I have been writing a lot of crappie fishing articles lately, but there’s a good reason — the fishing has been unbelievable! Just like last year, every time I go, it keeps getting better and better. As far as size and numbers, the best trip was a week ago when my daughter and I went. We caught 213 and got some nice ones.
But yesterday, my friend Ron Spomer and I went, and as far as sheer numbers, it was the best trip. We caught 241. A lot of them were small. We threw back 192 but came home with 49. Again, the killer lure was a Mister Twister Red/White tube jig. I used a small jig head because there was no wind and it seemed to drop perfectly.
We caught the bulk of them about 30 feet off the bank but near dusk they had moved up right by the rocky banks to feed. If you haven’t gotten out yet, you need to go. The last few trips they’ve been full of eggs but last night I probably filleted only three to five fish that still had eggs, so the spawn is pretty much over.
But enough talk about fishing. Today I want to talk about cooking crappie. Crappie to me are the third-best freshwater fish, trailing behind walleye and then perch. They are a white, light, flaky fish.
I’m sure there are a million ways to cook them, but here are some of my favorites. To begin, fillet them. That way you have some nice little chunky fillets that will fry evenly. You’ll catch more than you can eat in one setting so it is important to preserve them properly. Vacuum pack them to keep them fresh and to prevent them from getting freezer burnt. I have a Caso vacuum sealer that works great.
RECIPES
- My go-to recipe is very simple. Sprinkle some cornmeal on a plate. Roll the fillets in the cornmeal and then throw in a Lodge black cast iron skillet that has some hot oil in it. Fry. My wife likes to fry them a little crispy. I don’t fry them as well done so they are more moist. Either way is great. While frying, I sprinkle on some Tony Chachere’s seasoning. Use the Tony’s just like salt. It is a Cajun spice and my go-to all-around spice.
- I also like to mix up pancake batter and dip the fillets in the batter and then fry (same as in No. 1) but these I like to fry to a golden brown. This method is great, too.
- Here’s a Cajun recipe that I like. I got it from a Cajun girl named Roe while red fishing down in Louisiana. Sprinkle flour on a plate. Lightly dust the fillets. Put in a hot black iron Lodge skillet that has a little grease in it. Sprinkle on a little Worcestershire sauce and throw in a few spoonfuls of capers. I also like to sprinkle in a little balsamic vinegar. Fry a little crisp. These are great as is but on the first two recipes, I dip the fish in ketchup.
Happy Eating! Now I’m off to the mountains to bait for bears and pick some mushrooms. Ahhh, springtime in Idaho is great.
Tom Claycomb lives in Idaho and has outdoors columns in newspapers in Alaska, Idaho, Utah, Nevada, Colorado and Louisiana. He also writes for various outdoors magazines and teaches outdoors seminars at stores like Cabela’s, Sportsman’s Warehouse and Bass Pro Shop.
