Discover the Largest Crappie Ever Caught

Crappies are a popular game fish that are part of the Centrachidae family. The two most common species are white and black crappies. They are typically less than a foot long and weigh less than a pound. 

These fish are known to be quite tasty and are a popular dinner catch among anglers. Here’s a bit about the largest crappie ever caught! 

The Largest Black Crappie Ever Caught

In the spring of 2018, fisherman Jam Fergust of Paint Rock, TN, was fishing in a small pond. As he felt something tug at his line, he quickly reeled in black crappie. Mature black crappies typically weigh less than 3.3 pounds. 

The Tennessee Toad Scales weighed Ferguson’s catch and it was a whopping five pounds, seven ounces! The original record for the largest black crappie ever caught was in 1985 for a fish weighing four pounds, four ounces. 

Many people are wondering what Ferguson used for bait to catch the massive fish. He reportedly has Triple Threat John Deere grub on his line. Since this catch, several local fishermen have headed to Paint Rock in hopes of reeling in one of these bad boys. 

The Largest White Crappie Ever Caught

When it comes to the largest white crappie, let’s travel back to 1975. In the blistering heat of July, Fred Bright cast his reel under the Enid Dam in Mississippi. As Bright felt a pull on his line, a five-pound, three-ounce white crappie surfaced. 

This record has no mention of what type of bait was used. Due to popular fishing bait at the time, many people thought it was a live minnow. There isn’t a lot of information about Bright and his catch, but anglers to this day are still attempting to beat his record! 

Tips For Catching Crappies

Crappies are known for having extremely soft mouths. Knowing this is crucial since it’s simple to push down on the hook too forcefully when using a bobber or jig to fish. This ends up ripping the fish’s mouth off and missing the hook set. Put the hook down slowly and steadily as soon as you detect a bite.

Crappies go from consuming primarily crustaceans and bugs to consuming fish as they grow in size. Thus, if you’re trying to catch a large crappie, you can try using lures that mimic little fish. Lures like spinnerbaits and beetle-spin work well for capturing crappie. These lures draw focus because they produce a lot of flare and movement.

Largest Crappie Ever Caught By State 

The photo featured at the top of this post is © Steve Brigman/Shutterstock.com