Four Pound Crappies

[farmer boy]

Kelly what is the deal with the resort that advertises Home of the four pound crappies

were there some that large once ?

I wonder if the crappies are all as old as some think

Maybe we get used to the size but it does not seem like it has changed much in the five or six years I have been up.

Do the fish plateu in size or are they really differnt year classes.

Thanks Farmer

[kelly-p]

Years ago I remember 2 in the 19/20?? inch range. Both were filleted and eaten. Lyle who builds my houses once caught 2 matching 18 inch crappies. He knew they would be too tough to fry so he smoked them. Back then catching a crappie was kind of like catching a sheepshead. "Darn, this is a bad place if crappies are here. Guess I'll have to move to a different place."

[farmer boy]

Thats interesting I wonder how much a fish of that length would wieght and if it were aged how old

Thanks Farmer

[Powerstroke]

Any crappie over 12-14" is over 10 yrs old. I know CrappieTom had a chart last year or a couple years ago. The majority of fish that size are egg layers and well over 10 yrs old. I can't understand why people keep them and/or eat them.

[loadster33]

Just my two cents worth. I dont buy that size and age go together. I believe that food and the right enviroment has more to do with groth. Most animals will not grow bigger than what there surroundings will lets them. Not saying that age might not be a factor. But it makes more sence to me that an animal with the write food and surroundings would grow faster than an animal with limited food and poor surroundings.

[eyes']

Powerstroke, How long do you think these fish live? Do you think there will always be this many crappies in Red with the walleye population back on track?

[High Velocity]

Cause they taste good, like the monster in your Avatar Isn't that a doe? That could of gave birth to the next record.

[High Velocity]

Oh and no dead fish pics but a dead road goat is OK???

[james_walleye]

I have a hard time believing all the 12" crappies in the lake i fish in southern MN here are 10 years old.

[Mo Gator]

I can understand why people keep and eat Red Lake crappies, what I can't understand is why people shoot deer that are smaller than my chocolate lab....

[stuffer1]

Fish grow at different rates depending upon many factors. A fish in southern minnesota grows much faster than one in northern minnesota or canada. That said, their life span is generally much shorter. Genetics and food supply are two big contributors to the equation. A four pound crappie is a genetic "freak", no matter where you live. I personally mounted the Iowa state record crappie back in the 80's. It was 4lbs 15oz and measured 24" in length.

Good luck catching one!

[Chris Haley]

I read once that the oldest recorded black crappie was 14 yo. I just did a search to find the average life span of the black crappie and could only find 7-10 years. I really doubt there are ANY crappie in red that are WELL over ten years old. If someone can find a site that says they reach well over ten years please post it here.

Now we are going into the eleventh year of the 95 year class, I do believe that these crappie are still going strong. However, how long do they have left?? 1 year 2 maybe three?

[katoguy]

Wouldn't this actually be going on the 12th year of the 1995 class?

[Desperado]

You have to consider this question

"Where were the studies conducted that came up with those average age numbers"

Fish in warmer and more fertile water grow faster but don't live as long.

Fish in colder and less fertile water grow slower but live longer.

So if the study was done in the Southern US, you have to add a few years to the life expectancy when you're talking about fish within 50 miles of the US/Canada border.

[Chris Haley]

Even the Minnesota DNR info on the black crappie states 7-10 years.

[RogersResort]

I can remember the first crappie’s I caught out of this lake; it was in the spring of 1994. Me and friend had caught 10 fish all around 14 inches, we were in the fish cleaning shack when the big lake specialist(I think his name was Steve Boe) happened to stop by, he took some scale samples from some of the fish and had them aged, it turned out that all of the fish were about 10 years old. These were the parents of the fish that we are catching today. Personally the biggest crappie I have seen has been 15 ½ inches and weighed a few ounces over 2 lbs, I am still looking for that 16 inch plus crappie…

[Desperado]

Quote:

---

Even the Minnesota DNR info on the black crappie states 7-10 years.

---

OK, but where did the Minnesota DNR get their info?

Not saying you're wrong, just saying we need to look deeper.

Sometimes Minnestoa DNR info is from their own studies; sometimes it's from studies conducted in other states.

[Desperado]

Also remember "average" does not mean "maximum".

In order for the average to be 10, that would mean:

If two were killed when they were 8, then either;

two others would have to live to age 12

OR

one other would have to live to age 14

[Quackaddict9]

Quote:

---

Me and friend had caught 10 fish all around 14 inches, we were in the fish cleaning shack when the big lake specialist(I think his name was Steve Boe)

---

Steve Boe from Bemidji?

[farmer boy]

Why are the fish we are catching now the same size as they were five or six years ago ,with that being said do these fish reach a certain size and don't grow any more or are there really more classes of fish that we think. I think the later theory makes more sense. just a thought

Farmer

[stuffer1]

I've been fishing Red for the past five years and when we first started they averaged 15 oz. each. They have slowly increased in length and weight since then. Right now they are mostly from 13 1/2" to 15" and weight varies from 1 lb 4 oz. to 1lb 14 oz. Only time will tell if they grow any larger or how long they will be there in numbers, guess that's what keeps us coming back.

[fievel9922]

There are other year classes, but not like the 95 class. they are much smaller classes and have less of a chance to survive with the other fish that are now in there. I believe there will always be crappie in the lake but the days of going out and catching 30-40 slabs is in my opinion highly unlikely. The new year classes that will be coming in will have to fight off the wallyes for food, breeding grounds, and being eaten at a young age, etc etc etc.

[jdubbs31]

A guy in our group just caught a 16lb gator out of Red, which was his first. He kept it since there is a great story that goes with the catch and he planned on mounting it...poor planning since he later figured out how much it cost and decided a replica would be a better option when he had the cash. So it was filleted and inside it was a partially digested slab that was just missing the head. It appeared to be the same size as the 13" ones we caught.

It makes me wonder how many get eaten by all the huge gators. Maybe that has something to do with the decline in numbers??? I have pics of it, but obviously this fits the dead fish category.

[bumble]

Well, heres my two cents for what its worth, I think the growth goes along with the food these fish eat. 3 years ago, I caught a 12" perch on Devils lake in N.D., and it was tagged. I sent in the info, and here was a perch that had been tagged that spring,( in April), and I caught this fish in January. When the fish was tagged, it was 8", 9 mos. later, it was just under 12.5". Now granted, this lake is loaded with freshwater shrimp, but I'd have to say thats what made the differance. The Bumble

[Sportland_Bait]

I've weighed in a few 17 inchers. They were caught here in the Brainerd area. They've all been a little over 2 pounds. They were still full of eggs early in the spring. It would take a hog to hit 4 pounds.

Jason Erlandson

[fishmeister_86]

HI FMERS,

I SENT SCALE SAMPLES IN OF A 2 1/2LB. CRAPPIE CAUGHT IN RAINY & IT WAS 5 YEARS OLD, THE M.N.R. SAID DUE TO THE FACT THE AREA IS LOADED WITH HELGAMITES WAS THE CAUSE FOR THE MASS OF THE FISH. I GUESS HELGAMITES ARE LIKE STEROIDS!!! SO ITS IT MAKES A HUGE DIFFERENCE WHERE THE CRAPPIES ARE CAUGHT, HOW BIG THEY GET & HOW QUICKLY.

SINCERELY,

FISHMEISTER

[kelly-p]

HELGAMITES! That's an awful big word for this Forum. Most of us are still working on cat, dog and run.

[fishmeister_86]

HEY KELLY,

HOW ABOUT FRESH WATER SHRIMP, ACTUALLY NOT EVEN SURE HOW TO SPELL HELGAMITES...WAS MY BEST GUESS!!!

SINCERELY,

FISHMEISTER

[fishnutbob]

Kelly-P,

Its a bug in the water.

[farmer boy]

I thought they might be Ole's Girl friends gloves.

Helga Mites

But I tink she wears dem choppers