crappie question

[jcass]

Last year I found a HUGE school of crappie that seemed to fill a whole bay on a nearby lake but the size was only about 6 to 7 inches. I went back to the lake yesterday thinking the size might be bigger, and while I did not find the school, I caught a ton of crappie in the 7 to 9 1/2 inch range.
Am I correct in thinking that next year all those crappie will be bigger and this will be a killer crappie lake?
OR - might this just be a lake where the crappie are stunted and will never get big?
Were all those crappie out of one good breeding season and that's why they all tend to be the same size.
Any thoughts?
THanks

[Moose1am]

I think you have answered your own question. ie I agree with what you have said and think.

I might add that by taking out some of the 8" long crappie in that lake you may help the rest to grow biggers.

Sounds like they are all from the same year class or spawn.

It appears that the lake does not have the carrying capacity (food supply) to support faster growth rates. The lake needs to increase the food supply and habitat or water quality or reduce the number of fish so that those left can grow faster.

Only way a fish can grow is to take in more energy (food) than it has to expend (energy) to catch it's prey. Also the further south the lake that longer the growing season and the shorter the winter cold season. Some fish need warmer water to grow faster. Crappie is one of them. Some other fish grow best in colder water. Northern Pike would be an example of the latter speices.

I fish a lake that is full of small crappie. You can catch small crappie almost anywhere on this small lake. But finding a crappie longer than 12" is difficult.

[Jason Piper]

Usualy in those giant schools you will find 10" plus fish in with the smaller ones. Sometimes they will be a bit deeper or shallower than the main school but they will be there. Try putting a split shot up about 18" up from your jig to go a little deeper than the smaller ones and see what happens.
To answer your question those smaller fish will indeed be keepers next year but their will still be smaller ones present in that same spot. The smaller fish you are catching arer probably males in a post spawn mode witch are usualy smaller fish. You are on fish so try differen't depths and I think you will be surprised!
Good Luck!