Jump to content
  • GUESTS

    If You  want access  to member only forums on FM, You will need to Sign-in or  Sign-Up now .

    This box will disappear once you are signed in as a member.

My First BIG Crappie!


AllDayFisherMan

Recommended Posts

Last night I caught a 12.5" monster crappie right at sundown on a West Metro Lake. I was so pumped! This has to be almost double the size of my other biggest crappie!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Goodcatch alldayfisherman, me and a buddy were out on tonka early yesterday morning and we hit the jackpot. 30-40 crappies all between 9-12 inches and my buddy caught one that was just over 14 and a half inches. Hes getting it mounted. We absolutely slayed the crappies. and to top it all off about 20 min. before we left and we already had our limit my buddy caught a 7 lb. northern on the crappie rig after fighting it for about 5 minutes. Just a great day out on the ice.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Good to hear! Days like this are what keep me in the sport! I love having a great day! I spent some of the day on Indepencence and caught some dink crappies! While I was fishing, caught a nice sized 14.5" walleye. Nice bonus!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That is a great catch! I know where your going next time. If you see me with binoculars I'm watching the birds not where your headed to fish grin

Link to comment
Share on other sites

yea i caught my biggest crappy two weekends ago it was 13.5 inches a monster. Man those things are fun to bring up.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

truly a nice fish, I managed 2 13.5, and a 13.75 inch this winter, doesnt seem like they get much bigger in these parts, I wonder what size youd have to get to mount one? I keep holding out for like a 16-18 incher but will probably die before that ever happens around here.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Congrats on your biggest so far, keep at it and you will get bigger fish! There are some nice crappies in the metro if your on the right lakes, quite a few that hold some 16"+ fish. Last year I got my biggest at 15.5" and this year I got 14" fish and a few in the 12-13" range, all on lakes that kick out 16"+ fish year after year. I am hoping to break the 16" mark before I think about getting a replica mount made.

It is so fun to pull up them slabs, I think what makes it even better is that you will catch soo many crappies and then BAM a giant slab that finally makes it worth it. I dont really eat fish so its all about hoping for slabs, and after all the time spent catching average size crappies it really makes my day to land a slab.

I always encourage panfisherman to practice selective harvest to increase the numbers of slabs here in the metro. Nobody is saying dont eat fish, nothing wrong with it, but just using your head and keeping the fish that are plentiful and not the old timers that take many, many years to get that big, and are few and far between. I like to see people eating crappies between 8" and 11" here in the metro, once you get over 11" your talking about a fish that is rare in these waters and these fish are the future slabs that could be if released. I know its nice to clean a few less fish by keeping the biggest you get, but ask yourself is it worth the few minutes of saved time to eat a big crappie and remove it from the population instead of just keeping a few more from a size range that is plentiful in the lake? The sport of fishing is changing from the way it was in the past, people are much better at finding big fish due to all the new technology and the increasing numbers of people fishing and sharing information, and all it takes to still be able to sustain the fishery we have is selective harvest.

Good luck on the lakes!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was fortunate to get a 16 1/2" Crappie in Ely two years ago. It weighted 2 lbs 5 oz. I did get a replica done.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Crappie that big in ely must've been 20 years old!!! grin Very nice fish...so far my 15 inch crappie has eluded me this season...biggest is only about 11 inches frown But the winter is still young!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Way to go on the big crappie! It sure is fun when your getting a bunch of 'metro sized fish' to hook into a nice one.

Ely was where I got my big crappie too. For some reason there are a few select lakes up there that have monsters. Mine was just a hair under 17. Like 16 7/8. My buddy got one on the same day that did go 17. Best day of crappie fishing ever. Kinda cool when you got to lip them out of the hole.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There are big Crappies on the Lake we fish. It's in 28 ft of water, near a sunken Pine tree. The smallest one we have caught when we go up there on our Summer Vac is 9". (Mid JUly) The average is 10" - 14". We never keep any of them, and we usually only fish the spot twice during the week.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Congrats on the big fish, I was hoping for a pic:-) ...been a long time since I had a decent slab on my line.

FishinChad, gotta agree with you on your post. I always try to think, too, when debating on keeping a fish, that you're not only taking a fish, but you're also taking the genetics out of the lake as well.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A 12" crappie is always a fun catch.

I agree 100% with the thoughts of a selective harvest. Im also a firm believer in taking nice pics and creating a mount from those vs killing the fish.. it lasts longer and is cheaper.

If your pumped about a 12" er... I cant wait to see you post once you land into a 14 - 16.. cause they are out there.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you or anyone happens to get any fish that they want to get mounted I recommend Jack or Scott at Minnesota Valley Taxidermy in Burnsville. They do an awsome job! I just picked up my 14.5" white crappie and a 19" smallie. I also had Jack do my buck head a couple years back. I'm really happy with all of them. They look alive! Their prices are average but the turn around time can be long. I think they get pretty busy with orders. The wait is worth the product though! I'll post up some pics for everyone to see his work. Last year I caught a 20" smallie out of our cabin lake up north that I released so I think next I'll have Jack do a reproduction mount of it. I've seen some of his repros and they look awsome too! Congrats! Nice fish!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Allday: Nice fish. I agree with Big A's comment about how pumped you'll be when you catch one a couple inches longer. I only started fishing seriously for crappies within the last couple years. I'm absolutely hooked and my addiction is driven by the time I lived in the Central Lakes area of MN. There are some great, untouched and less-pressured lakes that hold some big crappies in big numbers. Last spring I got on a small lake and sight fished the crappies in 5 fow. There was a fallen tree hanging over the lake. I stood on the tree trunk (quite wide) and watched the crappies swim through. I caught about 20+ crappies in about an hour or so and the smallest was 11 inches and two were 14.5. Had a large pike take after one of them while reeling it in (I got the crappie and the slough shark missed). The majority were 13+. Every one of them are still swimming. Was an absolute blast. My goal is to get one in the 16-18 inch range some time.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I agree with FishinChad on the selective harvest, I released a beauty 17.25" crappie last spring (see my avatar) on a lake that is hit hard but still produces fish. I would like to think that thing is going to spawn some monsters (in the future) this spring (if someone else didn't keep it). I will be getting a replica sometime - just have to convince the wife.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

MMMMmmmmm mighty fine looking Labatt's! Oh yeah and nice crappie.

EyesOnThePrize that is a real beaut. Thanks for releasing it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Nice fish....the taxidermist I use said fish do not shrink when frozen. I thought he was wrong but he swore they don't shrink at all.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

No, they do. I measured it originally and it went over 12.5" and then when I measured it at the house it was 12"

What happens is that fish are used to being in the water and then when you take them out, they start to lose some of that water.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That is why you have to be careful when you keep a walleye that is right at the minimum for the slot limit. Quite a few years back I was on Waconia, and had a walleye that was about 1/4 of an inch over the minimum. We thru it on the ice, and didn't think anything of it. About 4 hours later the local CO knocked on our door and wanted to know who put the walleye on the ice. Not thinking anything of it, I told him I did. I then got a lecture about keeping a fish that was under the slot limit. It got a little heated. I told him he was full of it, and that fish was over the slot by 1/4 inch. He believed me, but the CO told me that once you take them out of the water, and throw them outside that some of the water starts coming out of the fish as they freeze and that they also shrink when they freeze. He said they can easily lose a half an inch, and even more on a bigger fish. He told me going forward to keep them in a bucket of water with some ice inside the house, and we could avoid this conversation in the future. Luckily I got off with a warning. Haven't had a problem since. I'm guessing that I wasn't the first person he had this conversation with, and probably not the last either?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sight fishing those basking crappies in spring sure is fun though isn't it!!!? We got into a bunch of 11-12" slabs like that on Webb lake once! One of my favorite fishing scenarios!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

MNFishtrapper: Yes the sight fishing in spring is a blast. The water is usually so clear you really get to see some patterns and understand how fish react to different baits. It was funny, anytime the crappies had some competition (e.g. sunfish who raced to the bait), they lost interest.

Plus, you get to see a lot of other big fish swim by. The lake I fished on (and hope to this spring), has a lot of bass and pike in it. Of course, they are out of season then, but just watching them can be fun. That pike that took after the crappie I had on the line went and laid about 15 feet from the tree from which I was fishing. Was fun to watch her just sit there in the sun.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.



  • Your Responses - Share & Have Fun :)

    • jparrucci
      Very low, probably 2 feet lower than last year at ice out.
    • mbeyer
      what do they look like this spring?
    • SkunkedAgain
      I might have missed a guess, but here are the ones that I noted:   JerkinLips – March 27th, then April 7th Brianf. – March 28th Bobberwatcher – April…. MikeG3Boat – April 10th SkunkedAgain – early April, then April 21st   Definitely a tough year for guesses, as it seemed to be a no-brainer early ice out. Then it got cold and snowed again.
    • mbeyer
      MN DNR posted April 13 as Ice out date for Vermilion
    • Brianf.
      ^^^45 in the morning and 47 in the evening
    • CigarGuy
      👍. What was the water temp in Black Bay? Thanks....
    • Brianf.
      No, that wasn't me.  I drive a 621 Ranger. 
    • CigarGuy
      So, that was you in the camo lund? I'm bummed, I have to head back to the cities tomorrow for a few days, then back up for at least a few weeks. Got the dock in and fired up to get out chasing some crappies till opener!
    • LakeofthewoodsMN
      On the south end...   Lots of ice on the main basin, but it is definitely deteriorating.  Some anglers have been fishing the open water at the mouth of the Rainy River in front of the Lighthouse Gap.  The rest of the basin is still iced over. Pike enthusiasts caught some big pike earlier last week tip up fishing in pre-spawn areas adjacent to traditional spawning areas.  8 - 14' of water using tip ups with live suckers or dead bait such as smelt and herring has been the ticket.  Ice fishing for all practical purposes is done for the year. The focus for the basin moving forward will be pike transitioning into back bays to spawn,  This is open water fishing and an opportunity available as the pike season is open year round on Lake of the Woods. The limit is 3 pike per day with one being able to be more than 40 inches. All fish 30 - 40 inches must be released. With both the ice fishing and spring fishing on the Rainy River being so good, many are looking forward to the MN Fishing Opener on Saturday, May 11th.  It should be epic. On the Rainy River...  An absolutely incredible week of walleye and sturgeon fishing on the Rain Rainy River.     Walleye anglers, as a rule, caught good numbers of fish and lots of big fish.  This spring was one for the books.   To follow that up, the sturgeon season is currently underway and although every day can be different, many boats have caught 30 - 40 sturgeon in a day!  We have heard of fish measuring into the low 70 inch range.  Lots in the 60 - 70 inch range as well.   The sturgeon season continues through May 15th and resumes again July 1st.   Oct 1 - April 23, Catch and Release April 24 - May 7, Harvest Season May 8 - May 15, Catch and Release May 16 - June 30, Sturgeon Fishing Closed July 1 - Sep 30, Harvest Season If you fish during the sturgeon harvest season and you want to keep a sturgeon, you must purchase a sturgeon tag for $5 prior to fishing.    One sturgeon per calendar year (45 - 50" inclusive, or over 75"). Most sturgeon anglers are either a glob of crawlers or a combo of crawlers and frozen emerald shiners on a sturgeon rig, which is an 18" leader with a 4/0 circle hook combined with a no roll sinker.  Local bait shops have all of the gear and bait. Up at the NW Angle...  Open water is continuing to expand in areas with current.  The sight of open water simply is wetting the pallet of those eager for the MN Fishing Opener on May 11th.   A few locals were on the ice this week, targeting pike.  Some big slimers were iced along with some muskies as well.  If you like fishing for predators, LOW is healthy!  
    • Brianf.
      Early bird gets the worm some say...   I have it on good authority that this very special angler caught no walleyes or muskies and that any panfish caught were released unharmed.        
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.