Took the kids out the day after Christmas to get them out of Mom’s hair. Fished for a couple of hours on a farm pond. Caught a few nice gills and one big crappie. Here’s a picture of Andrew with the slab. It measured 16.5" and weighed 2.45 lbs.
This photo is the crappie in a 16" frying pan. Has to be the biggest crappie fillets I have ever cooked.
The ice was about 5-7 inches and the fish were in 12-14 feet of water just off bottom. The gills were caught on waxies and the crappie on a minnow. Can’t wait to go out again.
That’s an AWESOME crappie
….
I’d like to get one that size for the wall
Nice fish! Looks great in the pan too–YUM!
–Whitey
Thats what I call a big crappie.
Thanks for the report.
Thanks, Bill
Dang, thats a good Crappie. Whats the record down there?
4 lbs – 9 oz.
For more info, follow this link >>> http://www.iowadnr.com/fish/iafish/blc-card.html
Nice Slab!!!!
James,
Thanks for the post. The Iowa DNR has upgraded it’s web site!?? Very Nice!
Rick
WOW!!! 4.9 lbs is one huge crappie. Sure will be tough to beat that one. Buts lots of fun fishing for everyone trying.
Gotta love crappie fishing-especially on a light action rod. 
Thanks, Bill
The Iowa State record crappie was caught in 1981 and was 21 1/4″ in length, 4 lbs. 9 oz.
The pond that the 16.5″ crappie that Andrew caught in was the same pond that I caught at 21″er in the spring of 2003 and released. 
I had made a post regarding that catch but I couldn’t find the post via search. I was out fishing this pond on 12/29 and although the fish were not biting very well, I did have quite a bit of fun watching the fish via the Aqua-View. 
There are a number of very large crappies in this pond but as you know it is hard to determine the size of a crappie with an underwater camera, but when you get one to come in front of the camera that just looks huge compared to the others your heart races. 
When I caught the 21″er, I did not have a scale to weigh it, but I guessed it was somewhere between 3.5 to 4 lbs. It’s the only large fish that I have every let go that I was sorry I didn’t keep. 
One good note, I am the only one that fishes this particular pond, so I have a good chance at catching it again. 
My luck, Andrew will catch it.