Crappies feeding on crappies...

[Moe_V]

I hooked up with this crappie and when i got him out i notice that it had a crappie young in its throat, a few minutes later it spat out another one... Makes me think, instead of downsizing your presentation, why not present the crappies with bigger presentation? Especially in a area where they are feeding like this? FYI I was chasing cats using a Clown color 1/4oz Lightning Spoon with a pinched fathead...

And i did get into some cats also...

[grizrunner]

I've caught many crappies on 3"-4" shiners over the years. Granted most have been in the 13"+ range.

[polarsusd81]

Those would actually be young bluegills. If a fish can fit it in it's mouth, it is considered food. Down south they use bluegills that size as bait on trotlines and yoyos.

Crappies, Bass, Pike, Walleyes, Cats, Muskies, they will all eat them. Just wish it was legal to use them as bait here in Minnesota.

[Cicada]

Several years ago, I caught a walleye that had five or six little crappies in it. I started using a Reef Runner Cicada lure because it looked a bit like a small crappie. Started catching everything with the lure, including crappies.

[leech~~]

Those would actually be young bluegills.

I'm not sure about that? They don't seem to have any markings on their gills that look like a bluegill and they seem to be longer and not as round. I think they are little Crappies.

[Gordie]

Crappies, Bass, Pike, Walleyes, Cats, Muskies, they will all eat them. Just wish it was legal to use them as bait here in Minnesota.

You dont have to say that again

[brian6715]

I'm not sure about that? They don't seem to have any markings on their gills that look like a bluegill and they seem to be longer and not as round. I think they are little Crappies.

Yeah those are definitely crappies

[Sonicrunch]

White crappies too!!

[fisherman-andy]

I dont think so. I've seen many crappie frys and fingerlings. Shape can vary but typically the eye, head, & the faint upper lateral line gives it away. Also Crappie fry/fingerlings tend to have a very oversized eye which none of these features are evident in the posted picture.

These are blue gill fry or fingerlings. Im certain of it. Ive caught many small bluegill sunfish fry/fingerlings as a child at my local lake while playing with a net scooping the weeds. Unless Moe can blow up a clearer more dinstict picture to say otherwise im 99% sure IMO.

[Reservoir Dawg]

Blue Gill Fingerling

Crappie Fingerling

I went to Google to get some images of crappie fry and bluegill fry( we're kinda gett'n off topic) Looks like baby crappies to me. There is a small spot near the gills on the top picture that makes it look like a gill

[fisherman-andy]

Blue Gill Fingerling

Crappie Fingerling

I went to Google to get some images of crappie fry and bluegill fry( we're kinda gett'n off topic) Looks like baby crappies to me. There is a small spot near the gills on the top picture that makes it look like a gill

Google may not be your friend here. It doesnt portray enough info or data but your posting just goes to prove more that their actually Blue Gills. The shape of a fish is misleading, dont count on that.

See your picture of that crappie fry/fingerling. See how the eye is decisively larger (in some cases crappie fry's/fingerling the eye is appears oversized) and that light upper lateral line. Those feature are not apparent from Moe V's post. Plus fish may be of lighter colors in the winter. But looking closely or trying to blow up the pix the coloring or patterns definitely match the blue gills. If there is a possibility of it being a crappie then it be the 2nd fish below but im still pretty positive their both blue gills or sunnies.

I've seen many many small blue gill fry and fingerlings as well as Crappies. I used to feed baby sunfish to my Piranha. Apparently the sunfish have parasites that may infect the Piranha and kill them. So now I feed only feeder goldfish and feeder minnows/guppies.

[Nick Kuhn]

I'm not sure about that? They don't seem to have any markings on their gills that look like a bluegill and they seem to be longer and not as round. I think they are little Crappies.

I'm positive those are gills. I used to catch a few of sunfish and crappies that were smaller than that and put them in an aquarium. Those are definitely gills. Crappies at that size are pretty much see-through.

[leech~~]

Well Ok then back to the OP.

Moe_V thanks for posting some interesting pics and nice job on the Cat's!

[Moe_V]

well to me, im almost certain that they are crappies. i was able to observe the mouths and did a side to side comparison with the larger white crappie. the color of the young crappie was a light brown due to being almost in the digestive system for who knows how long. that might of given it a gill look to them?

But o' well crappie or gill, it was just interesting to see...

[Reservoir Dawg]

Thanks for posting Moe. I've always wondered if crappies would take care of their own over population problem a little.

[DaveZman14q]

I think it's one of each!