metro slab?

[Tubitz]

just out of shear curiosity what is everyones definition of a big crappie for the metro area? Been on some good fish as of late and just wondering how good they actually are.

[amateurfishing]

caught a couple 111/2 inchers in Jan, since then its been 8-10

[dan z]

10" fish are usually nice eaters for most people. I'll keep a 9" fish to call it a limit

[Lusid]

8-9" has plenty of meat on a crappie. Just compliment it with a salad or some soup. Corn, mashed potatoes etc..

I typically can get by with 2-3 fish at 8-9" and be just fine!

[monstermoose78]

12 and up

[Gun Slinger]

I know of a 15" that came out of Crystal in Burnsville but it wasn't me who caught it.

[Sifty]

Metro 12 inches is a slab to me have 2 this year and thinking about another week and they should really be putting on the feed bags.

[Tubitz]

Thanks for the replies guys. I know you are all talking about eaters but im at the point in my fishing career where im lookin for the challenge of catching bigger than average fish and it's nice to not have to travel out of town to do it. Went out this morning on a exploratory slab hunt and iced 7 fish over 13" with the three biggest going over 14". Biggest fish of the day went 14.75", all fish were caught measured and released. It's just really gratifying to set a goal and obtain that goal let alone surpass it in a very heavily fished area. Sometimes it pays to think out of the norm and definitely to stay away from the crowds.

[Scott M]

I called 10 inchers metro slabs when I used to fish the area a little bit. I'm not saying there aren't lakes that get big fish, but if you start looking at what is predominantly out there in lake survey reports, it's definitely a whole lotta potato chips. Fish biologists running nets out of the West and East Metro offices get pretty excited seeing crappies north of ten inches, just ask them. I got around to most of the 7 county metro area except maybe Dakota county a decade or so back. Some of the best crappie fishing I found was in your backyard Tubitz. Washington and Chisago counties had a couple lakes that were decent. Like you say, the more you had to work for them, the better it was. Good luck.

[ETH310]

Under 8"-dink

8"-10"-eater

10"-12"-pig

12"-13"-hog

13"+ slab

If my boy is with, anything over 5" is a "tanker" or a "Monster"

[bobbymalone]

I know of a 15" that came out of Crystal in Burnsville but it wasn't me who caught it.

I saw a 15 come out of Harriet in Minneapolis. I was casting for muskies and a guy in a nearby boat caught it. He was so amazed by it he actually came trolling over to show me, never seen the guy in my life. It was 15.

There are lots of slab crappies in the metro, but nobody fishes for them

[MN BassFisher]

I'd consider anything over 12" in a metro Public lake a Slab. It's not a common catch by most anglers but it can be done!

[mallardnwalleye]

12 inches is a metro slab.

14 inches outside the metro. 12 is nice and a slab on most lakes but there are some lakes outstate that can really pump out some big ones and 12in aint squat.

I always have said I want to see 10 ft. of crappie come out of a metro lake 10 fish with an average over 12 in. I have never seen it done.

[Tubitz]

I always have said I want to see 10 ft. of crappie come out of a metro lake 10 fish with an average over 12 in. I have never seen it done.

Not 100% certain but i may have done it yesterday, i basically stopped measuring fish that didnt look like they were 13+ once we started catching fish that were in the upper end of the class we were catching.

[tunrevir]

There are a few big crappies in most metro lakes. Some are known for average size and others are know to put one out here and there.

These are metro fish and I have some more pics but they can't be posted due to forum policy. I'd say that 12" crappies are pretty nice for most metro waters but there are some that produce big fish year in and year out. Centerville used to put out 12-14 inch fish regularly before the areators went in and getting pounded on a daily basis.

Tunrevir~

[sticknstring]

12+

Tunrevir - that's a slabosaurus! Length?

[tunrevir]

16.5" and a 14" one fell to a jig and the other ate a shiner.

Tunrevir~

[mallardnwalleye]

Wow, that's an awesome pic Tunrevir, that aint a slab that's a slob Crappie! Tubitz sounds like a pretty sweet day out there, I never had that on a Metro Lake. You guys are some serious Crappie smackdown artists. I thought I did okay with 10-10 inchers and the occasional 12. Sweeet!

[Hoyt4]

14 and up are slabs. You can still get them in the metro. Couple lakes I fish you can get a few most winters.

[fish_eat_sleep]

10" gets to be dinner. 13" gets a picture. 16"-17" gets a picture and possible mount depending on other factors obviously. A 14"+ is a slab around here. If in a Different region, its a different story.

I need more than 2 hands to count the 14"+ that iv caught this year within a 25 miles if the city. But all that requires having the boat prepped to be ready quicker like a fire truck. Or An auger and pole that never leaves the truck. And of course sleeping at odd hours of the day. I gave up on being the potable because it takes time to set up plus people see you fishin away from the crowd. I'd rather be cold and tired with a 15" from the city than comfortable with frequent disruptions in the silence.

[Scott M]

I need to fish with f_e_s, 16-17" isn't guaranteed to go on the wall with him! You must have access to private or limited access lakes around Lakeville to get into 14 inch crappies.

"If it's too good to be true,..."

[fish_eat_sleep]

I didn't really mean to brag, I think a large percentage of people rely too heavily on the surveys and contour maps. I fish all the public lakes every one else does but I spend tons more of my time than money out there.

[Scott M]

Good man, can't take the money to the grave and knows the value of time.

Keep on 'em.

[bassfisher123]

for me a big crappie is 10 inches and a big bluegill is a 8 incher