Slimy Crappie

[Slabs Inc]

I have been catching some really slimy crappie, it's mostly the big fish that are. What causes that? I have always wondered that. It's like catching a channel, or blue.

[duramax]

I have been catching some really slimy crappie, it's mostly the big fish that are. What causes that? I have always wondered that. It's like catching a channel, or blue.

I noticed the same thing. There is brown scum in my livewell from the crappies and they are very slimy. The lake I fish is full of 2" gizzard shad and I figured it was because the crappie were eating so many of them. So what's the real answer???????????

[das speck hunter]

Slime is a mucus produced in order to protect the fish from parasites and worms. The fish produce it in order to protect themselves.

[duramax]

Slime is a mucus produced in order to protect the fish from parasites and worms. The fish produce it in order to protect themselves.

I know that all fish have protective slime but in nearly 60 yrs of fishing I've never seen so much brown slimy scum in my livewell. The same fish I caught and released in the spring did not have as much slime and the few I did keep did not leave brown scum in the livewell. ??????

[das speck hunter]

Down here come winter they produce alot more slime simply cause they go deeper and move less. And because they are deeper and move less they produce more slime to protect themselves from worms and parasites. When ever they have changing conditions whether it be water temp, oxygen levels or anything else to stress them they will produce more slime. This year your body of water could of had less oxygen, diffrent minerals or experiencing any of those chemical changes or your thermocline might be turning over and stressing the fish making them slimy.

As for the color of the slime I would think it is diet.

[hair jig]

Colder the water gets the more slime they produce.

[Wood_Duck]

I had been wondering the same thing. I know they don't seem too bad when catching them, although abit worse than summer but when I go to get them out of my cooler, its pretty nasty

[gabowman]

I assume the fish slimes up when stressed. Hadnt noticed it so much in the livewell as I always take the fish out of the 'well into a 5 gallon bucket when back at home fixing to clean 'em. Man....they slime up real good in that bucket though.

[barrelslime]

It could be the water from the lake that has an elevated slime content due to the cooler weather. When you fill the livewell with lake water it is probly bad enough, then the fish make it even worse. My live well is nasty too from white bass, but just the water in the livewell before its full of fish, is real nasty.

[shakynerves24]

I was wondering if its the water itself. I've noticed the waters in the tributaries I fish have a dirty brownish look to it. We've been bouncing up and down on the temps both on the water and air the last few weeks.