Black/White My Last Word

[Gansett]

I just read another topic where a statement was made that it is difficult to tell the difference between a white and a black crappie. Ridiculous. I promise I will never mention this again. Forget counting fins, mouth shape, etc. etc. Just look at the fish. Except for general shape they look NOTHING alike. A black crappie looks black and white crappie looks white, case closed. Anyway, it just gripes me whenever I read that it is difficult to distinguish the two, it is not, it is easy. OK, I'm off my soapbox and I feel much better.

[crappieman101]

Po's me too when I hear someone say that a black crappie is a male and the white is a female.

[CrappiePappy]

... that there's more than just TWO kinds of Crappie (if you count the Blacknose, naturally occurring hybrids, triploid hybrids, etc)

But, seriously .... they aren't that difficult to identify. When the spawning colors come on, there is a tendency to confuse the White Crappie Male with the Black Crappie species .... but, only if you're just considering "coloration". The arrangement of the pigmentation pattern is the easiest ID method. White Crappie have vertical bar shaped patterns, while Black Crappie have broken horizontal lines of "specks" or "blotches" from back to belly.

Much like those calling all species of Sunfish ... Bream --- those that don't seem to be able to distinguish between the two Crappie species, probably don't much care that there's two distinct species :p

... cp

[speckfinder]

The blacks on KY lake in the winter are not very black. They are easy to identify though.

[Darryl Morris]

I agree that our southern crappie are easy to identify. However, if I'm correct you are referring to an article written by the Minnesota DNR. I can see how it might be difficult for them to identify the difference between black and white crappie when their coloration is diminished due to the very cold water and their eyes are blinded by the sun glare off the snow and ice. They know it's a walleye when the teeth sink in after lipping the monster.

Coloration difference and number of spines are only two unique markings. Whites also have a prominent black dot on the tip of their gill plate and blacks do not. Of course, the Black Nose has the racing stripe. Catch a crappie that looks like a black, only has six spines and has the dot - it's a naturally occurring hybrid. Throw in the racing stripe over the head and add the dot and only six spines -- no doubt it's a hybrid, a very unique one at that. There are more of them out there and we realize.

[WestTennCrappie]

I agree with the statements above. Those of us that know, know. I can tell easily when I hook a fish trolling and pull him tot he top of the water I can tell right away he is a black crappie or white. But the statement thats blacks are darker is not always true. They look different and are easy to identify but I find that if they come from the same depth and water clarity they actualy look similar in color but thier markings are different. I also find black crappie to have a very light yellowish tint to them. But jsut to say the black crappie is darker will not hold up because you can catch a really black white crappie in spawn colors and light black crappie in a little deeper water that will be lighter than the white. .....also..... If your catching them spawning and put them in the livewell watch the black crappie turn almost solid black and get darker than the white crappie. Here at Reelfoot the black crappie distinguish themselves from the whites and that they are usualy not found together and even when found together the black crappie have been holding about a foot higher in the water column which is a big deal here since average depth is 5.5ft. Also here at Reelfoot when the water hits a steady 60 degrees 80% of black crappie have already spawned out where 80% of the whtie crappie havent even moved off the staging areas in mid depth ranges to even hit the shoreline yet.

[Harold]

Once they are in the grease it don't matter!

[blairarnold]

The only time I have even a little difficulty telling them apart are when white crappie males have their spawning color, but even then a fairly casual inspection tells the tale.

[Fisherman_Wantabe]

Once they are in the grease it don't matter!

X2 I'm with with you. :D:D

[brazman]

Who cares? Eat em!