One way to cook big crappie is to filet the sides off but leave the skin on unscaled. You can grill them skin side down and the skin and scales protect the meat. Brush with oil or melted butter and put on your favorite spices and brush several times as the fish is cooking. Take them off as soon as they are done and still moist. The meat comes right off the skin and is wonderful. The scales are pretty much burned off, but they did their job. I tried this first with redfish, but it works well with big crappie, too. (Another advantage is it keeps the meat together as well as you don't turn it.) This is really an easy way to cook some really good fish.

This might work with small whole crappie as well. You would probably have to turn them and would have to take the skin off to eat them and would have to season them after you took the skin off, but I think it would work.