Remember some years ago when living in the north how I could argue with anyone that the best tasting fish we have in Ontario is the walleye. Of course, that was simply a naive sentiment considering I had never eaten crappie before.

We’re a fortunate part of the world when you consider the incredible bounty of edible fresh water delicacies we have swimming in our lakes and streams. I appreciate many of them, from the red flesh salmon, pink trout and orange char right down to those best-of-the-best over the gunnel white meat options. Undoubtedly walleye; aka the false pickerel, is that most popular taste across Canada for anglers, but perch, cold water pike should not be overlooked, whitefish, bass and more are very good eating too. And yet it’s the crappie, the southern invader now found along the border ranges of Ontario and sneaking into Manitoba, that just have to be classed as the most succulent little morsels one can traditionally fry shorelunch style, after applying one’s favorite battered breading.

The first float dropped over a decade ago, 2009 or 10 I believe, while casting along the shoreline of a nearby loch. It was spring, warming air and overcast but calm, and from a higher vantage point approaching the water I could see schools of hundreds of panfish resting themselves inches below the water’s surface. It got me excited, but considering how many were in view, my float seemed to have a hard time dropping with many bites.

They were little bluegills and so it didn’t take long to wander on away in search of these crappies still foreign to me. After an hour, much further out from the loch channel where it’s breakwalls stretch into the lake that there, in the most still spot there was, lit up by a sun now peaking out from the clouds, that along the shallow dead reeds did the bobber finally slip under to the pull of a crappie… After that first fish went in my bucket, the next cast and the next cast and next all to that same area produced another. It was amusingly addictive, akin to being a kid again giggling at the end of a dock while bobbing for sunnies on a hot summer’s day.

Crappie fishing isn’t something I’ll admit to enjoying as much as I do. Cause really, “big” fish is the cool thing, right!?! And it is, haha! But spring crappie after a long winter of wait I think brings out one happy inner child. I certainly don’t have to go a hundred times to get a fix, but the few chances out I’m friggin’ bobber fishing again, for a really fun and cool looking fish that just happens to be friggin’ incredibly good to fry up. It’s easy too! I mean, not always the catching if you can’t find ’em some days, but I mean just easy to head out in the boat or along the shore for a forage, a little treasure hunt, just an ultralight cast some rudimentary gear and fresh air budding within the nostrils.

Over the years a lot of crappie photos have collected dust in the archives. Ohhh sure, they were likely posted online here or there once or twice for looks and likes but, I can’t say they’ve ever been given just their day. And the smiles, and faces of my girls and friends and memories of being kids again in the moments with them… well, that’s what this is I guess, a tip of the hat with an ode to crap, the best in show when the bucket is full.

It’s crappie goodness!

Thought I’d share some pics of that, and maybe little spurts from memory!

2011.

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A nice, fat, blue gill.
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2012.

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A big trouble fish.
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2013.

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2014.

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Rideau Lakes crappies. Saw a gar that day too.
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2015.

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Paul had no idea we’d be fishing ALLLLLL day.
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2016.

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2017.

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Out in the little boat Ghost with the girls.
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2018.

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2019.

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2020.

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Kiddo really seems to enjoy the panfish. Always some action!

2021.

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Fin.
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Thanks.
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Bunk. 🙂
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