I was guilty of this just last week. I even called my buddy and told him to meet me at the barn to look at my "3 pound" crappie. Once I put him on the scale I felt like an idiot. The fish missed being two pounds by 3oz. It looked huge next to all the average size fish! I think I would mess myself if I hooked up with a true 3 pounder.

Just started the Crappie fishing and a 3 lber would be just a pig of a fish. I would love to just see one one day. I do hope to catch one myself too though. If I were to only get to see though I would like to watch my son catch it for sure!

As rare as a 10 lb bass is, I think a 3 lb crappie is even more rare... at least in the lakes most of us fish. A 3 lb crappie is probably about as common as a "Sharelunker" which I believe is a 13 lb bass.

3lb is my goal.This is my biggest & it was only 2.5 lbs. I'm still looking for that 3lber, have caught a 10lb bass from lake cooper though.

From the COMMERCIAL APPEAL, Memphis, TN.

It's easy to be deceived by slab crappie in search for elusive 3-pounder

By Bryan Brasher

Sunday, March 18, 2012

When fisheries officials from the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks are working on the Big Four reservoirs of Arkabutla, Sardis, Enid and Grenada, it's not unusual for anglers to come rushing up to them with a crappie they believe will weigh 3 pounds.

What is unusual is when the scales actually agree.

For crappie fishermen, a 3-pounder is the holy grail of their sport -- a gigantic trophy specimen that dwarfs all of the good eating-size fish anglers will catch across the Mid-South between now and the end of the current spring spawning run.

They do exist.

But most anglers will fish their entire lives without ever tying into one.

"Studies have shown that a 3-pound crappie is basically the equivalent of a 12.8-pound bass," said Ron Garavelli, chief of fisheries for the MDWFP. "Think about how many 12.8-pound bass have you've seen in your life. We're talking about an absolute giant -- and there just aren't that many of them out there."

The results from the major national tournament trails back Garavelli's claim.

That's actually a real good comparison. I've caught a couple bass over ten lbs with the biggest being 12 lb 4 oz but have never had a crappie go 3 lbs. I caught a 2.5 yesterday that was 16 1/2 inches long and my biggest is 2.7. So yeah, I think a 3 lber is more like a 13 lb bass because I've yet to catch either.

A bass is never a crappie.

My 3 pounder from fork was 18 3/4 inches long so 19 inches probably made it Jacob.

yep happens all the time. just the other day a guy said he caught a crappie at my home lake that was 6 pounds. i just said you dont say!lol i guess the deer i shot this year scored 200 inches too. lol

I am guilty of mis-judging the weight of crappie. That 3# mark would be bigger to me then catching a 10# bass.

3 pounder. Although my wife has caught one and I haven't.

+1