What is the Origin of the Name 'Crappie?' Answer at Article's End.
Crappie, like bluegill and bass, are members of the sunfish family. Crappie have a variety of other names: papermouths, timber perch, calico bass, speckled bass, strawberry bass and silver bass.
Facts in a Nutshell
The average life span for crappie is 4 to 5 years. At maturity, they are about 8 -10 inches long. Crappie usually are in the 1 lb. range (although tournament- winners can weigh up to 5 lbs.).
Lakes and streams are their preferred habitats. They usually feed on insects and smaller fish. Oddly enough, they particularly enjoy eating the young of the larger fish that feed on them! This includes northern pike and walleye.*
Crappie and bass are two of the most popular fish that anglers persue. Why? Three reasons: They are plentiful (in the lower 48 states); once hooked, they put up a good fight and they taste g-r-e-a-t!
The Black and White of Crappie
Crappie come in 2 flavors: black and white. For beginners, it’s not really important to be able to tell them apart.
The quick-and-dirty answer is that, besides being darker than the white, the black crappie have more dorsal spines (fins on top of the fish) than the white.
White crappie are less finicky about water than blacks. Black crappies prefer clearer water than whites.
Crappie Trivia
When I first heard the name of this fish, I thought someone was making a comment about the fish (and what he/she thought of the species). Since this is such a fun fish to wrangle on the other end of your rod, I couldn’t believe anyone could be so negative.
The name “crappie” (pronounced ‘CROP ee’) comes from the French Canadian phrase “crapet-soleil,” which means “sunfish.”
* This bit of info comes from Wikipedia.
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Next time: Let’s Go Crappie Fishing!
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