Hey Rotten Post, when I feed my crappie I will sometimes buy a dozen 3" Gold Fish along with a 1/2 pounds of minnows.

I will tell you this, they will most likely eat a 3" goldfish (slow swimmers) as soon as the goldfish hits the water, then within a minute they will eat 2 or 4 minnows and sometimes more as fast as they can choke them down.

Someone forgot to tell these fish, you better only eat one minnow.

Of course these fish are 2 pounders.

I'm just glad this guy thought he had room in his stomach for my jig. He spit out a 4" threadfin and it looks to me like he had a few more stuffed in his belly. It was not a lethargic bite.







Have definitely found this topic to be most informative. There definitely seems to be a comfort zone on palestine the shad are hanging out at, 15 ft or so and have caught several species of fish haning out under them. These graph shots were palestine from last week and it its interesting to me that the level the fish are at even though they are mostly whites and hybrids is the same depth we have been catching most of our crappie at.

That new graph you bought is impressive if that's what you're seeing.

Let me repeat myself. Practice what you preach. By the way, you might want to check out ATM97's pictures. Obviously you are mistaken.
"If you would pay attention and instead of trying to find ways to discredit others information, you might learn something."

In extreme weather whether cold or hot. The largest fish including bass can slow their metabolism themselves. They do not need as much food or oxygen. That is why you always see the smaller fish first in a fish kill. That is also why you have to fish slower.
Right now fish are scattered and almost impossible to target. If it would get cold and stay cold for a couple more weeks they will bunch up in deep water on cover.

Really enjoy these posts! I don't understand the 'biomechanics' of all of it but I do understand that genetics play a part in the overall 'potential' of size of crappie. Metabolism is in direct correlation with caloric energy in all living things. Summation: If the crappie that you are catching are 'opportunistic' feeders just as all fish... and myself if I'm honest then, just like me they put on weight when they don't exercise as much therefore my system like the crappie's becomes sluggish. I tend to hold onto the weight longer like the crappie do and the food stays in my system longer.
Do they respond by eating less on a full stomach? I do. I think muscle mass vs. caloric expenditure and genetics is a huge discussion which my limited amount of knowledge would be better defaulted to a 'fisheries biologist'. I think... the size/condition of crappie or any other fish is in direct correlation to the amount of available constistent forage--- Shad, minnows, crustaceans, etc. at the available sizes for crappie to consume. Better year classes of shad esp. thread-fin because their maximum size is less than a gizzard shad will likely produce more consistent size/growth ratios in crappie. Competition from other other species has a direct correlation to these issues as well. Talk to a fisheries biologist for the area and of course in Texas just go to Texas Parks and Wildlife pages to view the latest fish survey for that lake.

Let me add that 'Opportunistic' is a relative term to when your next meal is and crappie like all other fish will eat till they 'throw-up' the excess. I don't anymore but I used to...then my metabolism slowed down.

Ken this is a bit off topic but also pertains to conditions we are experiencing. I was wondering what your two cents was on why the crappie will not bite or the bite is ever so light after flooding? I find this slow bite to happen most when debris is abundant throughout the water column. Are the light bites due to the fish mouthing a bait making sure it's actually food? That's the conclusion I've come to. I've repetitively tried to figure this out since this scenario is upon us so often finding stacked cover with little to no success.

Oh, and superb thread of which we need much more of.

Read this everyone. Larry gave it up right here. Just depends on if you want a meat run or you want a wall hanger.

the picture shows ONE shad. Many species of fish will regurgitate partially undigested baitfish when there is a prospect of a fresh meal., Thats why large schools of white bass go into a frenzy if you can get a couple to bite. Thats why when you smell the watermellon rind smell after a feeding, of the regurgutation and shad oils.
The only point im trying to make here is that I believe when people say crappie are STUFFED with shad, that gives people the picture in thier mind that the fish has dozens of shad in thier belly and wont feed for days. I dont believe that is the case.
Many folks just repeat the same thing they heard someone else say with out even check it out, and the false information keeps getting repeated.
Heres another example, many folks were putting out water temps when crappie move shallow to make thier beds. There seemed to be a large population that believed the magic temp was 57 to 59 degrees. Several people on this forum got curious and started fishing shallow before the temps got that high and found they had already started moving shallow at 52 degrees.
Just another example of folks repeating something that was said and taken to be absolute truth..

if all it takes to convince you is a caught crappie with one shad in its mouth, then you must be easily convinced. Show me a mess of fish, with thier bellies cut open with 5 or 6 parially shad digesting inside, then you have my attention. .
plz dont type in red indicating your angry,... if you want to have a productive debate, im all for finding the truth, but dont just answer with..
"you need to practice what you preach"... which is just repeating what I said, after I posted useful information..