Crappie fish are also known as papermouths, strawberry bass, speckled bass, specks, speckled perch, white perch, crappie bass, calico bass, and Oswego bass. The best freshwater fish is subjective based on taste preferences.
Crappies and sunfish live in similar rocky river and stream conditions and have similar eating habits. Crappies are tasty, fun to catch freshwater game fish. Conservation efforts promote catching and releasing tagged crappies. Both adult crappies and sunfish feed on smaller fish species. Larval crappies rely on zooplankton.
The male crappies do the job a female usually does. Their flesh is light red with little fishy taste. Crappies are part of the sunfish family. They are the biggest panfish caught. Their popularity is less than largemouth bass and rainbow trout.
A black crappie is silvery-gray to green with irregular black splotches. Its dorsal and anal fins have dark spots. The caudal fin has dark spots too. Many freshwater fish like catfish, bass, trout, salmon, walleye and pike taste delicious and healthy. Crappies are also called papermouths, calico bass, speckled perch and specks. In Florida, crappies are called specks or speckled perch. Crappies are best caught in Florida from late fall to early spring. Common ways to rig crappie nibbles are to cover the jig’s hook point and to position the nibble.
Bluegills are the most common sunfish. Other names for crappie are papermouths, strawberry bass, speckled bass, speckled perch, white perch, crappie bass, calico bass and Oswego bass. Black crappies grow slower than white crappies but weigh more at similar sizes due to stockiness. Crappies must be 9 inches to keep with a 25 fish daily catch limit per person. Black crappies have irregular dark blotches while white crappies have regular dark vertical bars. White crappies also have longer bodies than the more rounded black crappies.
Why is it called a crappie?
Crappie is a freshwater fish. The common name derives from the Canadian French crapet, referring to panfish. Crappies are popular game fish with mild, sweet flesh. They are safe to eat when cooked properly by boiling, frying or baking. Crappies live throughout most of North America. They grow quickly in warm southern U.S. waters but more slowly in the cooler north. During spawning season, crappies move into shallow waters to feed and defend their eggs. This makes spring an ideal time to fish for them. Crappies have a deep, flattened body shape with silvery gray to green coloration and irregular black splotches. They can be distinguished from bluegill by their larger mouth and maximum size. Fishing methods vary but spider rigging with multiple rods radiating from a boat is common. However regulations differ on the number of rods allowed. Crappie fishing promotes conservation and tournament enthusiasm. Commercially crappies are not available but are plentiful, easy to catch and considered delicious panfish.
Is crappie a freshwater or saltwater fish?
Crappie is a freshwater fish. They can be found in saltwater. Crappie are faster and more intelligent than some other fish. Some people consider crappie to be the most intelligent fish. Others disagree.
The Pomoxis species are popular panfish. Crappie have a good taste. Their diverse diets allow catching them in many ways. Such as casting light jigs, trolling with minnows or soft lures, using small spinnerbaits, or bobbers with hooks. Crappies are active in winter so ice anglers target them.
In 2023, apparel company Crappie Forever will award prizes for catching and releasing tagged crappie. This promotes conservation and tournament fishing.
Fishing for crappie in winter is challenging. They dive deep into the water. It’s best to know where the vegetation is since they congregate there. Drop jiggers to the bottom then reel up a foot to catch them while ice fishing.
Fall is the second best time to fish for crappie. Especially in the Northeast of America. The best baits are jigs and minnows or a combination.
Crappie are part of the freshwater ecosystem. They play an important role in the food chain. Their diet includes zooplankton, crustaceans, insect larvae, and smaller fish.
Some find crappie taste better than tilapia. Crappie live in natural habitats. This gives them a cleaner and more distinctive flavor. Additionally, crappie tend to have more tender and flaky texture versus tilapia’s firmer consistency.
Crappie have a milder and less “fishy” flavor than trout. Many people enjoy the subtle sweetness of crappie instead of trout’s bolder taste.
What do Southerners call crappie fish?
Other names are papermouths, strawberry bass, speckled bass, specks (Michigan), speckled perch, calico bass (New England), sac-a-lait (Louisiana), and Oswego bass. The fish have a mild, sweet flesh. The Louisiana legislature declared them the state freshwater fish. Crappie is a genus of freshwater North American fishes, family Centrarchidae. The black crappie is also called speckled perch or papermouth. It is a popular sportfish and tasty panfish in Florida. A generous bag limit provides many anglers a good catch.
Crayfish are crustaceans with a large, pincer-like first pair of legs. Names depend on location – yabbies (New South Wales and Victoria), Koonac and Marron (Western Australia), and Redclaw (Queensland). Crayfish can claw and bite when frightened. Wear gloves and wash any wounds to minimize injury risk.
The Cajuns of Louisiana call the fish sac-a-lait, meaning “sack of milk”, likely for its sweet, mild taste. Variations in pronunciation are natural but Southerners feel strongly about names.