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Fish Profile - White Crappie |
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White Crappie- Silvery olive, 5-6 dorsal spines, vertical dark bars on the sides. Found in deep water around drop-offs, stump rows, other artificial cover. IDENTIFICATION: White crappie are very compressed with a deep body. The back and sides have 5 to 10 black vertical bands. Their dorsal fin, anal fin, and tail contain a combination of dark spots and bands. The dorsal fin has 5 to 6 spines. RANGE AND HABITAT: They prefer larger ponds, reservoirs, and rivers. White crappie are tolerant of a wide variety of conditions, including areas of silt and turbidity. This species is usually found near structure such as fallen trees, stumps, docks, rocks, and aquatic vegetation. LIFE HISTORY: White crappie spawn in May and June. Males construct nests by fanning out small depressions on the bottom in and around brush, rocks, and vegetation in water between 1 and 5 feet deep. Females lay 5,000 to 30,000 eggs. Young crappie feed on zooplankton and insect larvae during their first year of life. As they grow they switch to a diet of small fish. FISHING METHODS: White crappie bite best on live minnows, small jigs, and spinners. The best time to fish for white crappie is during the spring spawning season when fish move into shallow shoreline areas. Anglers should concentrate on areas with brush, stumps, and docks. During summer and early fall, crappie move into deeper water along creek channels, roadbeds, and submerged points. The fall can be another hot time for crappie as they move inshore again for a short time. Fish in brush, logs, weeds. Schooling fish. Use minnows, grasshoppers, crickets and worms or jigs.
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