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Florida Fish Species

Alligator Gar
American Eel
American Shad
Atlantic Croaker
Atlantic Sharpnose Shark
Black Bullhead
Black Crappie
Black Drum
Blue Catfish
Blue Tilapia
Bluegill
Bowfin
Brown Bullhead
Brown Hoplo
Chain Pickerel
Channel Catfish
Clown Knifefish
Common Carp
Flathead Catfish
Flier
Florida Gar
Gizzard Shad
Golden Shiner
Goldfish
Grass Carp
Green Sunfish
Hybrid Striped Bass(wiper/palmetto)
Inland Silverside
Ladyfish
Lake Chubsucker
Largemouth Bass
Longnose Gar
Longnose Sucker
Mayan Cichlid
Mozambique Tilapia
Oscar
Peacock Bass
Red Drum
Redbreast Sunfish
Redear Sunfish
Redfin Pickerel
Redspotted Sunfish
Shoal Bass
Spotted Bass
Spotted Sunfish
Spotted Tilapia
Striped Bass
Striped Mullet
Suckermouth Catfish
Sunfish (Bream)
Suwannee Bass
Threadfin Shad
Warmouth
White Bass
White Catfish
Yellow Bullhead

Lakes with Black Crappie on FishExplorer
Rivers with Black Crappie on FishExplorer
Black Crappie
Crappies have the deep and laterally compressed body commonly associated with sunfish. Their mouths are fairly large, typical of fish eaters, with the upper jaw extending below the eye. Dorsal and anal fins are large and similar in shape.  Black crappies are typically silvery-gray to white with black mottling. During spawn they often take on a blackish coloring. While frequently confused with white crappie, they are readily distinguished by counting the dorsal spines.  Black crappie has 7-8, whereas the white have 6 or less. Thanks to stocking, black crappie can be found throughout much of the United States.  Their maximum size is under 20 inches and around 5-6 lbs. 
 
Black crappies prefer clear water with an abundance of aquatic vegetation. Before spawn, they from large schools and move shallow to feed.  Crappies are nest builders and spawn in late spring when water temperatures approach 60 degrees. They nest in the spring, generally when water temperatures reach 60°F. Nests are guarded by the males, much the same as other sunfish.
 
Crappies prefer to feed during early morning and evening periods, but are often active during the day and late into the evening.  Smaller fish feed on a large variety of crustaceans, insect larva and plankton.  Larger fish typically prefer small fish,  such as minnows.
 
Popular with anglers, crappie can be caught on a large number of lures and live bait and are highly prized for their table quality.  Regardless of what method an angler uses to catch they, care is required when setting the hook and playing crappie, as their paper thin mouths are easily torn.
 

Black Crappie in Florida

The following is courtesy of Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission:
 
Appearance: A deep body with nearly symmetrical dorsal and anal fins and a speckled pattern on the body and fins identify the black crappie.
 
Habitat: Unlike most other panfish, crappie spend much of their time offshore feeding on small fish in lakes or in large slow-moving clear water rivers.
 
Behavior: They nest in colonies from February to April. Nests are fanned by males over gravel or muddy bottoms in depths of 3-8 feet, with big fish deeper. Primary food items are crustaceans, aquatic insects and small fishes.


Most Recent Black Crappie Forum Posts
Lake Woodruf crappie fishing 03.02.14 by hawghawler
crappie fishing 11.25.11 by lash73
Headed to FL 07.04.11 by Apoch
Black Crappie Articles, Blogs, & Podcasts
Blog: Sonar Exploration to Catch More Shallow Fish 06.19.21 by Matt Snider
Blog: Anti-Troutite, not really 03.14.21 by Jeff Wagner
Blog: Small pond surprise 04.20.18 by David Coulson
Blog: Visiting Old Friends 03.14.18 by David Coulson
Blog: MA crappie 12.05.16 by David Coulson
Blog: Fish'n the 'hood 05.04.16 by David Coulson
Blog: Ignoring Instincts Paid Off 08.05.15 by David Coulson
Blog: Crappie Fish'n Has Been Good 05.26.15 by David Coulson
Blog: The Fishexplorer Comunity 05.18.15 by Rob Stout
Blog: Fifteen, But Who’s Counting? – Oh, I Am! 10.17.14 by David Coulson
Recent Florida Black Crappie Photos by Fish Explorer Members
by speck detector - by BASSADDICT -
 
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