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Thread: Does Crappie/Bass Grow Bigger in the south?

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    TeamAdcraft's Avatar
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    Default Does Crappie/Bass Grow Bigger in the south?


    Is there a difference in the size of the fish in the South Compared to the North?

    Random question for the day.. It's friday:rolleyes:

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    The fish grow larger in the south sometimes because of a longer growing season. In some cases it's a genetic thing as in the case of Florida strain of LM Bass or our Walleyes in Arkansas from what I've read. :D
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    Default Not sure, but....

    most Southerners have delusional visions of grandeur when elaborating on physical characteristics of any species. However, I am the exception here.

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    I agree with Nimrod. A longer growing season and genetics makes for larger fish. However, we shouldn't forget about food source and water condition (nutrients, oxygen, habitat protection from preditors, etc.)
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    I'm no deer hunter, but isn't there a corresponding area through Alabama, Mississippi, and touches Louisiana where hunters consistently harvest exceptional bucks. Its name has "black....." something or else in it. It just might be as Darryl noted about the nutrients available. Who knows, it might be something in the water.
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    Don't want to start a fire, but the short answer for crappie is, it depends. They grow faster, but don't live as long on average in the South. They grow more slowly, but live longer in the North. Something to do with metabolism; they "burn out" faster in the South. 'Course, if you live longer because of cold water and the effect on metabolism, it also means longer for something bad to happen-fishermen, muskie, heron, disease--so there are MORE big fish in the South (say, anything over 2 pounds), but in terms of state records, it kinda evens out. So the state record in Alabama is about 4 and a half pounds, and the record in Ohio is about the same. You've got a better shot at a 2-3 pound fish in Alabama, but about the same chance at a 4 pounder in both states. They're relatively rare in both states, but for different reasons--in Alabama, they die of old age and in Ohio they die from predation and disease because they're exposed over a longer period of time.

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    Default I think so.

    I'm from N/WI. but fish in ARK. yearly (Feb/Mar). We have no white crappie but black we do have and they get 15-16 inches but the whites in ARK seem to be larger, my largest to date 3lbs10ozs, 19-7/8". LM/Bass will get 5lbs+ but thats about it. SM/Bass do get large, esp. along the shores of Lake MI., 5-6 lbs. SM/Bass seem to be a northern fish more so than LM/Bass. A rule of thumb fishing SM/Bass is, the larger the body of water the bigger the fish. SM/Bass get large in Canada also.

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    TeamAdcraft's Avatar
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    Without going through them all. State records reflect the size difference as well..
    Here are a few..
    1. NORTH:
    South Dakota: Large Bass : 9# 3 oz Small Mouth 6# 3 Oz Crappie 3# 8 oz
    Minnesota: Large Mouth 8# 15 oz Small Mouth 8# Crappie 3# 15 oz
    Iowa: Large Mouth 10# 15 oz Small Mouth 7# 12 oz Crappie 4# 9 oz

    2. SOUTH:
    Georgia: Large Mouth 22# 4 oz Small Mouth 8# 2 oz Crappie 5#
    Arizona: Large Mouth 16# 8oz Small Mouth 9# 1oz Crappie 4# 10oz
    Alabama: Large Mouth 16# 10oz Small Mouth 10# 8oz Crappie 4# 12oz
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    Pawpaw, it's called the BLACK BELT for the deer. It produces MASS for the South.

    The South's usually last in everything except this one. Less Humans, Less Industry, Less Pressure, Less Pollution, MORE nutrients for them that FIRST YEAR. It's make or break the FIRST YEAR.

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    The rule of thumb in this climate or latitude is 3 years to 10" and about an inch each year thereafter. So, we estimate in our lake that a 15" crappie is 7-8 years old. Of course that can vary when they grow more one year and then less in another.
    Quit Wish'in and Let's Go Fish'in
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