Crappie Stoke

[2FUNKY]

Rivers are blown to shit here but the lakes are just starting to heat up. Largest one is 14, far right, smallest is 12.
pie phone pic:

[mushmouth]

I love catching big crappie, but i've yet to eat one. How many people will those feed? Or, how many 12inch crappie to feed one person?

[2FUNKY]

2 will feed one person unless your real hungry. I have been known to eat 4 by myself. I cooked up 4.5 for the wife, one of my daughters and I and felt it was plenty due to the other stuff I made. Froze the others for a little afternoon snack for daddy. These baby's make the best fuckin tacos on the planet.

[Happy Fun Ball]

Not the healthiest alternative, but beer battered deep fried crappie is THE SHIT!!!

[Denny1969]

That's a good haul!

[DeathVan]

I like how pie looks like "" pie

Looks like fun fishin' to boot!

[OSECS]

Nice fish. Love fly rod fishin for crappie w/a small popper or beetle spins on an ultras light spin caster. Nothin like a fried crappie filet on a homemade biscuit (Tastes better than it sounds).

[ecskier7]

Last year was such a good season for them but for some reason I have only caught a few.

[mushmouth]

I've never caught a crappie on top...always something deep...hmmm...

[Hugh Conway]

I've never caught a crappie on top...always something deep...hmmm...

Seriously? Get some shitty poppers. py and bluegill are only worth catching on the surface

[mushmouth]

Seriously? Get some shitty poppers. py and bluegill are only worth catching on the surface

Not that I don't try, but the lake (pond) I fish has many more bass and pickerel which dominate the surface realm. I've fished this lake (pond) for 8 years and thrown every popper, skimmer, frog, mouse or crease fly made and only the bass and pickerel and sometimes perch will get there first.

[Rico in Flag]

I love catching big crappie, but i've yet to eat one. How many people will those feed? Or, how many 12inch crappie to feed one person?

Guys, school me on fileting & cooking pie. I've got a good pie/bass pond nearby I plan to hit after the trout water gets too warm. And tacos? Tell me more...

[neckdeep]

Same as bluegill or fresh water bass. They are all in the sunfish family and have approximately the same general skeletal structure. First make a vertical cut to the bone, behind gill plate. Next, cut down the back along the spine and follow the abdominal cavity bones over the organs to the bottom of the belly; remove "slab". Repeat on other side. Skin slabs. Feel for midline pinbones and remove in thinest possible slice. Now you have a "filet". Rinse and repeat.

In terms of meat, crappie is very good and most rate it a bit better than bluegill and usually they produce a lot more meat per fish. The meat is fairly similar. I think walleye and yellow perch have slightly better meat than crappie.

[gretch6364]

I might need to find some places to fish for crappie around Denver during runoff this year...which is probably going to be very long....

[Donkey Punch]

I might need to find some places to fish for crappie around Denver during runoff this year...which is probably going to be very long....

If you don't mind heading north to Windsor, I have access to a semi-private lake with plenty of BIG crappie, Bass, Cats, Carp, Walley, and supposedly Wiper. I'm headed to Montana tomorrow, but anytime after that hit me up. It fishes even better if you have a belly boat.

[gretch6364]

If you don't mind heading north to Windsor, I have access to a semi-private lake with plenty of BIG crappie, Bass, Cats, Carp, Walley, and supposedly Wiper. I'm headed to Montana tomorrow, but anytime after that hit me up. It fishes even better if you have a belly boat.

Cool thanks. I will let you know for sure when I have time to get up there..unfortunately, I do not have a belly boat, but I can surely catch a couple without it.

[Hugh Conway]

And tacos? Tell me more...

fry them per above with seasoning. Add to taco tortilla with some cabbage and salsa. Serve with lime and cold beer.

[Rico in Flag]

Same as bluegill or fresh water bass. They are all in the sunfish family and have approximately the same general skeletal structure. First make a vertical cut to the bone, behind gill plate. Next, cut down the back along the spine and follow the abdominal cavity bones over the organs to the bottom of the belly; remove "slab". Repeat on other side. Skin slabs. Feel for midline pinbones and remove in thinest possible slice. Now you have a "filet". Rinse and repeat.

In terms of meat, crappie is very good and most rate it a bit better than bluegill and usually they produce a lot more meat per fish. The meat is fairly similar. I think walleye and yellow perch have slightly better meat than crappie.

fry them per above with seasoning. Add to taco tortilla with some cabbage and salsa. Serve with lime and cold beer.

Thanks guys, pretty much what I figured. I've gotten so used to C&R that I haven't cleaned a fish in years. I'm hungry now...