Black Crappie
$1.00
25 Fish Minimum
Description:
Game Fish
Available in sizes from 1 to 3 inches
Availability: all year
Description:
Black Crappies are deep bodied, laterally compressed predatory sunfish. The ventral region is silvery white with greenish black streaking along the lateral surfaces of the body that becomes more prominent on the dorsal areas of the body. Black Crappie can be distinguished from White Crappie by counting the anal spines; Black Crappie have 7-8 and White Crappie have 6.
Facts:
Sub adult crappie feed primarily on zooplankton and then switch to small minnows, insects and crustaceans as they mature. Crappies prefer deeper lakes with an abundance of structure e.g. standing timber, sunken trees.
Spawning Characteristics:
Black Crappie begin spawning when the water temperature reaches 58°F. Females will deposit 40,000 eggs on average per spawning event. The fact that crappie begin spawning before other Centrarchids allows their young of the year to gain a competitive advantage.