Crappie On Rocks Or Live Well?

[Bingo]

I was keeping my crappie in a live well and was keeping them alive all day long. Someone mentioned to me that crappie are a soft cell tissue and for them to be best and taste best, you need to catch them and put them on ice as soon as you catch them.

Is this true? At times i turn my catch back from my live well, if i come in late or do not have enough for a good mess. I know in the dead hot summer and if your fish are dead and you come in later that isn't good. I actually have two live wells and i turn the aeriator on both of them often for the fish and try not to over crowd to much one live well. If ice is the best, then i'll start using ice for the crappie.

[greatthosu]

Best way,

[DEADEYE]

I ice them if im not fishing a tournament,it sure does make them fillet easy also when put on ice.

[FishnLine]

I prefer to put them on ice right away, but I use a stringer some time and they're still good.

[adacrappieman]

taste the same to me both ways.

[zebkedic]

I've done it both ways and can't see any difference.

[David Waters]

I know some guys that are just absolutely gung ho about putting them in bags and on ice. They say the fish ruin or are not as good. I haven't noticed anything different really. So I don't think there is a big difference.

[creekslick]

The only difference I can tell is that they are easier to fillet if you put them on ice as Deadeye said in a post above.

[Litebite]

I don't see why a crappie would taste any better when put directly on ice than letting them live in the live well till cleaning time or quick departure home..
..I also toss crappie back into the lake if I don't feel like taking them home and not wanting to clean them....
..If you throw your fish on ice right away I'd make sure I was gonna clean them and especially if I only catch a few...What a waste if you are just too tired to mess with a couple..
......Freshness does matter when eating fish and the sooner you get that fish cleaned the better......Dead fish are dead meat....Live fish are fresh meat...But when put on ice it does save the decomposing time......

..

[CrappieTexan]

I put a bag of ice in the bottom of the cooler.... add crappie.... open a bag of ice and scatter over the top...... that way you can take a nap when you get home until your wife comes home so she can help you clean'em....
Good fishing.............