How Big does a crappie need to be...

[Andrew Mann]

Much to my delight, I have found crappie in my local river! So far, all the fish have been 7 inches or less, but I did have a nice 10 incher follow one evening!

My question is: how big does a crappie need to be before it's worth eating? I hear they're great, and I'd like to give them a try.

Also, what flies work well for crappie? I've found that crappie candy is good as long as I strip it fairly quickly. Any other flies and retrieval strategies you can all recommend?

Thanks in advance to all who respond.

Cheers,
Andrew

[hoboflyfisher]

I would think that would depend on the size limit set by your fish commission. Yes they are great tasting fish if cooked correctly.

[Panman]

We fillet all the crappie that we keep. An 8 inch crappie would be the absolute minimum with 9 inches or larger preferred.

Tim

[dixieangler]

how big does a crappie need to be before it's worth eating?

As long as they are big enough to fillet for me . I usually keep Specks on most waters that have them since they are so prolific and some of their population sizes on some waters are just unbelievably huge. The statewide bag limit where I live is 25 per person per day. Some waters have size limits but there is no statewide slot limit where I live.

Also, what flies work well for crappie? Any other flies and retrieval strategies you can all recommend?

The one you mentioned (Crappie Candy) has been excellent for me in deeper water but I also have good luck on some wet flies like the Improved McGinty and Improved Black Gnat in shallower water. I have best luck when I fish the flies slowly if I don't get bites on the drop. I typically start with a wet fly in shallow water if the Specks are suspending but may switch to a Crappie Candy or other weighted fly to get the fly down faster if the Specks are holding deeper. I switch to a slow sink full sinking line with the Crappie Candy or other weighted fly if they are in very deep water (deeper than 8 to 10 feet). In canals and rivers, I just let the current move the fly on the drop and then slow retrieve.

[rrhyne56]

If its legal to keep, it's sweet to eat!

RRhyne56
http://www.robinscustomleadersandflies.com
http://robinsrumination.blogspot.com

[ohiotuber]

One rule on eating crappie....they MUST be from cold water. Once the water warms, their flesh is like mush. You can actually "pinch" through it. As far as size....if it's a legal fish & seems fat enough to get a decent filet, it should be great.
Flies for me are a black ghost streamer & prince nymph, but I fish crappie in ponds.
My favorite recipe for deep frying:

dust with flour seasoned with 1 tsp salt & 1/8 tsp pepper
dip in well beaten egg
coat with finely crushed Keebler CLUB crackers crumbs*
fry in 375 degree vegetable or peanut oil...when they float, they're done.

*Key are the Club crackers...much better flavor than saltines or bread crumbs.
Mike

[Rick Z]

Look in the panfish archives for Ricks Favorite Crappie flies.
I have caught alot of crapie on these flies.

Rick

[njsimonson]

I like to keep crappie from 10-13 inches in length (there are no length restrictions in ND, and minimal in MN, and both have generous dailies with 20 & 10 respectively). I rarely see them much larger, but a 14" usually warrants a release, as they are rare finds in ND & MN. Sometimes, through the ice, I will keep smaller, 8-9 inchers, especially out of deep water. Clean them over-the-ribcage style, and be patient, and you will get a lot more meat than a zip-n-clip process.

[arend003]

The lake I live on here in MN has a minimum of 9 inches to keep and they are very tasty ..
Tom

[ladyflyfisher]

I have been wondering the same thing. Early in May I was catching 6 or 7 inchers. I never fished for them before, so I didn't know how big they needed to be. I caught a bunch on crappie candy, I wore out one crappie candy fly one evening. Now, it seems they have moved to deeper water. I need to get the boat permit so I fish from the boat.
Downstate Illinois, there seems to be a 9 to 10 inch min. on size at a lot of lakes. Some lakes only let you take 10 or 25 daily.