Crappie are a favorite for most anglers because they are easy to catch and they taste great. There are 2 types of crappies: black and white. Black and white crappie share most of the same waters, however, black crappie are most abundant in northern lakes that are cool with a gravel or sand
bottom. White crappie are most common in reservoirs, lakes, and rivers. They tolerate darker water than black crappie and they thrive in southern lakes with soft or hard bottoms. Both species live in rivers and streams, however, black crappie prefer calmer water and they also tolerate a higher salt content, which is why they are common in estuaries.
Crappies feed heavily in the morning, evening and throughout the night. Most crappie fishermen target these fish during their spawn because they are easy to find and catch. During the summer, crappie will move out to deeper water and they will be much harder to find and catch.
Most crappies are caught in the 6 to 9 inch range, however, much bigger crappie are caught every year. In some southern lakes such as Kentucky Lake, crappie in the 10 to 12 inch range are common with many 14 to 15 inch fish caught and some as big as 18 inches.
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