Truman black crappie

[kazualobzerver]

My favorite, don't keep a lot of fish but do keep some as the water cools in the fall, prefer to keep blacks and release the whites. Maybe it's me or maybe it's the area but this year the blacks generally are not thick shouldered fish that I expect this time of the year. The whites are tankers by comparison, healthy. Just curious; different forage base, blacks impacted more by extended hot water temps this year, over population of that species?

[got crappie]

My favorite, don't keep a lot of fish but do keep some as the water cools in the fall, prefer to keep blacks and release the whites. Maybe it's me or maybe it's the area but this year the blacks generally are not thick shouldered fish that I expect this time of the year. The whites are tankers by comparison, healthy. Just curious; different forage base, blacks impacted more by extended hot water temps this year, over population of that species?

Must be you??????????????? (LOL)

[Just Jiggin]

Steve i have caught a few blacks this fall on the Tebo & they are thin also...But they hit like a biggun..

[kazualobzerver]

Must be you??????????????? (LOL)

i knew my weak attempt at science would be wasted on you

[MOfishmgr]

Mike Bayless provided me with the following to answer the question:

Truman Crappie Angler,

Thanks for your question. I’m not sure I have a solid answer but I have several ideas. My first thought is that the white crappie this fall and several of the last several falls have been incredibly healthy and thick. Growth and health of the white crappie in the reservoir has been exceptional. Could it be that the whites are such chunks as compared to years past that the blacks are still heavy, but not in comparison of the way whites were in the past? I agree blacks are typically thicker in the shoulders than whites, but the whites we have caught and sampled over the past three or four years have all been, for lack of better terms, pigs. We recently sampled crappie near Berry Bend and on the lower Osage and Grand. I didn’t notice that the blacks were thinner than normal though that could be the case. I do feel that whites and blacks do have some differences in their forage base, but without looking at research I’m not sure what those differences are. They are certainly found in different habitats than whites in general. I also noticed this year what I think was whites gorging on dragon fly larvae. Back in early October whites were being caught in fairly shallow water 6-10 feet and right on the bottom. I heard several reports that you had to actually drag your jig on the bottom to get bit. I’m assuming that the whites were on the bottom eating these larvae during this period.

There may be something to the extended hot weather and higher water temps. Whites are more tolerant of warmer water than blacks and can be caught in shallow water in the heat of summer, where sometimes it’s hard to find blacks. If this is the case, it should be short lived. The shad hatch was great this year so the food should be there. Whites make up the majority of the crappie in the reservoir. I don’t believe growth is impacted by to many crappie.

I appreciate the question and hope I have helped. If you have any questions or want to talk fishing on Truman give me a holler.

Good Luck and Good Fishing,

Mike

Mike Bayless
Fisheries Management Biologist
660.885.6981 Ext. 253
Fax: 660.885.5038
2010 S. 2nd
Clinton, MO 64735

[kazualobzerver]

Thank you MOfishmgr and Mr. Bayless for taking the time to answer. Some of us use seat of the pants opinions instead of scientific basis or logic so it's good you help keep us straight.

[Jigging15]

Great reply to the question. Have not heard Mike's name for a while. He was over the lake in the Windsor park where my parents are caretakers. They always had nothing but good things to say about Mike and all he did for them down there.

[bwillaub]

Mike Bayless provided me with the following to answer the question:

Truman Crappie Angler,

Thanks for your question. I’m not sure I have a solid answer but I have several ideas. My first thought is that the white crappie this fall and several of the last several falls have been incredibly healthy and thick. Growth and health of the white crappie in the reservoir has been exceptional. Could it be that the whites are such chunks as compared to years past that the blacks are still heavy, but not in comparison of the way whites were in the past? I agree blacks are typically thicker in the shoulders than whites, but the whites we have caught and sampled over the past three or four years have all been, for lack of better terms, pigs. We recently sampled crappie near Berry Bend and on the lower Osage and Grand. I didn’t notice that the blacks were thinner than normal though that could be the case. I do feel that whites and blacks do have some differences in their forage base, but without looking at research I’m not sure what those differences are. They are certainly found in different habitats than whites in general. I also noticed this year what I think was whites gorging on dragon fly larvae. Back in early October whites were being caught in fairly shallow water 6-10 feet and right on the bottom. I heard several reports that you had to actually drag your jig on the bottom to get bit. I’m assuming that the whites were on the bottom eating these larvae during this period.

There may be something to the extended hot weather and higher water temps. Whites are more tolerant of warmer water than blacks and can be caught in shallow water in the heat of summer, where sometimes it’s hard to find blacks. If this is the case, it should be short lived. The shad hatch was great this year so the food should be there. Whites make up the majority of the crappie in the reservoir. I don’t believe growth is impacted by to many crappie.

I appreciate the question and hope I have helped. If you have any questions or want to talk fishing on Truman give me a holler.

Good Luck and Good Fishing,

Mike

Mike Bayless
Fisheries Management Biologist
660.885.6981 Ext. 253
Fax: 660.885.5038
2010 S. 2nd
Clinton, MO 64735

Great answer and very informative. I appreciate your efforts to help us have a better understanding of the fish we love.

[beagle man]

kinda sounds like crappie don't always feed up.... hummmwhere have i heard that before