16.5” 2.38 lb white crappie

[NJ219bands]

Went fishing 🎣 this afternoon in 56 degree Carnegie Lake after the eclipse. Saw the eclipse for a few seconds while driving on the exit ramp. A guy in the parking lot showed me photos that he took. Amazing. I caught and released 8 bluegills, 4 white perch and 4 black crappies with Walmart red worms 🪱. On my last cast of the day, a large brown bullhead broke my 4 lb test line, then swam away with my rig when I lifted it from the lake. Saw 8 other fishermen. The first four caught nothing, then quit early. The young fisherman for whom I netted his 23” pickerel a few days ago arrived late in the day, fished nearby, then caught and released a 16.5” 2.38 lb white crappie with a little white twister tail jig on an ultralight spinning outfit. I netted the fish 🐟 for him again and took lots of photos with his camera. I now have a new friend who is going to follow me around and fish nearby so that I can net his fish.

[bulletbob]

A White Crappie close to 2 1/2 pounds and over 16 inches long is an amazing catch in a lake that gets relentlessly pounded. That fish is a real survivor, and i hope it doesn't get eaten next time its caught... I can only judge by what I read of course, but that lake seems very productive, and the only reason its not full of big, desirable size panfish, is because anything of any size gets hauled off in a paint bucket....bob

[jmurr711]

i wanna see that crappie!

[bulletbob]

Originally Posted by jmurr711

i wanna see that crappie!

meh, 16 inches.. Thats catfish bait size...

https://www.fieldandstream.com/fishi...e-of-all-time/

[Broad Bill]

For jmurr711. 17.25", 3.2 lbs. last year caught in 20 feet over a brush pile during the summer from NJ waters. Released to pass along her genes. OBVIOUSLY NOT IN THIS YEARS TOURNAMENT BUT WANTED TO SHARE. Weight would have been considerably higher if caught in the spring pre spawn. Beautiful crappie, maybe not 4 plus but this lake has 4 plus in it. And 15" plus yellow perch.

[Broad Bill]

Originally Posted by bulletbob

meh, 16 inches.. Thats catfish bait size...

https://www.fieldandstream.com/fishi...e-of-all-time/

Funny never wanted to use crappie for flatheads. Bluegill, perch, golden tarpon yes but crappie are in my opinion too valuable and high end a fish. Would be like using live walleye almost. Hard to explain, just never thought about using them even though I've had many opportunities to do so and it's perfectly legal.

A 16.5# crappie is a serious crappie, black or white. Not a state record or like some giants caught in other states but a serious noteworthy fish nonetheless. The one I just posted looked like a frisbee at the side of the boat.

[bulletbob]

Originally Posted by Broad Bill

Funny never wanted to use crappie for flatheads. Bluegill, perch, golden tarpon yes but crappie are in my opinion too valuable and high end a fish. Would be like using live walleye almost. Hard to explain, just never thought about using them even though I've had many opportunities to do so and it's perfectly legal.

A 16.5# crappie is a serious crappie, black or white. Not a state record or like some giants caught in other states but a serious noteworthy fish nonetheless. The one I just posted looked like a frisbee at the side of the boat.

I think you misconstrued my post.. I would never use a Crappie as bait either, although a lot of Flathead fishermen in the south do.. and yes I realize a 2 1/2 lb White Crappie is a formidable and very rare fish, especially in a place like Carnegie lake. I was just attempting a little "tongue in cheek" humor ... I would give anything to catch a one pounder here in NY state, In the last 5 years I have caught a grand total of ONE that was over 7 inches, and that was a whopping 9 incher.. They just don't get a chance in public waters in NY state to grow.. That giant I posted was taken from a private lake near Albany.. In my part of NY state, panfish are pounded relentlessly to the point that the NY DEC has even put size and bag limits on Sunfish!.. 8 inches, 15 a day.. Yes we have the bucket brigades as well once you get close to the bigger cities... You guys in NJ are lucky . For some reason crappies do very well there, and seem to grow faster than they do in NY state.. I caught a LOT more and much bigger Crappies in NJ than I ever have in NY... We have a lot more and bigger Rock Bass here than NJ.. big deal... I'd rather have the crappies.... bob