need advise?

[Nightprowler]

If you were on a lake that had 50% Black Crappie (larger fish) and 50% White Crappie (smaller fish), and all you were catching was the smaller White Crappie, what would be some things you'd change to catch the Black Crappie?? Do they use the same habitat? Or would you search a entirely different area? Do Blacks stay shallower or deeper? Do they prefer a suspend more than white? Thanks for any advise.

[CrappiePappy]

If you were on a lake that had 50% Black Crappie (larger fish) and 50% White Crappie (smaller fish), and all you were catching was the smaller White Crappie, what would be some things you'd change to catch the Black Crappie?? Do they use the same habitat? Or would you search a entirely different area? Do Blacks stay shallower or deeper? Do they prefer a suspend more than white? Thanks for any advise.

If you've read the KDFWR Crappie Movement Study, done on KY Lake ... you'd probably see that :

Black Crappie do tend to come in earlier, spawn shallower, and stay shallower during the early part of the year.

My experience has been that, they also do this :
During the Fall period, they will come into the deep creeks and stage under docks and on deep submerged cover ... while the White Crappie seem to want to stay out on the main channel edges.

(this has been my experience with Crappie at Watts Bar Lake, Spring & Fall, for the most part. There have been exceptions, but most of those times it was due to abnormal weather patterns)

... cp

[jafacman]

If you've read the KDFWR Crappie Movement Study, done on KY Lake ... you'd probably see that :

Black Crappie do tend to come in earlier, spawn shallower, and stay shallower during the early part of the year.

My experience has been that, they also do this :
During the Fall period, they will come into the deep creeks and stage under docks and on deep submerged cover ... while the White Crappie seem to want to stay out on the main channel edges.

(this has been my experience with Crappie at Watts Bar Lake, Spring & Fall, for the most part. There have been exceptions, but most of those times it was due to abnormal weather patterns)

... cp

Dang Thats Good Stuff Rite There...

[beagle man]

I find most of the black crappie arround rocks,gravel areas close to chunk rock or bluff areas, up shallow on the rip rap a lot of the time, the white crappie seem to hang arround stick ups and trees, cedar and hedge. these finds have been on Missouri lakes. seem like the black crappie come up off the flats and move to the rocky areas, not just at spawn time any time of the year. catch a lot of black crappie casting to the bank in nov. and dec. hope this helps.

[ReelfootYankee]

Find alot of black's in the shallow waters. Caught them one year when they were fanning there beds and that made them e-z er to catch becuase you did'nt have to sneek'em! Just My oppion. JOHN.
They had mudddied up the water!

[Opie1]

If you've read the KDFWR Crappie Movement Study, done on KY Lake

Where would I find that to read crappiepappy?

[feelay]

Black crappie bigger? Around here, it's the whites that are larger. What's the deal.

[CrappiePappy]

Where would I find that to read crappiepappy?

Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources - Kentucky Lake - Crappie Movement Study

... cp

[WestTennCrappie]

I am very interested in this thread!

Our lake is very similar in that the overall population is relatively close to 50/50, but about 80% or more of the crappie that come out of the lake are white crappie.

I know that the black crappie prefer the shallower,clearer water here, but they are dang hard to catch.

[Cane Pole]

I am very interested in this thread!

Our lake is very similar in that the overall population is relatively close to 50/50, but about 80% or more of the crappie that come out of the lake are white crappie.

I know that the black crappie prefer the shallower,clearer water here, but they are dang hard to catch.

Blackies prefer insects and crustaceans over minners when the gets mature. I catches more blacks on jigs and more whites on minners. The fish share condos and swap wives (hybridize) at times.

If you catch a 10 in crappie that won't fit in the Frabil, it usually a black.

Whites are usually longer and skinnier than blackies.

Blackie males don't change suit colors in the spawn.

Blackies and whities get along well. They don't need laws to live together. Both take handouts.

That Ky survey bout right on. They just verified what most us old guys already knew. Heck, I been fishin crappie more than most them Ky fish counters been alive.