Lake Cahuilla crappie - my first crappie

[Geraldlim]

Trout were planted by both the county and the DFG last Friday. I was tied up coaching a swim meet all weekend, so I just had to go before work today for a little while to try to pick up some trout.

I showed up at 6:00 AM at the gate, but there were several cars already in and setting up near the outlet. I parked and started throwing a bubble and bead head woolly bugger on a 6 ft long 2 lb flouro leader. After an hour with no bites, I switched to a mini jig with a power worm teaser on the same rig.

I had one hit right at my feet with no hookup after a half hour. 15 minutes before I had to leave for work I got a hit. I thought it was a trout. When I pulled it in I was surprised to see a nice 13.5 inch crappie! Cool beans! My first crappie ever, and my first fish from Lake Cahuilla.


I kept trying until I had to leave. The folks next to me in the background did good - caught 4 trout on Powerbait while I was there.

Had it for dinner tonight - simple chinese steamed fish with ginger and sesame oil. Delicious! Almost as good as redear sunfish or bluegills.

[smokehound]

way to go on the slab. Crappie has a nice delicate flavor.

[Natural Lefty]

That's a great crappie for Lake Cahuilla. My wife and I have caught a few there, but always little 6-7 inchers. Maybe we need to get back there again -- haven't been there for quite a while.

I agree about Crappies', Redears' and Bluegills' flavor. They are among our favorite fish to eat (with Redears being tops but only by a small margin). I also like cooking them Chinese style with ginger and sesame oil sometimes, especially the big ones.

[troutdog]

Congrats on your first slab, good eatin right there!


TD

[Catrack77]

Nice crappie. Certain times of the

[Natural Lefty]

I know exactly where that is, too. I usually fish the other side of the outlet.

I wanted to add that your fish looks like it might be a White Crappie, which is much less common in SoCal than the Black Crappie, and they also grow larger, I think. It's hard to be sure which kind it is though from the picture.

[Geraldlim]

N Lefty, I think it's a white crappie too from pics I have seen of both. Black crappie seem to be much more colorful with more blue and gold. This one was silver rather than gold, and the flecks were more gray than blue.
couesdeer77 I will have to try it out in the spring. A stringer full of those would be fun.

[Catsfordays]

I caught some big crappie in there, a few years back.

[P1M]

That explains it. Last year my 4 yr old tied into something off the sand beach that tired him out and I had to finish & bring it in. Right when I pulled it up on the beach it spit the hook and took off. I saw it and had no idea what it was! I'm guessing it was a white crappie. Never new there was such a thing.

[Thisfool]

congrats on your first crappie and first fish out of that lake. ive only caught two in my short fresh water career but they are good eating for sure