Are Black Crappie considered invasive?

[Hack_Fisherman]

I had a great week fishing this past week. Nothing huge but gobs of fish. I had a local tell me “someone must have dumped crappie in there” which I hear often about perch etc. (I’m assuming crappie, like perch are spread by eggs on waterfoul legs) 

but my question is, are they invasive and problematic to sport fish? He told me they eat walleye eggs. After this comment, I also had to wonder if they’d had many under water predators that can eat them due to their large disk shape

[Pikeslayer]

No.

[OhioFisherman]

http://www.fishingsimcoe.com/conservation/invading-species

It probably all depends on the body of water you are fishing in, crappie eat a lot of baitfish, and you can only assume smaller young gamefish?

[Hack_Fisherman]

Thanks guys. Are they native to Southern and Eastern Ontario?

This was on a small lake near Perth. 

They were hitting like crazy  and I had a great time

Edited August 25, 2018 by Hack_Fisherman

[OhioFisherman]

No idea of their " native " range up there, but they get them all over Ontario, even places like Lake of the woods.

[grimsbylander]

Black crappie are only considered delicious  

[aplumma]

I have a trophy lake that I fish and largemouth bass up to 8 lbs and crappie of 13 inches are co existing. It could get out of balance but they are no more harmful than bluegill and bass combination. The advantage of it is the crappie are excellent table fare and I slow troll for the crappie as I cast for bass. A bonus crappie every little bit is a blast.

Art

[dave524]

Given the choice of Black Crappie or Rock Bass as an invasive species in a lake, I'd rather the Crappie, we had WGSF's get into a Haliburton smallie lake years ago, fishing was never as good. At least Crappie are tastey.

[Hack_Fisherman]

3 hours ago, dave524 said:

Given the choice of Black Crappie or Rock Bass as an invasive species in a lake, I'd rather the Crappie, we had WGSF's get into a Haliburton smallie lake years ago, fishing was never as good. At least Crappie are tastey.

We were at a borrowed cottage so I didn’t keep any. I could have had quite the feed or freezer full

 

what are WGSF’s??

Edited August 25, 2018 by Hack_Fisherman

[grimsbylander]

37 minutes ago, Hack_Fisherman said:

We were at a borrowed cottage so I didn’t keep any. I could have had quite the feed or freezer full

We need to talk. Lol 

[dave524]

1 hour ago, Hack_Fisherman said:

what are WGSF’s??

WGSF, World's Greatest Sport Fish , aka Rock Bass . They used to go by that on this board in years past

[misfish]

12 minutes ago, dave524 said:

WGSF, World's Greatest Sport Fish , aka Rock Bass . They used to go by that on this board in years past

Wonder what ever happen to the WGSF guy?

[jimmer]

I'm sure that crappie are native to the great lakes and have slowly spread to inland lakes through the lock systems, accidental transfer or intentional illegal stocking.

[Lape0019]

If you were fishing the Perth area, they are most definitely native to the area. It's very possible the local has just never caught them before. They aren't exactly easy to locate typically during the summer months. Unless you're going out f you way to catch them in the spring or fall, no one would ever know they were there.

I've caught some pretty big one jerkbaiting for bass in the fall. They are a fun fish when you find a school.

[sauce]

I don't know the exact time frame, but a lot of people blame black crappie for the decline of the walleye population on lake scugog. Yes/ no / maybe? I really don't know if this is true or not. There are surely members on this site that could elaborate...

[David Chong]

On 8/24/2018 at 9:00 PM, Hack_Fisherman said:

Thanks guys. Are they native to Southern and Eastern Ontario?

This was on a small lake near Perth. 

They were hitting like crazy  and I had a great time

Many lakes in that area have Black Crappies that are native! Enjoy, catch lots! Oh BTW they are delicious!

Edited August 28, 2018 by David Chong

[OhioFisherman]

26 minutes ago, sauce said:

I don't know the exact time frame, but a lot of people blame black crappie for the decline of the walleye population on lake scugog. Yes/ no / maybe? I really don't know if this is true or not. There are surely members on this site that could elaborate...

https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/columnists/paul-smith/2018/06/30/can-walleye-populations-rebound-if-bass-and-panfish-reduced/738077002/

That article isn't about Scugog but " But recent studies have shown a link between higher water temperatures and reduced production of walleyes, a cool-water fish.  "?

[Terry]

Many lakes near Perth they are native 

but scugog and Simcoe didn’t have crappie when I first started fishing the lakes

[misfish]

18 hours ago, Terry said:

Many lakes near Perth they are native 

but scugog and Simcoe didn’t have crappie when I first started fishing the lakes

They were transplanted by seagull poop. LOL

 

Are Calico bass  crappie? Did we make a new name for the calico? Renamed it crappie? Like walleye vs pickeral.  I remember as a kid catching use ones on GBAY. I was told they were calico bass then ?

Edited August 28, 2018 by misfish

[grimsbylander]

I think the calico handle is just another slang name we Canadians are famous for. lol I had to google calico bass and they're actually a saltwater fish. 

[misfish]

Well the one I caught was in a marina in port severn. Everyone said it was a calico bass. I thought they were saying chemical bass. LOL

[grimsbylander]

8 minutes ago, misfish said:

Well the one I caught was in a marina in port severn. Everyone said it was a calico bass. I thought they were saying chemical bass. LOL

No, that's Hamilton port!! hahaha

[Terry]

yup Everyone called them calico bass in the smith falls area years ago

[zippyfx]

Black Crappie are not considered invasive but they having been moving northaward in the province for years. They are becomming more and more common in the Ottawa area. 

Invasiveness is a tricky subject. As it was in the region it was has not been dicussed as invassive as it was part of our eco system; Likley there is no threat or concern to the local ecosystems as we had similar fish (Small/largemouth bass, Sunfish) with similar habits. Likley the balance of the poplation to some small degree will shift but it is unlikley that oen will win out over the other.  They do have natural predators in the enviroment so they will be in check.

That being said Pike are considred invasive in zone 15 as they are affecting the ecosystem as a top of the food chain predator; There "invasion" through algonquin park is being tracked very carefully. They are directly impacting the ecosystem of the lakes they are introduced to. 

 

 

[jimmer]

I caught my first one about fifty years ago around Honey Harbour and my father called it a calico bass.