Keeper Crappies...?...Eaters...???

[DuckBlind]

Wondering what everyone considers an "eater" when crappie fishing? 10"...11"...12"...? I have seen a lot of 8's & 9's go into buckets...

[that_guy]

I personally don't measure with anything graduated...I have been known to use the bucket as a measurement. "Nose to tail touches opposite sides of the bucket...bag 'em" typically though I hold them up, look at the meat, and if its guaranteed to be a good fillet I keep it, if not, I put it back. Questionables go back as well. I err on the side of not keeping the smaller fish.

[DTro]

Nothing under 9 for me and usually go with a 10" lower limit. Sometimes all you can find is 9.5's though.

I wonder what is worse for the overall balance of a lake? Buckets of 8's or buckets of 13's?

Maybe they are both bad, I don't know. It usually doesn't take long to figure out the dominant year class of a lake though, and that is usually what most people will be keeping.

[MN BassFisher]

I try to keep 10" and 11" but if it's 12"+ I usually like to release them to swim (and hopefully breed) another day.

[motley man]

Depends on which lake as to size, but as said before hold them up and decide how hungry you are.

[Dano777]

Keeping 9.5"+ provides a decent filet. However some lakes, like Sleepy Eye lake here where I live only has 7 and 8 inchers due to the DNR poorly managing the sun fish and crappie population.

[Stcloudangler]

Yep, depends how fish hungry I am. I will keep a few 8's to get a meal, but usually I aim for 10-11". Less fish to clean that way.

[paceman]

Depends on which lake as to size, but as said before hold them up and decide how hungry you are.

Yeah what he said.

[Northlander]

9" to 12" on most area lakes but in other BIG lakes I keep them a tad bigger.

[TruthWalleyes]

I release anything over 12", and will keep anything over 9" (The few times a year i actually keep them....Release 99% of the time).

[Castinski]

My stretched out hand is a tad over 9" from the tip of my thumb to pinkie and I throw back anything smaller than that. I typically throw back anything over about 12" but I won't say what I use to measure that . LOL

[OnAFly]

Is it a ruler?

Like most others I'm 9-12 for keepers, 12+ go back. Though, I'll keep only a few fish a year.

[tsande00]

9"-12" for keepers

[Castinski]

Everyone talks about letting smaller ones go and such, but I wonder how a slot of say 9" and UNDER could be kept and all others released would effect a lake.

[rusty rapala]

Wouldn't a 12-13" crappie be the same as eating a 7-8# walleye?

[TylerS]

Totally depends on the lake. Some of the metro lakes I fish you're hard pressed to get a crappie over 8 inches. On the other hand, I can hit some central and northern lakes where everything 9 and under gets released. Just depends on the water.

[live4chrome]

Wouldn't a 12-13" crappie be the same as eating a 7-8# walleye?

depends on the lake. in some lakes that is an average fish, that said even from those lakes i like to keep smaller than 12 inchers

[magnum mike]

If the question was about quality as table fare, crappies are NOT like walleyes as size relates to eating quality. I have never eaten a bad or tough crappie and I have had my share of 12"+ fish. Personally, I won't keep or fry a walleye over 20". 14-15 inchers are by far the best eating size. If I'm forced to cook a walleye over 18" I will broil it.

If the question is comparing a crappie to a walleye in terms of a trophy, then the answer is yes they would be similar.

[yamihoo]

A half dozen or so 8" is plenty a meal for me! Why be greedy? Metro lakes that's pretty much the standard I would agree.

If your good with a knife, you just can't beat those little crappie crispies!!! Plus when you roll them in beer batter and Saltine crumbs like I do, that might even add 1/2" LOL!!!

[reinhard1]

nothing wrong with 8 or 9 inchers. i personaly dont keep any crappies over 12 in. 12inchers are not common in the twin cities area anyway. but most of what i catch in the metro region are under 10in and i'm not complaining with the meals they provide. good luck.

[goblueM]

Everyone talks about letting smaller ones go and such, but I wonder how a slot of say 9" and UNDER could be kept and all others released would effect a lake.

that would be great on Bald Eagle...

of course there's probably only 3 crappies in that entire lake over 9 inches, so maybe not

[maros91]

Keeper crappie is 10" for me.

[bak2MN]

10" for me as well.

[blackdog1101]

I'm with some of the other metro guys on this. 8" - 9" is a keeper for me most days.

[Dale_Gribble]

I tend to say 9" and up for crappie, but if theres one close with really wide shoulders ill make an exception.