Type

• There are two types of crappies--white and black. White and black crappies have extremely similar diets, as both will eat small water organisms, crayfish, small fish and insect life. Both species are favored by anglers for their great taste. Fisherman look for crappies by the edge of weeds and near underwater structure such as trees, logs and large rocks. Crappies live together in numbers, with a lifespan that averages about 7 years.
  
  

Size

• Crappies are generally no longer than 8 to 10 inches in length and weigh between 1/2 pound and 1 pound. A large crappie is one that reaches over 15 inches and weighs more than a couple of pounds. State record crappies across the United States are usually over 4 pounds, with some states having crappies that weigh in the 5 to 6 pound range as their top fish. The world record white crappie is a 5 pound, 3 ounce specimen caught in Mississippi; the world record black crappie was recently caught in Kentucky and weighed in at almost 5 pounds.
  
  

Geography

• White crappies were originally found in the eastern United States and in Canada, but have successfully been introduced to most of the western states. The black crappie is in every one of the lower forty-eight United States, having been introduced to many of them artificially. They also are found in Canada. Both species of crappies live in lakes, ponds and rivers. Black crappies live in cleaner water than the white ones, which prefer to reside in slower moving portions of rivers and the murkier portions of lakes and ponds.
  
  

Identification

• White crappies have five or six very stiff spines on their dorsal, or upper, fin. Their color is much lighter than the black crappie, with a series of dark bands running vertically down their silver bodies. The black crappie is one of the most beautiful fish in freshwater, with its silvery sides covered with random greenish or black spotted markings. Black crappies have seven to eight spines on their dorsal fins, which is the easiest way to tell the different colored species apart. Both white and black have flattened bodies, small heads, and an upturned nose. Crappies are often called "papermouths," which refers to the very thin layer of skin around their mouths.
  
  

Misconceptions

• Many people wrongly think that crappies are members of the bass family, but they are actually related to sunfish. The white crappie is often mistakenly called a silver bass; the black crappie is famously known as a calico bass. Crappies are also mistaken for white perch.