Fishhand Posted March 5, 2007 Posted March 5, 2007 My brother and I put in at Asher's today, Sunday, and caught six crappie draggin' a minnow in the channel (below Asher's). Went all the way up to Taylor Shoals, didn't really fish up that high, but the water looked good, was very clear and the temp was around 46. We caught 8-10 short bass in the 10"-12" range, one rotund 15.5" kentucky and those six crappie. When I cleaned the crappie I noticed some distinct spots, mainly, on their pectoral fins but also on their dorsal, pelvic, and caudal fins. The spots were the size of cracked black pepper. Hadn't really ever seen spots like that on their fins before today. I know we've caught crappie in the past with the black stripe on their noses, but didn't know the reason for the spots on their fins. Has anybody seen this before or have they always been there and I've just missed it?
Sam Posted March 5, 2007 Posted March 5, 2007 Jim - I'm glad to hear the crappie are starting to work in the James River arm. The ones with the black stripe are a sub-variety called "Arkansas Blacknose", and they're native to the White River watershed. They're spread widely now, and I've even caught them in eastern Tennessee. Maybe it's my imagination, but it always seems to me like they fight a little harder than the non-striped ones. I've cut into those black-pepper spots on crappie fins before, and I think they're a little parasite that grows under the outer skin of the fins and tail. I assume they're harmless to people, since we don't eat the fins anyway and I've never seen them in the filets. It seems to me like deep-frying in hot grease oughta kill any parasites - at least I hope so.
Fishhand Posted March 5, 2007 Author Posted March 5, 2007 mmmmm...parasites taste good. Sam - Thanks for the information.
Terry Beeson Posted March 5, 2007 Posted March 5, 2007 Crappie.com (click here) has a good discussion on Arkansas Blacknose in their forum. If you look at those fillets under a microscope, you might never again eat any fish... TIGHT LINES, YA'LL "There he stands, draped in more equipment than a telephone lineman, trying to outwit an organism with a brain no bigger than a breadcrumb, and getting licked in the process." - Paul O’Neil
Hunter91 Posted March 6, 2007 Posted March 6, 2007 I ask the MDC about those specs on the crappie. They said it was a parasite caused by waterfowls and shore birds. They also said that the crappie with these on them were harmless to eat. I don't think I want to see them under a microscope though
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