# Crappie Question



## archman (Apr 30, 2004)

How do you tell the difference between a male and female crappie? Thanks!


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## FISHGUY (Apr 8, 2004)

Archman I have found that the differance between the two is the female is a light color and the male is darker and is a more often mistakin for a black crappie. Happy Fishin  Fishguy


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## Big Daddy (Apr 6, 2004)

Females are usually larger, and if you look closely, you can see the eggs in the belly area. 

The males do get very dark. Here's an example....











This is a male black crappie. I know for sure because when I cleaned him up, no roe!!!

BTW, they both taste delicious.


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## JIG (Nov 2, 2004)

Do white crappies hit the surface more than blacks?(Temp thing)


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## archman (Apr 30, 2004)

I did think that males were darker. So now, how do you tell the difference between a male crappie (white) and a black crappie?


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## bkr43050 (Apr 5, 2004)

The only way I ever know for sure of the sex is by putting a knife to them unless I can see the broad belly of roe. But like Big Daddy said the females will get bigger. It seems to me that they are impossible to know the difference unless they are larger fish. I catch some which are darker shade than others and I know from cleaning them that they were both males. Perhaps some were white crappie but I never know how to tell the difference there. I know that I have seen different shades anywhere from the one Big Daddy has there all the way to nearly white with pale markings. But I never know where to draw the line between blacks and whites.


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## JIG (Nov 2, 2004)

I would guess that the females leave the males early and go deeper as other females do.  I know the blacks and white have a temp zone that differs. I was at Skeeter the other mornin after WB and the black males were using the south island by the 88 cause pretty heavy. Really turned on when the moon come out but brief. First light they went down with the bait.  Eye time! 
Any how I cant catch the bigger crappies unless I get over them. I this right?


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## FISHGUY (Apr 8, 2004)

Ok guys here it is ! ( Identification ) Black crappie closely resemble white crappie,but have deeper bodies.Futhermore,their head,back and sides are mottled with dusky or black blotches.These blotches do not form vertical bands as on white crappie. The most reliable characteristic,however,is that black crappie have seven or eight dorsal spines. White crappie are very compressed with a deep body. The back and sides have 5 to 10 black vertical bands.There dorsal fin,anal fin,and tail contain a combination of dark spots and bands.The dorsal fin has 5 to 6 spines. You might want to make a copy of this for future info hope this helps you out. Good Fishin Fishguy


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## FISHGUY (Apr 8, 2004)

Guys here is all the info you will needand the web site link that i got the previous info from. www.dnr.state.oh.us/publications Then click on fish id you will find out just about anything you wanted to know about wildlife in Ohio. Good Fishin Fishguy


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## LakeRaider (Apr 5, 2004)

Fishguy has it right on the dorsal fin. The blacks love to stay on the bottom. I might suggest you go to www.crappie.com and talk to crappiepappy. He IS the local guru (Lexington,Ky) in these parts.  LakeRaider


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## JIG (Nov 2, 2004)

It looked like a good informitive site! Ill take the time too check this out. I do notice the diff in the clear water to dark water fish. The whites are easier to tell apart.
thanks again GUY and RAIDER!


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## starcraft (Jun 3, 2005)

males crappie are purple in color at the top females have no purple color


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