Good size eaters?

[Hello High Water]

I understand from reading the other posts that there is some resentment out there towards people keeping crappies if it is too early or they are too large.

My question is (comming from a bass head) when I go to catch crappies (which seem to always be small) what is the minimum size in order to obtain a small meal? In other words how small is to small to effectivly get a slab off of them? Is there a minimum size that I should just throw back. I have never kept crappie but have eaten it and really enjoyed the meal.

[huntingislife]

It has to be over 9" for me. Otherwise you don't get much meat.

[eyepatrol]

I guess I look at it in this way...

I can catch and like to eat 'gills in the 6.5" - 8" range, so when it comes to crappies, I'll keep the 9" - 11" range and throw back smaller or bigger ones. I think you can get a fillet off an 8" crappie like you can with a 'gill, but because I catch 'gills that size, I prefer to throw the 8" (or smaller) crappies back.

[deacon]

I am with bass catcher, actually like closer to 10" and let anything over 12" go.

Sunfish has to be 8" for me to keep.

[harvey lee]

Crappies-I will keep 9-11 and the rest go back.

Sunfish-anything over 8.5 is back.

I probably release 75% of the fish I catch.

[fisherman-andy]

I recommend keeping Crappies under 11 inches. If your fileting the fish you maybe wasting fish meat. Instead of fileting you should try skinning the fish. It's quite easy. Just gut the fish first, and here's the tricky part you have to use the knife to and make a thin cut just breaking the skin along the top fin all the way back to th tail and take a small pliers to tear off skin! Lotsa meat! Happy eatin! Great for frying and crappie soup. It's them bones that give them flavor.

[Down to Earth]

When I keep crappies and bluegills for a meal I typically go with crappies in the 9-11" range and bluegills in the 7-8" range. Everything else usually goes back.