Soft fish?

Hey guys don’t get to chase the slabs much anymore but enjoy reading about everyone else’s success. Have a question that after 50 yrs of fishing I would think I should know the answer to? Maybe someone here does? Over the last few yrs I have been able to fish a couple private ponds that hold a respectable population of fish. On two or three occasions I have kept a few for the pan. Each time the fish seem to have an unusually soft texture when Fried? These are large crappie and it has always been during the warmer months of the yr. After the second or third time of experiencing soft fish I have stopped keeping any when we go. It has me wondering if it is due to catching large fish during the warmer months or are the fish in these two locations just different? Any info on this would be appreciated.
PS.. I have eaten crappie for most of my life from other bodies of water with very little mushy fish issues. I realize crappie are a softer fish however this is more than normal by far. The fish I am referring to are really nice size fish for the most part and go into a live well straight to the cleaning table. Twice we cooked them within an hour of being caught... thanks

This is nothing but a theory but I suspect that the softness comes from them being in a small body of water. No where to go so less swimming thus less building of muscle. Bigger open waters they are constantly on the move chasing bait and moving from deep to shallow water and such. In small ponds they just lay around and wait for bait to come to them plus I find fish a lot softer in warmer water. In the case of small waters they can’t escape warm water by going deeper.

Cray, you may be onto something. The lakes are small biggest one approx 30 acres but shallow. 4’ average depth max.

How were the fish treated after catching ? In a cooler with ice ? Or on a stringer drug around in warm water until you went home ? Only soft ones I have ever encountered died warm and not on ice .

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Originally Posted by The Mountain Man

How were the fish treated after catching ? In a cooler with ice ? Or on a stringer drug around in warm water until you went home ? Only soft ones I have ever encountered died warm and not on ice .

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They swim around in the live well all the way to the cleaning table. I am really starting to think it just the fish from that lake? I am going to try to make it back out in a few weeks while the water is cold and keep a few average size fish. The ones I have tried in the past were all big, real big. Heck it not unusual to catch them on full size crank baits or spinner baits etc...

I like 10"- 12" crappie for cooking. I clean and then soak over night. The big ones don't taste good to me.

I can not speak for the crappie do to not ever having that problem but with fresh water trout you need to put them on ice when warm. Even if kept alive they just seem to not be firm. I notice a big difference in catching them when it is cool then catching the same fish in warmer weather. Also after cleaning throw them the filet in a bow of ice water. This will keep the flesh as firm as they can be.

Bigger fish are too soft for me. Those 10 to 11 inch fish eat best. Also warm water you need to put the fish on ice ASAP.

I use an 11-14" slot for Crappie for a reason. Anything less than 11" doesn't have much meat on it, and once you get much over 14", the meat gets mushy and those big females are great breeding stock. Most of my experience comes from fishing Lake Norman near Charlotte with over 500 miles of shoreline and up to 100' deep. So, the crappie there are plenty of room to roam vertically and horizontally. If you're talking 15"+ crappie, then I'd try backing it down a bit and keeping a few smaller ones. I'd be interested in knowing if the smaller ones you catch are any better. To me, that 12" crappie is perfect for the grease.

TW

10" black crappie fry up nice and crispy!

I have noticed that what crappie feed on determines what they taste like. Crappie feeding on primarily baitfish taste better than crappie feeding heavily on insects and crustaceans. I've never paid attention to texture that much. Now thinking about it, larger fish +13" do seem to be softer. I eat a lot of fish, salt and freshwater. I try to avoid eating older fish. They've been around too long to absorb bad stuff. Plus the quality of the meat isn't that good.


Good Fishin

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Originally Posted by South Paw

I have noticed that what crappie feed on determines what they taste like. Crappie feeding on primarily baitfish taste better than crappie feeding heavily on insects and crustaceans. I've never paid attention to texture that much. Now thinking about it, larger fish +13" do seem to be softer. I eat a lot of fish, salt and freshwater. I try to avoid eating older fish. They've been around too long to absorb bad stuff. Plus the quality of the meat isn't that good.


Good Fishin

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I never thought about that applying to crappie but I'm sure it does. I like catfish but I sure don't like the farm bred ones like they serve you in restaurants. YUK!

You are what you eat. Stripers are good example. Freshwater stripers feed primarily on shad, bluegill and whatever baitfish they can catch. A saltwater striper has a more diverse diet to choose from. A rockfish (saltwater striper) feeds on fiddler crabs, blue crabs, mantis shrimp, clams, menhaden, juvenile flounder, silversides, eels, speckled trout, spot, croaker, bluefish and things I can't remember. They are one of the most adaptable fish out there. To me saltwater stripers taste better than the freshwater variety. As long as everything is fresh of course. I helped raised hybrids in a private lake once. They tasted mediocre to me. I fed them pellet food and they probably ate some things in the lake but they were conditioned to eat pellet food. I harvested a couple of them and gave them to a Chinese Restaurant LOL.

Good Fishin

i smack the fish in the head with a knife handle or similar before i throw it in the cooler. keeps them from flopping around

Im guessing that the smaller body of water gives less room to roam. Also what feeds it and whats around it. Livestock, trees could be a factor? 11-13" fish are my target size and fry up nicely.:twocents

Have a feeling most everything mentioned here is playing a role. Like said these fish are larger fish, from a small body of water. Talking w my fishing partner we both seem to think it was last March when we experienced the soft fish last yr. I’m thinking the water was actually still rather cool? With that said we’re going again in a few weeks and plan on trying a few smaller fish. Kinda thinking that may help? Years ago we ate them all the time from other bodies of water but I must admit they were typically smaller fish. Once we try the smaller fish I will post and let everyone know if there was a change. Thanks

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Originally Posted by Unklslam41

i smack the fish in the head with a knife handle or similar before i throw it in the cooler. keeps them from flopping around

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When I visited/fished in Germany 18 years ago, I was enlightened that all harvested fish were to be euthanized immediately! I now do some that way or bleed out some saltwater species.

u2s:fish

Put the fish on ice immediately after catching in lieu of livewell.