White crappie world record



Utah Angler Who Broke State Crappie Record Says He’s Already Caught an Even Bigger One




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It was a cold and windy afternoon in central Utah on Jan. 4. But 43-year-old Jesse Pashia knew of a protected shoreline along Gunnison Bend Reservoir where he could still wet a line. He took his trusty $18 spincast setup that he’d bought from a local hardware store and headed to the lake in Millard County, where he set up on the bank and started casting.



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“I was using an orange-and-green Berkley Power Bait curly tail grub on a 1/16-ounce jig head, with a bobber on my line above the lure,” Pashia tells
Outdoor Life
. “It’s a place I’d caught white bass and crappies previously.”

He says the hot spot is a sunken treetop in about four feet of dingy water. And while he’s new to crappie fishing (he typically chases bass or catfish), he thought crappies would be attracted to the structure, too.



“I’d caught a couple small crappies and released them that afternoon,” explains Pashia, who l


Catching the world record crappie, whether it’s white or black, is one of the most sought-after panfish prizes in North America. A 1-pound crappie is considered a nice catch. A 1 1/2-pounder is a
really
something. And anything over 2 pounds is one to brag about. Most states include crappies in their record-fish lists, but documenting the heftiest of the nation’s big crappies can be a daunting task.

Fact-Checking State and World Record Crappie

Records on the state and even national level are not always rock-solid, especially older records. Certified weigh scales, verifiable witnesses to the catch, accurate measurements, and cameras were not as readily available as they are today. Considering that some of the biggest fish recorded were caught decades ago, many are not documented by photo, and some that may be listed as state records are a bit thin on verifiable catch documentation.

For example, the largest record black crappie touted by many sources is a 6-pounder taken in Louisiana in November 1969 by Lettie Robertson. At one time, the International Game Fish Association (IGFA) considered the catch a world record. But no photos of the fish are available, and other informatio


PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — A woman in Ohio caught a record-breaking white crappie fish.

Teresa Croy broke a 29-year-old Ohio state record for the white crappie when she reeled in the fish on Nov. 2, 2024, the Ohio Division of Wildlife said in a Facebook post on Friday. 

The record-breaking fish weighed 3.91 pounds, breaking the previous record of 3.90 pounds set on April 25, 1995 by Kyle Rock. Croy, of Ottawa, reeled in the impressive catch from a pond at the Glandorf Rod and Gun Club in Putnam County.

The Ohio Division of Wildlife said Croy's fish was weighed on an inspected and certified scale. She caught the white crappie using an 8-pound test monofilament line and a worm as bait. The fish was 18.5 inches long.

The Ohio Division of Wildlife said fish records are determined by weight and are certified by the Outdoor Writers of Ohio State Record Fish Committee with help from fishery biologists. According to the Cincinnati Enquirer, the organization has maintained fishing records in Ohio since the 1940s. 

According to the United States Geological Survey, white crappie fish have "deep laterally compressed bodies which are iridescent olive green in color on the bac



Family:
Centrarchidae

Common Family:
The Sunfish Family

Common Name:
White Crappie

Scientific Name:

Pomoxis annularis


Ecological Description/Identification

White crappie are pan-size fish which are silver and black. They have a large mouth and their spiny-rayed and soft-rayed dorsal fins are connected. White crappie have six dorsal spines. Black crappie have seven or eight dorsal spines. The belly is silvery white. Some of the side scales are darkened to form a series of pale vertical bars. 

Habitat

White crappie are found throughout West Virginia in our larger streams, rivers and reservoirs. They like brushy habitat, including standing timber, fallen trees and brush piles. Crappies begin to congregate near spawning areas in early spring, and spawning begins when water temperatures reach 64 degrees. This is a great time of year to introduce kids to fishing because crappies can be easily caught with hook and line at this time of year. 

Conservation Issues

White crappie are an important recreational fish and can be managed through recreational fishing regulations, which may include but are not limited to season, bag/creel limits, size limits or water body.