so what does it take to get a crappie black or white over 3 lbs ?

[Ketchn]

age ?
food ?
lake ?
i have heard so many falsehoods surrounding this subject that I feel compelled to expose some of the myths . some think it has to do with the lake size . that i know factually is not true . i have managed crappie in a small pond that exceed 3 . then some say its lots of food . this I tend to think is rather accurate . an abundance of easy food items works for me . then there is the age thing and the jury is out on this one as far as i am concerned . one biologist says this the next says that . and in many cases they don't age them accurately .i am of the opinion on this subject that if more folks released them here in Texas it could have some play in it for sure . most of the time here in Texas they get kept and filleted long before they get to 2 lbs .this in turn is why when i ketch a fish that's large i don't kill it . but i am only one and am up against a million .
the fish in the photo below is an example of ketch and release . she most likely wont ever get much larger in my opinion as she lives in a heavily fished environment . but hey someone has to do it right ? LOL
so lets here some other opinions .

[scrat]

All I can say is that crappie would make a couple of good fillet sandwiches. Sorry I am not a trophy fisherman, I am a meat eating fisherman.

[Redge]

I think that plenty of food, and age weighs into it. I am guessing that almost any body of water is capable of growing such a fish, if people would let them grow. Personally I keep 10-12 " fish that is my perfect eater size. All of the others get released.

[johndeere5045]

I have been told by biologist that crappie has a short life span. Between 5-7 years. This said, most lakes take between 3-5 years to reach 12" plus in size. This is especially true n southeast US. Mississippi excluded. I think if you release a 12" plus fish it will die of ald age before being caught again. Just my opinion.

[vic n]

Your growing season for crappie is longer than northern waters, food source is very important, too. Age can be accurately determined by a biologist, but may not be practical for one of us "regular" fishermen. I guess you could put tags on some small fish and sort of track them for a few years to see how they do. Crappie in Mo need about 3 years to be considered mature enough to spawn, and about 5 years is as old as most ever get, with some exceptions.

[M R Dux]

Same as a big buck---Genetics, Food, Age.

[RogerA]

X 2

I think that plenty of food, and age weighs into it. I am guessing that almost any body of water is capable of growing such a fish, if people would let them grow. Personally I keep 10-12 " fish that is my perfect eater size. All of the others get released.

[wannabe fisherman]

patience is what it takes try try and try again

[CrappiePappy]

I am guessing that almost any body of water is capable of growing such a fish, if people would let them grow.

Redge has a good point !! Just look at the state records for Crappie around the nation, and you'll see that a good percentage come from relatively small waters. Case in point - Kentucky : our state doesn't differentiate between Crappie species, so we only have one entry ... a 4lb 14oz fish caught from a watershed lake in 2005.

... cp

[trypman1]

Most die way before reaching 3#. Whether from old age or being caught.