subject: What Does A Crappie Look Like? [print this page] The crappie is one of the most sought after freshwater game fish around and they are part of the sunfish family. These panfish can be found all around the nation filling lakes and rivers everywhere. Ask anyone that has ever tasted the crappie and they'll most likely tell you they are delicious, which is why they are considered to be an excellent food source.
Depending on the location they are also known by other names such as the papermouth, white perch, speckled perch, specks, slabs, rock bass, calico bass and strawberry bass.
The crappies are school fish that can be found around structures, points, brush piles and sunken logs. They normally grow to about a foot long and they can live approximately seven to ten years. They may be a small fish but they certainly get lots of attention. One reason this species is so popular is because they can be caught by all types of anglers from the beginner to the professional.
They're small enough for anyone to reel in without the need for special equipment. Therefore, if all you have is the basic gear, you can still have an exciting time reeling in a mess of crappie. On the hand, they're exhilarating enough to keep the advanced angler interested and coming back for more. So what does a crappie look like? It depends on which one you're seeking out because there are two types of crappies and they're called the black and the white crappie. A description of both is listed below along with some basic information.
The White Crappie
The scientific name for the white crappie is Pomoxis annularis. They have a white belly that changes to a slivery green as you move up to their sides and then it changes to a dark green or black color by the time it reaches their back. The spots on their body are arranged in seven to nine vertical stripes along their sides and they have six spines on the dorsal fin. The largest recorded white crappie weight a little more than five pounds and it was about twenty-one inches long.
This species prefer to live in slightly muddy water that is slow moving. They usually spawn in shallow water during the months of March to the later part of April depending on whether you live in the southern or northern part of the nation. They can be found in the shallows during the early morning and late evening but they will move out to the deeper parts of the water during the heat of day. They seek out areas that have lots of aquatic vegetation.
