Fish Friday: White Crappie, Pomoxis annularis

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This is a white crappie, Pomoxis annularis. It is a type of sunfish in the order Perciformes. I caught this fish on one of my recent many excursions to my farm. There are 2 species of crappie, the white and black. The most obvious difference that I notice is that the white crappie have the dark vertical stripes that are lacking in the black crappie. There are a few other distinguishing characteristics you can read about in this entry for black crappie. Out of the 3 game fish I usually go for, catfish, bass, and crappie, crappie definitely have the best taste, especially when filleted and fried. They tend to run much smaller than the others, so it takes a little more effort to feed a family with these fish. I will say however that when you are fishing for them and you hit the right spot, sometimes you can't bring them in fast enough. Also, the flesh around the lips is very thin, which tears easily and allows hooks to come out easily. In my experience, these fish frequently fall off the hook just as I am pulling them out of the water, before I can get a hold on them. That is why they are called papermouths by some, though the term has never been a part of my vocabulary.

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