# 9 inch crappie



## stanimals2 (Mar 20, 2011)

OK at the risk of starting a war on here, I have done carpentry most of my 58 years of life and I am sure not a women thats been lied to about what 6 inches is. I see pics of crappie on here constantly that are no way no how 9 inches that people are keeping. I know private ponds are exempt but these are on public waters, does anyone else have an issue with this ? What am I m missing ,, well besides fillets ? Just curious what the rest of you feel about this ?


----------



## ohihunter2014 (Feb 19, 2017)

I agree its b.s. buy a 8$ crappie checker and be done with it. no excuse other than laziness and greed. not calling anyone specific out. I used to work at a marina and see guys all the time with over limit and undersized.


----------



## beaver (Sep 28, 2010)

I don't know how anyone gets meat off of anything less than 10", but if it's legal, whatever floats their boat I guess.


----------



## Saugeyefisher (Jul 19, 2010)

Hmm I must have missed the pics. I mean I see plenty of pics of small crappie but not kept. And my honest opinion,as long as it's leagle I personally don't have any issues at all. I get fillets off 7" bluegill so can see it. 
I personally won't keep them any smaller then 9. And probobly toss back 90% of my 9-10" fish because I get lazy an don't feel like measuring.....


----------



## Saugeyefisher (Jul 19, 2010)

Most guys from the south laugh at us "yankees" cause we fillet are crappie. 
I have filleted 8 and 9" crappie before. There nice thin frying fillets. 
I always here,how do they get meat off a 12" eye. The same way they get meat off a 9" perch. 
There are a lot of people with out ways to get on bigger better bites. That's why the dnr like places like deer creek. Yeah they run smaller there but it allows access to others that might not get that elsewhere.
I've also herd the argument,this day in age a guy doesn't have to catch fish to feed there family's. That might be true to a point. But I it can still be a way to save money,make your other good last longer,etc. 
Lol sorry a bit off topic....


----------



## slipsinker (May 21, 2012)

x2, nothing under 10", not worth the time!


----------



## ohihunter2014 (Feb 19, 2017)

what's legal size? I don't keep fish so never have to worry about it.


----------



## beaver (Sep 28, 2010)

Depends on where you're fishing. A lot of Lakes have a 9" minimum. A lot have no size restriction.


----------



## Bassnpro1 (Apr 6, 2004)

I don't keep any under 10" myself.


----------



## beaver (Sep 28, 2010)

The threshold between 9" and 10" crappie, is like the threshold between a 14" and 15" eye, or a 3.5 and a 4.5 year old buck. Im not sure what it is that happens between those numbers, but it's a turning point. 

A 9" crappie is as thin as a piece of paper, but they start getting some shoulders at 10". 

A 14" eye is a cigar, but a 15" has a couple decent fillets. 

A 3.5 year old buck may have some bone on his head, but it's spindly and skinny. At 4.5 years old, they start getting mass. 

I'm not desperate enough to scrape meat off of a 9" crappie unless it's a chunky one. However, if someone else can get more meat than me from one and that's what they want to do, go for it. Hell, use them for bait for all I care, if it's legal.


----------



## 9Left (Jun 23, 2012)

yep… Beaver hit the nail on the head ... even with a 9" size limit, I don't even keep crappies unless they are 10 or bigger..when I catch a 14"Crappy or or a bluegill bigger than 9", it goes right back in the lake .. anyone here that is truly worried about conservation will know that a large panfish is a critical asset a body of water.


----------



## "chillin" (Apr 20, 2012)

So where are all these pictures of under sized crappie being kept? Give an example.


----------



## cxl716 (Apr 8, 2014)

"chillin" said:


> So where are all these pictures of under sized crappie being kept? Give an example.


yes, where are the pictures you saw. Give an example of pictures with crappies under 9 inch being kept. Show us


----------



## fishwhacker (Jul 16, 2010)

I agree with most everything said and i personally dont like to eat big crappies, rather have gills because imo i think they taste better. You are allowed to keep crappies under 9 inches if they are a certain distance from the main lake such as spillways or creeks feeding the main lake....example is at glsm anything after 127 bridge on coldwater creek is considered coldwater creek and not glsm so no size limit.


----------



## brad crappie (Sep 29, 2015)

stanimals2 said:


> OK at the risk of starting a war on here, I have done carpentry most of my 58 years of life and I am sure not a women thats been lied to about what 6 inches is. I see pics of crappie on here constantly that are no way no how 9 inches that people are keeping. I know private ponds are exempt but these are on public waters, does anyone else have an issue with this ? What am I m missing ,, well besides fillets ? Just curious what the rest of you feel about this ?


Personally I like the 9 t 10in fish better to eat and rather throw back big ones I want bigger fish to catch and wall hanger type! I think some 9 in lakes need lower limits and some might have take the 9in size limit off cause the fish don't grow quick enough!


----------



## rutty (Feb 5, 2007)

I personally like to throw any crappie back that is over 11 inches and keep the 9-11's to eat. Those are the best eaters in my opinion. You can have that 13 incher to eat, they taste old. The worst eating crappie i have ever had came from Grenada Lake, 12 inch minimum lots over 2.5 lbs. I won't keep a crappie there again when I go back. Catch and release for me.


----------



## OrangeMilk (Oct 13, 2012)

I was on that Ohio Fishing Facebook page for about 2 weeks and then left, if you want pics of undersized crappie join that you will wee them everyday. Good stories about over the limit catches on there too!

Too many people have no idea what the regulations even are, they buy a license, maybe, and then just go fishing. Sadly the fines aren't high enough to be a deterant and the lack of Wildlife Officers throughout the state for enforcement make it easy to poach as no one is expecting to run into an officer.


----------



## Saugeyefisher (Jul 19, 2010)

OrangeMilk said:


> I was on that Ohio Fishing Facebook page for about 2 weeks and then left, if you want pics of undersized crappie join that you will wee them everyday. Good stories about over the limit catches on there too!
> 
> Too many people have no idea what the regulations even are, they buy a license, maybe, and then just go fishing. Sadly the fines aren't high enough to be a deterant and the lack of Wildlife Officers throughout the state for enforcement make it easy to poach as no one is expecting to run into an officer.


Amen on the regulations! I see way to many people get on ogf and ask. Are there a limit on -------... 
They pass out a rules/reg book each year an all the regs are on line. All you get on here is different opinions.
I keep bigger crappies but I personally have never tasted a difference in 13" fish and 9" fish.....
And no need to be "desperate" to keep 9" crappie,if you know how to handle a fillet knife there's plenty of meat. Looks like plenty keep them that small. 
If I had it my way I'd only keep 12-16" saugeyes. Imo that sized saugeye are the easiest filleting fish out there.


----------



## brad crappie (Sep 29, 2015)

Saugeyefisher said:


> Amen on the regulations! I see way to many people get on ogf and ask. Are there a limit on -------...
> They pass out a rules/reg book each year an all the regs are on line. All you get on here is different opinions.
> I keep bigger crappies but I personally have never tasted a difference in 13" fish and 9" fish.....
> And no need to be "desperate" to keep 9" crappie,if you know how to handle a fillet knife there's plenty of meat. Looks like plenty keep them that small.
> If I had it my way I'd only keep 12-16" saugeyes. Imo that sized saugeye are the easiest filleting fish out there.


Guys the human race should get a license to have kids and animals I hate more regulations but at least half population don't no nothing bout anything! Period the human race screws up to much good!


----------



## glasseyes (Jan 28, 2012)

anymore My favorite eating fish is the bluegill, that said i will keep a couple of messes of crappie through the winter for some close friends, lol as long as I fillet them they will take them. But I have noticed in a couple of different lakes I fish that a 9" crappie in one lake is much thicker on size than from another lake. I keep none under 10", unless he was hooked bad and probably would not live, if under 9" and hooked bad he will feed the eagles .


----------



## brandonw (Jun 24, 2015)

Hard to get meat off a 9" crappie.. have you seen the saugs some people keep from DC?! They're infants. 

It is worth noting that, like someone mentioned, a 9" minimum is not a statewide minimum. Plenty of water that has no minimum size. I fish Eastwood a lot, no minimum, people keep any size crappie they can get their hands on. The dinks I've seen people leave with are mind-blowingly small... At the end of the day all I can do is shake my head in disgust but hey, they're not doing anything illegal so what can I say. 

I personally keep 9"+ regardless of minimum or not. Any smaller and the time to fillet isn't worth it.


----------



## glasseyes (Jan 28, 2012)

I don't begrudge anyone keeping legal fish, eyes, or crappie. I know at one time when they first started the stalking program on saugeye in DC everyone was keeping small fish. There was no creel limit or size limit. I can remember taking quite a few small fish and the fillets were sweet. Small yes, but enough of them and they were very good to eat. Same with crappie. 45 years ago no one talked about not keeping 8" crappie, and yes there is meat on them just need a few more of them to make a mess.
We now know to protect the fishery we need limits . But the fact remains a small fish is better eating then the larger ones, I will argue that point with anyone.


----------



## 9Left (Jun 23, 2012)

i wouldnt call it a point... more or less an opinion. and it looks like theres quite a few differing opinions about the 9" limit.


----------



## RMK (Feb 21, 2017)

i dont disagree with a 9" limit, but do disagree with someone guessing a fishes length down to a quarter of an inch by a picture.


----------



## foton (Nov 25, 2012)

Poachers rip my flesh.


----------



## foton (Nov 25, 2012)

Poachers rip my flesh.


----------



## "chillin" (Apr 20, 2012)

Well im still waiting to see the pictures that this thread was started over. Since the OP disappeared im calling BS. I read these forums pretty regularly and havent seen it.


----------



## WeaponX (Mar 28, 2012)

Personally I only keep 9"+ as well, basically whatevers legal. If people start complaining about that, I don't know what to tell you, it's the law and as long as you follow the law, no one should have an issue and if they do, that's their own problem. We can argue the pros and cons of 9", 10", even 12" inchers but at the end of the day, the law has the final say.


----------



## old basser 1955 (Feb 3, 2014)

stanimals2 said:


> OK at the risk of starting a war on here, I have done carpentry most of my 58 years of life and I am sure not a women thats been lied to about what 6 inches is. I see pics of crappie on here constantly that are no way no how 9 inches that people are keeping. I know private ponds are exempt but these are on public waters, does anyone else have an issue with this ? What am I m missing ,, well besides fillets ? Just curious what the rest of you feel about this ?


I


----------



## old basser 1955 (Feb 3, 2014)

I live on Charles mill lake and people keep everyhing here l wish they would put a limit on crappie here every lake around pleasant Hill has a limit


----------



## Snyd (May 5, 2004)

I don't keep anything under 9 inches and not sure I have ever even before the size limit. I normally only keep over 10 but there have been times when I have kept some 9's. It just depends on how the freezer is looking. I have actually caught some 9 inch blacks that had more shoulders on them then a 10 inch white.


----------



## Carpman (May 18, 2005)

old basser 1955 said:


> I live on Charles mill lake and people keep everyhing here l wish they would put a limit on crappie here every lake around pleasant Hill has a limit


Lol......go up river to the old dam and you will see some meat hounds. They think if they reel it in it goes in the bucket. I watched a guy take 2-5 gallon buckets full of 4-5" crappie out of that hole, get in his 2017 F150 and drive off. I get it if you need to feed your family, but not the case 99% of the time.


----------



## beaver (Sep 28, 2010)

I think some guys are pond stocking too.


----------



## Carpman (May 18, 2005)

beaver said:


> I think some guys are pond stocking too.


I hear ya, however that is the worst thing you can do to a farm pond. I farmed fish for couple years and did stockings. I wouldn't even touch a pond that had public fish in it. I won't get into to the techs of it, I just smile when I hear of someone doing it and say good luck.


----------



## Saugeyefisher (Jul 19, 2010)

montagc said:


> It appears as though some folks don't know the law, no matter what side of it they are on! As stated by others, there is no statewide size limit on crappie, but there are site-specific regulations on many waters. For example, Cowan has no limit or size restrictions but Killdeer Plains has a limit of 10 with no size limit.
> 
> The fact of the matter is, those who will poach, will poach, whether it is 10" fish or 8" fish.. If you see it, call 1 800 poacher or fill out this form instead of venting on here.
> 
> ...


I personally would keep the 9-10" crappie. "More bang for my buck" but I will almost never keep a 30 fish limit. Only because I don't wanna cut up 30 fish. And I usually have saugeye and gills in my freezer at al times to.
I keep 15-20 fish if there really on fire. The lake I've been fishing the last few years has really spoiled me with size. So I have been able to be picky on what I keep. On a good day I'm averaging about a pound a fish. 

Haha an yeah I've been searching the threads an have not found any fish kept that look "undersized" but like the last poster said. Crappie limits varies across the state. And imo it is very hard to judge the actual size of a fish from a pic.


----------



## Fishingisfun (Jul 19, 2012)

Pictures sometimes do not give the best perpestive of a fishes size. I have taken selfies of my first stream smallmouth and later when viewing them the photo it did not give an accurate idea about the fishes size. I don't post the photo. People can weight all different for the same height, tall and skinny and tall and big. Fish are the same not all 20" bass weigh the same if their not eating well their skinny. Some 9 and 10 inch crappie have no thickness and are skinny aka Stringbean crappie. When I'm fishing and thinking I might keep some fish I want some thickness to the filet if not it goes back in the water. Imho for me I can be happy with less than a limit of nice thick fish rather than taking 30 skinny filets. It's just me and how I like to do things. Had a friend tell me he kept too many crappie last year. He fishes a lot and found out he didnt consume all the fish he kept.This is a family that like to eat fish and has them often. He also hunts and fills the full number of deer tags. IMO if I'm not using the fish or meat myself I don't harvest for sake of limiting out. Take what you can use and leave the rest in the water. Imho. Each outdoors person should do what is legal and ethical. Be safe out there


----------



## Quillbilly (May 4, 2012)

9Left said:


> yep… Beaver hit the nail on the head ... even with a 9" size limit, I don't even keep crappies unless they are 10 or bigger..when I catch a 14"Crappy or or a bluegill bigger than 9", it goes right back in the lake .. anyone here that is truly worried about conservation will know that a large panfish is a critical asset a body of water.


----------

