this, an article submitted by the mn dnr
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Super slabs
Searching Minnesota for crappies big as dinner plates
A call came in several weeks ago from a puzzled southern Minnesota angler. “Why is it“, he
asked, that all the big crappies are up north? The ones I catch down here, I’m lucky if they go
three to a pound.”
Was he right? Must farmland anglers fillet 12 crappies every time they want a meal? Do all
mega-slabs come from the state’s pine-rimmed waters? Do big crappies even exist anymore,
what with increases in fishing pressure and the technological advances of fishing equipment?
No question, the days of 30-plus-pound stringers of crappies are pretty much gone. Years ago,
2-pounders hardly raised an eyebrow, and even 3-pounders weren’t all that rare. Denny
Schupp, DNR senior fisheries biologist, remembers a 4-pounder his father caught in Star Lake
in Otter Tail County, more than 40 years ago. “Of course, back then we ate it,“ he says
laughing.
Today, anglers would fall all over themselves just to see that 4-pounder, much less catch it.
These days, rare is the crappie that measures longer than a foot and weights more than a
pound.
Where are all the big ones? “Caught out,” says Schupp. “Fishing pressure is so intense now that
few crappies can escape anglers to ever reach even a pound.
The slab search
That doesn’t mean people don’t catch plate-sized crappies. The St. Paul Pioneer Press
World’s Largest Fishing Contest regularly draws entries weighing more than 2 pounds. Most
come from a few northern lakes, such as Rainy Lake on the Ontario border, which produce
many jumbo crappies.
What makes for a big-crappie lake? DNR lake surveys show that the state’s best lakes for big
crappies share similar ecological characteristics. Most are large, clear, northern waters that
have low crappie population densities. With little competition for food, the relatively few
crappies can eat more and grow larger.
Another factor creating big crappies is a lack of fishing pressure. Southern crappie lakes get
fished so hard that the fish are usually cropped off at 10 inches or so. Few fish can escape
hundreds of tiny jigs dangled tantalizingly year round.
Two native crappie species swim in Minnesota. Most of the monsters featured in Polaroids
taped to bait shop cash registers are black crappies. Marked with irregular blotches, the black
crappie is found statewide. The white crappie, usually smaller than the black, is marked with
vertical bands and is found mostly south of St. Cloud. Common in farm-region lakes, it tolerates
murkier water than its cousin does.
The grandmother of all Minnesota crappies was a black crappie caught from the Vermillion
River, in Dakota County, that weighed 5 pounds. The state record white crappie came from
Washington Lake, in Le Sueur County, and weighed 2 pounds, 14 ounces.
Schupp says fisheries managers suspect a link between both crappie species and walleyes,
though they haven’t quite pinned it down. In lakes smaller than 1,000 acres, biologists have
noticed that when crappie numbers increase, walleye numbers often drop. Apparently, crappies
somehow suppress the walleye population, either through competition for food or by preying on
young walleyes. In clear northern lakes containing lots of crappies, walleye introductions often
don’t work. However, the two species co-exist in the murkier southern lakes.
Given all this, it’s ironic that the best places to find big crappies are Minnesota’s large, natural
walleye lakes, such as Leech Lake, which is developing a reputation for its crappies. That’s
because fishing pressure in lakes such as Leech is focused on walleyes, allowing crappies to
grow in peace. Anglers who catch one big crappie often catch more in a hurry. Boom and bust
cycles are common in crappie lakes. Every few years crappies have an exceptional hatch and
fish from that year-class dominate the lake ’s population. When those crappies reach catch able
sizes, anglers are in crappie heaven. But soon success at the “hot” lake tapers off as the
crappies are caught out. This happens less often in southern Minnesota lakes, where
reproduction tends to be more consistent. In those lakes, anglers often catch crappies of mixed
sizes.
Where to go
Okay, enough of the biology. Where exactly are the big ones?
Anglers seeking jumbo crappies could do no better than to explore Rainy Lake’s Black Bay, a
flat-bottomed expanse of water where the Rainy Lake Sport Fishing Club has sunk log cribs
(which are marked with buoys) to attract crappies.
Heading east from Rainy Lake, anglers find several other large lakes known for king-sized
crappies, including Kabetogama, Sand Point, Namakan, Crane and Lac la Croix is in the
Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) and is accessible only by canoe or
other non-motorized means.
Further east, crappies go large unnoticed around Ely, but good fishing is available in the
Kawishiwi River chain of lakes, which includes Birch, White Iron, Fall, and Farm. Duane
Williams, DNR fisheries specialist, suggests the Eagle’s Nest chain, west of Ely, and Lake
Vermilion, near the town of Tower. Although Ely is famous as a jumping-off point for the
BWCAW, these crappies lakes are accessible by road and open to boat and motor use (Fall
and South Farm lakes have 25-horsepower limits). Grand Rapids anglers have a wealth of
good crappie lakes to explore, including Spider, Wabana, Sugar, Sand, and Split Hand. Ball
Club and Little Ball Club are stand out for slabs, as are Johnson and Bowstring lakes. Big Cut
foot Sioux, part of the Winnigiboshish chain is also an excellent crappie lake.
West-central Minnesota is another part of the state where decent-sized crappies regularly show
up on strings. Anglers can catch some nice ones from lakes around Fergus Falls and Detroit
Lakes. Don Reedstrom, Fergus Falls are fisheries supervisor, says lakes in his area that
consistently produce 1-pound-plus crappies include Lizzie, North and South Lida, Pelican, Star
and Dead lakes, as well as Big Pine and Rush lakes near Perham.
Of course, anglers can find good crappie fishing in dozens of other lakes if they are willing to
explore new waters. When looking for crappie honey holes, keep these tips in mind:
! Look for lakes with little shoreline development—they usually receive less fishing pressure,
which means the crappies have a better chance to grow large. They also have better water
quality and more shoreline spawning habitat.
! Ask bait shop proprietors for the names of local lakes that are currently “hot” for crappies.
! When in doubt, go with large lakes. They usually have bigger crappies than smaller lakes
nearby.
! Look for clear lakes with healthy walleye populations and low crappie numbers.
! Try fishing winterkill lakes. They sometimes experience a crappie boom a couple of years
after a freeze-out.
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