A CRAPPIE Fall & Fish Cleaning Tip

 

The weather this fall has been overall very nice.  The weekend weather has offered some beautiful
temperatures to get outside and enjoy some fishing.  Typically this time of year bass take up most of my time, this fall held true to that.  However, I did find myself enjoying some crappie fishing on several bodies of water too.  I was able to take several trips with friends and family, all enjoying some crappies coming into the boat.  The crappies did not seem to be affected by the up and down water temperatures as the bass were, making bass fishing up and down this fall.  The crappies held true and allowed many hours of enjoyment.  I find myself chasing crappies and gills more and more each year on the boat.  My winter is consumed by panfish through the ice, and this fall was a great warm up!  Different types of jigs and colors all worked throughout the fall, some days certain colors worked better than others, but I pretty much narrowed it down to a green or pink leadhead with a variety of plastic trailers.  It seemed the crappies this fall did get educated, as you caught a few out of a brushpile or dock, a change in color or jig action was needed to catch a few more.  I always say it, "let the fish tell you what they want", don't force it and don't become a creature of habit.  By mixing things up as the days went on, we were able to keep catching crappies.  Catching crappies is awesome, however eating them is the real treat!  

Bleeding out crappie makes the cleaning
process much cleaner and the 
fillets will turn out pure white.

CLEANING TIP:  Crappies are one of my favorite fish to eat.  I prefer to fry them in a dry batter or bake them to make fish tacos.  One major thing I have been doing doing for many years is
bleeding the crappies out.  No matter if I am on the ice or in the boat, bleeding out crappies is the way to go.  Slicing them right under the "chin" and letting them bleed out allows you to have the whitest fillets you will ever see.  It makes cleaning them so much nicer as well, no bloody cleaning table that makes everything messy.  While ice fishing this process can be done immediately as the fish lays on the ice it will bleed out.  While in a boat you will want to wait until the end of your trip.  When keeping fish, there are two things to consider, keep them alive to clean them or get them on ice.  This preserves the meat for maximum taste and the fillets will stay nice and firm.  

Only a couple more weeks in the boat...the ICE will be here soon!