Size of Crappies Kept

[Otts]

I fish around the Chisago area. Usually I fish and just kind of "I-ball" the fish and keep the larger ones. Just curious how many of you measure your crappies and what is the smallest you keep?

Otts

[prophet]

9 inch minimum here

[TomWehler]

Yeah, 9" min here too.

Then only the 9" or above ones which have some back and only FOUR if I'm having a dinner.

Mostly don't even kep them period.

[metrojoe]

I stay with 9 inches myself, unless I've got the kids with, then I loosen it up a bit.

[Stratosman]

If I'm on the Bluegills, I usually throw the slabs back. IMO gills taste much better. But if keeping a crappie, I suppose around the 9" mark too.

[Deitz Dittrich]

I am totally with you strats... I will keep a crappie for sure, but bluegills are my my second fave only to perch. I like how a bluegill is a little bit tougher meat in my opinion. There are a few recipee that I do that I prefer crappies... I too release most all the big ones... I'll keep an 8.5" crappie from time to time, anything over 12 I like to put back. Not telling everybody else they have to do that.. just what I like to do.

[Bigfife]

I have 9 inch minimum for myself and others that come out with me. I have caught so many over the last couple years that I just know which ones I want to keep and which are too small. I measured all my fish a couple times when I got home and found that so far this year all my keepers have been over 10 inches. If I ever break the 12" mark on the local lakes, I will release it.

[Fish_Off]

I keep the 8-10. i will always put back anything over 10 inchs. No need to chop up the big ones when I catch enough to make a meal.

[tunrevir]

Are we talking area lakes here? I know that a 9" crappie on alot of lakes around here doesn't amount to much of a fillet. You would have a hard time finding many URL crappies around here, and if you went up there I would imagine you would keep a few slabs. I like the 9" rule as a whole and hope it will make for some larger fish in the future. My feeling is keep what you will eat within a reasonable size range and toss the rest back. My family can make a meal from 6-7 crappies if they have a bit of backbone to them whether they are 7" or 10 inches but I would be inclined to throw back crappies if they were 9-10 inches and paper thin. Just my 2 cents for what it is worth.

Tunrevir~

[john.wells]

I actually have no problem keeping crappies in the 6 to 8 inch range. I prefer bigger, but they are much more rare to find. I use a super sharp knife and get a nice little fillet out of it. The big thing is that my wife likes the little "chips" much more than the bigger chunks, and there seems to be a surplus of the little fellers on some of the lakes I hit so I don't feel bad about taking 'em home. Personally, I prefer 9-11 inchers, but I gotta admit those little chips with her home-made tarter sauce is hard to beat

[rosspj59]

I prefer 9-11 inchers too, but will keep 8-9 inchers if I'm fishing deeper water where a lot of them will bloat and die anyway. I think we would all be suprised to see the number of crappies that died every year from being caught. It is even more amazing that the number of crappies is still high in many of the lakes as there are so many taken out each winter. I like sunfish better than crappies too, but the big sunfish are much more rare than the crappies so If I keep fish I try to keep crappies more often to eat than sunfish. I wish we could get the sunfish limit reduced on some of the east central lakes.

[ratherbefishn]

I agree with the limits on panfish around here. There are quite a few lakes where we used to be able to go and catch some nice size and now everything is 4-6 inches. The best size I have seen in the last few years is out on the croix and for that reason we usually put them all back because they usually remain undiscovered out there and will stay that way. Thats one good thing about thin ice

[ikes71]

I have a 10 inch min. when keeping crappies. I should have a 20 inch min. because I don't keep many, I am just there to have fun. I do keep about three meals a winter. That is enough fish cleaning for me. This year it seems like the crappies under my permenant are bigger than usual, so a 10 inch min. has been easy to find. I find it to be more fun to catch and release than to have to go home and clean fish.

[woodsmanmn]

My rule is, they have to be wider than my hand. Then I know I can get a good filet. Not sure how long that makes em.

[panfried]

I agree with the 9 inch minimum, thats what i shoot for. Although this year i haven't kept a single fish yet on 3 times out. So i may have to make an exception next time out. I am getting pretty hungry for some fresh fish. In reallity you can barely see the difference between a 8" fillet and a 10" fillet. Maybe another nibble thats it. However when they reach that 11" range they get some shoulders on them.

[monstermoose78]

if ya keep 8 inchers they never make it to 11

[Thomas]

Keep only what I can eat in one meal. I find myself keeping the 10-11", but debating if I should keept the 8-9" and toss back the 10+ ones back.

[Lure Lightning]

I have kept some for the pan around 9"+ is my expectation I am there to have a good time otherwise. And I can honestly say I never have had a bad time fishing

[Mudcat21]

All depends if i want to eat fish that day or not. I have no problem keeping anything over 6".

[ozzie]

Is there actually any meat on a 6" crappie?? To each his own just curious.....