JG63
Well-known member
- Joined
- Mar 7, 2013
- Messages
- 1,484
This photo explains it better than I can …
Crappie fishing
- Thread starter IrishFan
- Start date
I think the ones I have always caught were also black. Look like the ones on the left. Yours were much darker. Most of the ones I have caught were in Middle Creek lake in Lancaster County. It’s a very turgid lake.
JG63
Well-known member
- Joined
- Mar 7, 2013
- Messages
- 1,484
Those dark ones are from Memorial Lake - Lebanon County they aren’t always that dark though
Frederick V. C.
Active member
White Crappie typically have vertical bars though sometimes faint. Black Crappie are usually evenly spotted. That said I noticed last year when I kept a few for the table near the spawn all the really dark Blacks were males.
Once you learn the difference, distinguishing a white from a black is about as easy as telling a brown from a brookie. It really isn't hard.
Frederick V. C.
Active member
Fished from 4-7 today with a strong wind in my face. Despite the wind I managed to catch several crappie and some gills. Also used my UL spin gear with a small piece of plastic on a gold dart head. That was too easy so went back to the fly rod to make it a challenge. Fishing in a pretty healthy chop gave the fish a better chance but still landed a bunch. Left them biting cause the wind over the cooler water was giving me a chill and I was in chest waders. If you live in the southeast (and probably a lot of other regions) it's time.
The male white crappie are dark when spawning time approaches as well, so anglers can’t go by that exceptionally dark color for species ID.
Frederick V. C.
Active member
So having some medical challenges and badly needed a fishing fix. Luckily I got into a nice crappie bite not far from home and also some very nice gills. Low impact and definitely nice to clear my head a bit. Just as I got extremely tired the bite died (around 4pm) so I was able to leave because you know it's hard to leave when the fish are on a tear.
AndyP
Active member
Glad to hear you got out and got some relief. Good luck with the health !!
Frederick V. C.
Active member
Thanks Andy! Interestingly my treatments are at your home base Bryn Mawr. Bit of a haul but they have super sophisticated equipment at Bryn Mawr Radiology Oncology.
Frederick V. C.
Active member
Back yesterday afternoon. Instead of overcast and cool (fifties) it was quite warm (80) and mostly sunny. Didn't get out til around noon. Not surprisingly the crappie were much harder to catch though I got a few decent fish. The flip side was the big gills were reachable and though not on a tear, had a blast and caught several and only one was small. Great fighters on a fly rod!
