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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