Wildlife Wednesday – The Crappie

It’s Wildlife Wednesday time once again from your friends at the Ohio Division of Wildlife! With Free Fishing Days for Ohioans coming up this weekend, let’s spotlight a popular fish here in Ohio – crappie.
Both black crappie and white crappie are native to Ohio, and are common in lakes, reservoirs, streams, and rivers. A black crappie has irregular blotches or spots along its sides, while a white crappie has more uniform dark stripes. The top three destinations for Fish Ohio crappie are Mosquito Creek Lake (Trumbull County), Indian Lake (Logan County), and Alum Creek Lake (Delaware County).
Crappies are usually situated around structures, such as points, drop-offs, creek beds, brush piles, fallen trees, and stumps. Light tackle (fishing rod, reel, line, and bait) are the best choices to catch a crappie. Use minnows, small jigs, or rubber worms to catch the most fish. Crappie fishing is a good way to start someone new to this activity because the action is fast when fish are biting.
Information courtesy of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources