The crappie stands out as one gamefish that is really popular. If you did not fish for this species in the past you will not understand why. It is really quick to hook and one weighing more than 1 pound is rarely caught. According to fishermen of all ages, the crappie is one fish that stands out as fun to catch. We can say that the biggest reason why we are in front of such a popular fish to catch is the simple fact that there is no real need of fancy or expensive equipment. You can find good crappie fishing spots in so many lakes and you can fish in any season you want to. All gets even better when we taste the crappie as it is really tasty.
You should really try out a crappie fillet although hundreds of possible recipes exist. One fact that is really interesting is that we have 2 crappie species and not just one as some might think. We are faced with white crappie and black crappie and only some people can accurately differentiate one from the other.
Both white and black crappie will be caught with the use of the same technique. No real difference can be found in equipment needed. The only problem appears when you catch a really big crappie. We do have to be able to properly differentiate between these 2 species in this case. You need to look at the fish’s dorsal fin spines in order to basically know what is caught. Black crappies have 7 or alternatively 8 but the white ones have only 6. As you surely realized already by the name that the crappie types have, the white crappie is whiter than the black crappie and has spots arranged vertically on sides.
The black crappie is darker and features irregular spotting. Sometimes this criterion is not enough to differentiate between the two. The water where you are fishing is also an important factor to analyze the crappie species that you actually caught. Black crappie will be found in cooler and clearer lakes. You can find white crappie in most situations in siltier waters of warmer lakes. Even if we see that even professional fishermen are not interested in the crappie type caught, you should be able to actually differentiate between the two. If you want to be considered a good fisher of crappie by your friends you do have to be aware of this particular crappie fishing 101 basic fact.
On the whole it is not at all difficult to differentiate between black and white crappie. Remember that we are talking about one of the most popular fish that one can catch. There is a tremendous delight in fishing for crappie as you will not have to wait for ages to actually catch one. You will find them in schools located near a woody cover. If you use insects as lure you will mostly catch young crappie while for the adults you have to use baitfish. You can not only have a lot of fun while going out crappie fishing, you will also surprise all friends as you can differentiate black crappie from white crappie quickly.