near Hwy 84 bridge off of Lake Waco.

sap · Post by **sap** » Tue Apr 07, 2009 3:28 am

woolleyworm wrote:Been awhile since there have been any posts here..... I'm fairly new to crappie fishing and just got a yak a few weeks ago. I wish I would have seen this site before. My personal best crappie was an 18.25 " that tasted very very delicious. Wish I could have got some pics before I filleted him, but I didn't realize that he was in the upper end of the crappie size range. Caught on the S.Bosque near Hwy 84 bridge off of Lake Waco.

I used to catch them behind the dam at Lake Waco, we would be there in springtime fishing for whites. I have heard they closed access to the dam at waco after 9-11 but with a kayak you could paddle up there and slay them in the corners where the long concrete slabs.

woolleyworm · Post by **woolleyworm** » Tue Apr 07, 2009 4:12 am

Thanks for the tip SAP, I'll give it try on Thurs and post my results.

sap · Post by **sap** » Tue Apr 07, 2009 6:03 am

here is a map of the spots they were always at.... I dont know if the park is still open but back in the day it was a local hang out for some man-on-man lovin...just thought i would give you a heads up, its not a place to take the lady or small children, you never know what you might see out there.

TexasKayakFisherman.com

Fish of the Week-Topic 11: Crappie

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Re: Fish of the Week-Topic 11: Crappie