A nice black crappie - note the uniform black-flecked pattern

A nice white crappie - note the vertical barring in the flecking pattern

Crappie fishing is a great springtime activity, often filled with frenzied action and soon thereafter sizzling frying pans.  But what kind of crappie are you catching?  Fishermen are often content to say they caught “crappie” without knowing whether they hooked a black or white crappie.  Some fishermen may not even know there are 2 different species of crappie in North Carolina.  Knowing which species you are holding can be crucial especially if you are lipping a potential state record!

Each species has several identification methods that can be used some of the time; however, spawning can often obscure these differences as males go into breeding coloration.  Black crappie tend to exhibit a more uniformly black-flecked appearance, whereas white crappie often have the appearance of vertical barring down their sides.  Spawning fish of both species are very difficult to distinguish as these characteristics are blurred and not apparent.

The easiest and most fail-safe method of species identification is counting the number of dorsal spines contained in the dorsal fin.  A black crappie usually has 7 to 8 ray spines, but a white crappie only has 5 or 6 ray spines.  This method is consistent as long as there has not been an injury to the fish and the dorsal fin altered.  With the NC white crappie state record being broken and re-broken several times in the current calendar year, you may just be next to net a whopper record holder….