Black/white crappie spawn
I've been fishing a little neighborhood pond whenver I can't get to the lake and need to scratch the fishin' itch a little. I've noticed that I mostly am seeing black crappie up in the shallows 1' deep and can catch them with a jig dancing in front of their face long enough to piss 'em off to make 'em hit it. It seems the white crappie and the overall larger crappie are out deeper, say twenty further off the bank and a little harder to catch. The question is, do black and white crappie spawn together or not, do the bigger fish hang deep and wait for the little ones to get done first. I find this interesting and i would apprecaite any info. The more knowledge I have about crappie behaviors, of course the more advantages you have to catch them. Oh, and by the way, it is fun to drive 2 minutes and catch a hundred in an hour and a half. Haven't found a lake I can do that on yet. Anyway, any help appreciated. tight lines and God Bless
Rookie
Black and White Crappie may be getting used improperly
I was just re-reading....and when you say white crappie vs. black crappie are you talking about the species....because even though a crappie may look like it is white compared to another, it could still truly be a "black" crappie.....male crappie tend to turn almost black during the spawning time.....and the females do not, however, this does not mean that the females are necessarily white crappie.....they could still be the species of "black" crappie....maybe the following will help explain better.
"White" crappie have vertical bars on their side whereas "Black" crappie have more of a sporadic or speckled look.. Let me see if I can get the pictures inserted so you can visualize the difference.
White Crappie Pomoxis annularis
Species overview: Today the white crappie is found throughout Pennsylvania. It has been widely introduced around the United States. Biologists believe it was native to the Mississippi and Great Lakes watersheds, but not originally in Atlantic Coast watersheds. In Pennsylvania, the white crappie is less common than its cousin, the black crappie, but it is found across the state. The white crappie has a tendency sometimes to overpopulate its home waters, resulting in stunted fish. The species name “annularis” means “having rings,” and probably refers to the bars on the side of the fish’s body.
Black Crappie Pomoxis nigromaculatus
Species overview: The black crappie closely resembles its cousin, the white crappie, but has physical and habitat differences. The range of the black crappie has been expanded through introduction. Originally it was found in the Mississippi watershed and eastern North America, and not present along the Atlantic Coast north of the Carolinas. Today in Pennsylvania it is widely distributed around the state. Its species name “nigromaculatus” means “black-spotted.” The black crappie’s nicknames are sometimes the same as those of the white crappie, and they include “calico bass,” “crappie bass” and “papermouth,” for its thin mouth tissues.
Identification: On first impressions, the black crappie looks black and white, but on closer examination it shows iridescent colors and sheens. Viewed from the front, its body is very compressed, narrow from side to side. Viewed from the side, it is deep-bodied, not as long-looking in its proportions as the white crappie. The back is olive to bright metallic-green, or a bluish gray. On its silvery sides are dark spots that are scattered or that appear in indistinct horizontal rows, not in vertical rows, as on the white crappie. There are also splotches that make a wavy pattern on its dorsal, anal and caudal fins. One way to distinguish the black crappie from the white is to count the spines on its dorsal fins. The black crappie has seven or eight spines on its dorsal fin. The white crappie has only five or six dorsal spines. Black crappies that live in clear, vegetated water have darker contrasting patterns on the body, while those from murkier water are lighter, appearing more “bleached.”
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This is the "White" Crappie
Here is a photo of a white crappie
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This is the "Black" Crappie
Here is the photo of a black crappie...
But, please note during the spawn the males almost turn a jet black.