Central Maine Fishing Report: January 24, 2008

This weekend a number of anglers questioned me about black crappie. Therefore, I thought I would write about this relative newcomer to the State of Maine. The black crappie is native to the Great Lakes area, its range south to the Gulf of Mexico. Crappies were first introduced in Maine at Virginia Lake, the head-water lake of Sebago Lake watershed, in 1921. In 1969, black crappies were accidentally stocked in the Sebasticook River drainage when they were intermixed with a shipment of largemouth bass from a federal hatchery. They have further expanded their range and now are found in at least 64 waters throughout the state.

Spawning takes place in the spring and is similar to that of our native sunfishes. A small dish-like depression is made on a sandy area within heavy vegetative cover. Once the eggs are laid the male guards the nest until the fry emerge and disperse.

Young crappies feed on insects and switch over to a mostly fish diet as they grow larger. The typical black crappie in Maine is between six and 11 inches although larger individuals are fairly common. The state record is 3.25 pounds.

Crappies are a schooling fish and when actively feeding they may provide for some very fast fishing. The best time to catch them is in the morning and late evening when they typically feed. Most anglers prefer to jig for crappies using small jigs and rubber grubs often tipped with a small minnow. Black crappies also can be caught at night by suspending a light over the hole while jigging.

For those who haven’t tried crappie fishing give it a try. Not only can it be a fun species to catch, but when it’s filleted and fried it is very tasty.