SCIENTIFIC NAME : Pomoxis nigromaculatus

OTHER NAMES: speckled perch, specks, paper mouth, bachelor perch, calico bass, strawberry bass, or white perch.

RANGE: Found statewide except in the Florida Keys.

DESCRIPTION: The black crappie is a silvery-green to yellowish fish with large dorsal and anal fins of almost identical shape and size. The sides are marked with black blotches which become more intense towards the back. The dorsal, anal, and caudal fins also are marked with rows of dark spots. Crappies have compressed bodies, small heads and arched backs. It has a large mouth with an upper jaw extending under the eye.

SIZE: Generally, the size range is from 1 to 2 pounds. World Record is 4 pounds, 8 ounces, caught in Kerr Lake, Virginia, in 1981.

FLORIDA RECORD : 3 pounds, 13.25 ounces, caught in Lake Talquin, in 1992.

FOOD VALUE: Considered to be excellent eating by many anglers. The meat is prepared by rolling in cornmeal or dipping in pancake batter and deep frying, and can also be baked or broiled.

GAME QUALITIES: Black crappies are excellent game fish and are highly regarded by bait fishermen and artificial-lure anglers alike. They are easily caught during pre-spawning periods when the fish are congregated in large schools.

TACKLE AND BAITS: Trolling with small, live minnows or a spinner-fly combination is very productive. They will also strike subsurface flies, small spinners, jigs, and tiny crank baits. Crappies tend to suspend in mid-water, so you may have to experiment to find the right depth.

FISHING TECHNIQUES: Fly Fishing, Casting; Drifting, Still Fishing, Trolling.