Focus on Fish Gallery Guide Focus on Fish Final | Page 12

Black
Crappie
Habitat & Diet
Black crappies can be found in every state except Alaska and
Hawaii. They like to live in lakes, ponds, and still areas of large
rivers. Crappies prefer clear water with weak or no current, and
places to take cover, like submerged trees and aquatic vegetation.
Small black crappies feed on plankton, insects, and tiny
crustaceans, while larger crappies will eat smaller fish like
minnows and shad. Black crappies feed early in the morning and
from around midnight until 2 a.m., so anglers should get up early
or stay up late in order to take advantage of their feeding habits.
Relationship to humans:
Crappies are an extremely popular sport fish, and very tasty to
eat! Because they reproduce quickly and in large numbers, there
are minimal regulations concerning how many anglers may
catch.
Fun/Unusual fact:
The world record for a black crappie catch is 5 pounds! That
would make a REALLY big fish taco!