Taste from warm water crappies.

[tail chaser]

I just wondered about the taste for your southern lake crappies ? Here in N/West ohio I don't fish for crappies after june, till fall. Our main fish up here are walleyes & perch. Even some bluegills. These fish are placed on ice & not affected by warm water. Even though our water gets no where near the temps, that you experience down south, I see some of you fish 90 degree water with air temps in the 100's. Being crappies are a soft bodied fish, I wondered if you experience a difference in taste with the warmer weather ? Good luck, Don.

[huntinslabs]

Just have to be real careful and take good care of em from the time ya pull em in the boat till ya put em in the freezer or oil.

[arkyfishing]

they taste the same to me, i just throw them on ice instead of the live well when they hit the boat

[Hat55]

they taste the same to me, i just throw them on ice instead of the live well when they hit the boat

x 2

[Mrs. Crappie Stalker]

I've never noticed a difference in taste between cold weather caught fish and hot weather fish. No matter what the season, they always go into an aerated livewell with the addition of ice in hot weather.

[Bronson]

Still catching them on in Kentucky and still awesome at the table. Would definitely put them on ice as soon as you catch them if possible. Make sure to get enough ice so the fish stays on top. You don't want it to melt where your fish sits in just water. Not seeing much difference in how they taste but the fillets usually run a little bit smaller due to the warmer weather.
Crappie will begin putting on the feed bag in the fall and should get thicker across the back. Here in Kentucky, we still some pretty good sized fish this time of year.

[Blackhawk19]

I put them on ice in a cooler right away, I don't have a live well. Never noticed a difference in taste.

[sparkie51]

You southern boys should come up north and eat some crappies caught through the ice. You would than see what a good tasting crappies tastes like. I don' care how much ice you use the flesh of the fish still isn't the same as they are in the winter. Once the water temp hits 45-50 degrees I'm done with crappies. I've eaten fish from Alabama caught during the summer using the icing techinque and there definately is a taste difference.

[tail chaser]

I agree with Slabmaster, on the ice fishing crappies. I do think that all species of fish caught through the ice are better eating. I also always keep a fresh catch for a meal rather then freeze. I know with the fish we all catch that freezing is a must & Vacuum or froze in water , is still excellent for the table. Even with all the modern things we have to keep fish, from the lake to the skillet is No. #1

[gabowman]

I've never noticed a difference in taste between cold weather caught fish and hot weather fish. No matter what the season, they always go into an aerated livewell with the addition of ice in hot weather.

X 2. After filleting the fish I put them in water in a refridgerator for a couple days before cooking or freezing. They are as white meated and as firm as you'll ever see from a fillet.