Fall 2021 Children's Sneak Previews

Utah Angler Who Broke State Crappie Record Says He's Already Caught An Even Bigger One - Outdoor Life

Sign up for the Quick Strike Newsletter The hottest fishing news, tips, and tactics

It was a cold and windy afternoon in central Utah on Jan. 4. But 43-year-old Jesse Pashia knew of a protected shoreline along Gunnison Bend Reservoir where he could still wet a line. He took his trusty $18 spincast setup that he'd bought from a local hardware store and headed to the lake in Millard County, where he set up on the bank and started casting.

Sign up for the Outdoor Life Newsletter Get the hottest outdoor news and cutting-edge gear reviews.

By signing up you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.

"I was using an orange-and-green Berkley Power Bait curly tail grub on a 1/16-ounce jig head, with a bobber on my line above the lure," Pashia tells Outdoor Life. "It's a place I'd caught white bass and crappies previously."

He says the hot spot is a sunken treetop in about four feet of dingy water. And while he's new to crappie fishing (he typically chases bass or catfish), he thought crappies would be attracted to the structure, too.

A closeup of Pashia's record crappie, which he released after measuring. Photo by Jesse Pashia

"I'd caught a couple small crappies and released them that afternoon," explains Pashia, who lives in Sutherland. "Then about 4 p.M. I hooked a bigger, stronger fish. I figured it was a white bass until I got it close to shore and saw it was a crappie."

Read Next: The Best Crappie Lures of 2025, Tested and Reviewed

He landed the white crappie and knew right away it was a good one. Pashia measured its length at 13 3/8-inches, then released it. A couple days later, after seeing his crappie was eligible for a catch-and-release record, Pashia submitted proof of his catch to the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources through the DWR's website. (In addition to spearfishing, archery, and setline fishing records, the state agency maintains one record list for catch-and-keep records and a separate list for catch-and-release records.)

Pashia says he's already caught an even bigger crappie that stands to replace the record he set in January. Photo by Jesse Pashia

The state finally recognized Pashia's crappie as the new state catch-and-release record on Feb. 21, and he was issued a record certificate to commemorate the achievement. By that time, however, Pashia had already caught and released two more white crappies that were bigger than the state-record crappie he caught in January. He says he caught both those fish from the same sunken treetop on Feb. 22.

"I got one crappie that measured 13.5 inches, then I caught a 14-incher," he says. "I have 60 days to submit the largest fish for another record, and I'm gonna wait at least a month or so, because I think there are bigger crappies to catch. The spawn hasn't even started yet."

Bob McNally has been an outdoor writer since shortly after the earth's crust cooled. He has written 12 outdoor books, more than 5,000 outdoor magazine stories (including many for Outdoor Life) and more newspaper outdoor columns and features than there are hairs on a grizzly bear. 

World Record Crappie: 12 Of The Biggest Crappie Ever - Field & Stream

Catching the world record crappie, whether it's white or black, is one of the most sought-after panfish prizes in North America. A 1-pound crappie is considered a nice catch. A 1 1/2-pounder is a really something. And anything over 2 pounds is one to brag about. Most states include crappies in their record-fish lists, but documenting the heftiest of the nation's big crappies can be a daunting task.

Fact-Checking State and World Record Crappie

Records on the state and even national level are not always rock-solid, especially older records. Certified weigh scales, verifiable witnesses to the catch, accurate measurements, and cameras were not as readily available as they are today. Considering that some of the biggest fish recorded were caught decades ago, many are not documented by photo, and some that may be listed as state records are a bit thin on verifiable catch documentation.

For example, the largest record black crappie touted by many sources is a 6-pounder taken in Louisiana in November 1969 by Lettie Robertson. At one time, the International Game Fish Association (IGFA) considered the catch a world record. But no photos of the fish are available, and other information about the catch is minimal. Though the IGFA has retired the fish from its record book, the National Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame still lists this massive 6-pounder as the world-record.

For this review of the nation's biggest crappie ever, photo documentation is required. So, here are the slabbiest of slabs—with photographic evidence (some admittedly of poor quality).

1. All-Tackle World Record Crappie (Black Crappie)

Jam Ferguson with the current black crappie record. Photo Courtesy IGFA

Jam Ferguson with the current black crappie record. IGFA

Ferguson fished a private small, deep, and weedy spring-fed pond in Loundon County near Knoxville when he hooked into this 5-Pound, 7-Ounce, 19.25-inch-long black crappie. It hit a Kalin's 2-inch Triple Threat Grub on a 1/8-ounce jig head, and it took 5 minutes to land. The fish was weighed by a Tennessee wildlife officer on certified scales, and witnesses to the catch and the weighing were on hand. The fish also went through DNA testing by the state to make sure it was a black crappie, not a white crappie or hybrid. The fish is the current IGFA all-tackle record for black crappie, as well as the Tennessee state record.

Ferguson was sure to contact a Tennessee wildlife officer to weigh his catch because he'd caught a massive crappie (4-pounds, 4-ounces) previously from the same pond. Although that fish was photographed and weighed, Tennessee officials were not on hand to verify it.

2. All-Tackle World Record Crappie (White Crappie) Fred Bright's IGFA record white crappie. IGFA

This massive 21-inch long, 5-pound, 3-ounce white crappie has been the IGFA all-tackle world record for the species for over half a century. It was caught in the Yocona River below Enad Dam. Bright used an Action Rod and a Denison-Johnson reel. But there's no information on the line, crappie lure, or bait that he used. The fish was photographed and documented by witnesses for the catch and weight.

3. The Former World Record Black Crappie John Hortsman and "Pat." IGFA

At one time, this huge 5-pound black crappie was the IGFA all-tackle record. It became a celebrity because after Hortsman caught it, he donated the fish to Bass Pro Shops in Columbia, Missouri, where it lived for years in their 11,000-gallon aquarium. The fish was affectionately named Pat and thrilled anglers of all ages who saw it. Hortsman caught the 19-inch-long fish from a private pond on a live minnow. He used an Eagle Claw rod and Zebco reel.

4. Arkansas State Record Crappie Donivan Echols with his 5-pound Arkansas record crappie. IGFA

This 5-pound black crappie is the Arkansas state record and it was caught by Donivan Echols, who was 10 years old at the time. It shattered a 35-year state record. The fish was taken from 200-acre Lake Wilhelmina in Polk County. Young Echols used a rod, reel, and tackle he'd purchased the previous day with money he'd earned working for his grandparents. A live minnow duped the fish, and it took 5 hours for state officials to weigh it. The fish reportedly lost 1 ounce in weight before it was certified. It was 18-inches long with a 13-inch girth.

5. The "Almost" Nebraska State Record Crappie Andy Moore released his 5-pound Nebraska crappie. IGFA

This Nebraska crappie is remarkable in several ways. First, it was caught through the ice by Moore on a 15-degree day two weeks before Christmas on an icy pond near Omaha. Moore and his brother Scott quickly measured the fish on video at 19 inches and considered taking it—alive—an hour drive away to have it certified by a state fishery official. Most remarkable is that the Moore brothers wanted to release the 5-pound fish, believing it was more valuable back in the pond as broodstock than in a skillet. They knew driving it an hour for a weigh-in and back to the pond would likely kill the crappie. So they released the potential record-breaker.

6. California State Record Crappie David Burruss with the California state record crappie. Terry Knight

This California slab is the most recently caught record crappie on our list. Dave Burruss, the owner of Clear Lake Outdoors in Lakeport, California, was fishing on Feb. 17, 2021. Conditions were partly cloudy and 58 degrees. According to the Lake County Record-Bee, Burruss said, "It had been a slow day bass fishing, but I saw a few bigger fish on the Garmin Livescope that I thought were maybe bass. But these fish were suspended 6 to 10 feet deep in 25 feet of water. They ended up being huge crappies. There were two other crappies with this fish the same size that I couldn't get to bite. I used a 4-inch Keitech Easy Shiner on a Cool Baits Down Underspin."

7. Alabama State Record Crappie The Alabama State Record white crappie. IGFA

This 4-pound, 9-ounce white crappie is barely the state record for Alabama, edging out second place by a single ounce. It's also one of the heaviest angler-caught white crappies photographed. It was taken on the sprawling 39,000-acre Lake Martin—a deep, clear, heavily fished reservoir on the Tallapoosa River in central Alabama.

8. The Show-Me-State Slab This is one of the largest white crappies ever photographed. IGFA

Missouri angler Samuel Barbee landed this remarkably heavy 4-pound, 9-ounce white crappie on March 5, 2000.

9. Illinois State Record Hybrid Crappie A huge Illinois hybrid crappie. IGFA

Southern Illinois' Kinkaid Reservoir in Jackson County has a rich history of giving up stout crappies, and it yielded this 4-pound, 8.8-ounce state record hybrid (white/black) crappie for Povolish, besting the previous state record that held the top spot for 40 years. Povolish's fish took a ½-ounce green swim jig he'd tied on for bass while working water near a grass bed.

10. The Former World Record Crappie (and Current Nebraska Record) Nebraska's biggest-ever black crappie. IGFA

This one-time IGFA world record black crappie is still the top fish in Nebraska. Paap caught it on a farm pond near Nebraska City in Otoe County. The fish struck a popular Road Runner jig that Paap cast using a Shimano rod and Zebco reel. It took five minutes to land the 4-pound, 8-ounce slab, which measured 18.5 inches in length.

11. The Alabama Monster A Lake Guntersville, Alabama giant. IGFA

This hefty white crappie was caught on Guntersville Reservoir, a big TVA impoundment in far northern Alabama near the Tennessee border. Guntersville is a popular fishing spot and is heavily fished. But Grant found a way to boat this impressive 4-pound, 8-ounce catch.

Read Next: How and Where to Catch a Limit of Crappies

12. The "Almost" Tennessee State Record Crappie Jam Ferguson ate his 4-pound, 4-ounce black crappie. IGFA

Lionel "Jam" Ferguson (again) caught this 4-pound, 4-ounce giant black crappie two years prior to catching his 5-pound, 7-ounce world record in 2018. This fish wasn't certified by state fisheries officials, so it was not accepted for record status. But Jam got a photo of the heavy slab. Then he took it home, cooked it, and ate it. But this photo of the fish tells the story best.

The Biggest Crappies Ever Caught - Outdoor Life

Sign up for the Quick Strike Newsletter The hottest fishing news, tips, and tactics

Whether you call them crappies or croppies, or freckles, specks, or papermouths, white and black crappies have enticed America's anglers since the advent of cane fishing poles. Their allure isn't necessarily because of the incredible fight they put up or the degree of difficulty in catching them. It is mainly because these prolific fish are so darn tasty. Their mild, white, flaky flesh was seemingly created for the frying pan.

Which makes one wonder: How many crappies would have made the record books had they been measured instead of filleted? 

All About Crappies

There are two subspecies of crappie native to North America. They are members of the black bass family, and both are noted in the record books. 

Dan Josselyn with a 2-pounder he caught in Virginia. Photo by Ken Perrotte

The black crappie (Pomoxis nigromaculatus) is native to most of the eastern United States, but it has been stocked so extensively in lakes and ponds that it is now found almost nationwide and in a few Canadian provinces. Its cousin, the white crappie (Pomoxis annularis), is generally lighter in color and has vertical, black stripes. According to a distribution map published by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, white crappies are present (but noticeably scarce) in a large swath of the Midwest from West Texas up through the arid western states, and across the Rocky Mountains into western Montana.

The two species can be difficult to differentiate, and the only proven way to tell them apart is by counting the spiny rays on their dorsal fins. Black crappies have seven or eight rays, while white crappie have five or six. Black crappies also have irregularly arranged speckles and blotches in their color pattern. Sometimes, and especially during spawning season, these markings can become very dark (hence the name).

Crappies can be aggressive feeders, especially in the morning. They'll readily hit jigs, small spinning baits, crankbaits, and, of course, live minnows.

Some of the Biggest Crappie Ever Caught (and a Record Book Controversy)

Any crappie that pushes the 3- to 4-pound mark is in the trophy class. Fish over 5 pounds are humongous specimens, as anyone who's joyfully pulled in a slab 2-pounder will attest to. 

A good collection of jigs for crappie fishing. Photo by Ken Perrotte

A check of state fishing records shows five states recognizing crappie that weighed 5 pounds or more. The South Carolina records for white and black crappie are over that benchmark, and both of those fish were caught more than 50 years ago. Meanwhile, more than 30 states list crappie records exceeding 4 pounds.

There's still a bit of controversy when it comes to the biggest crappie ever caught, however. The International Game Fish Association, which is the de facto record-keeping organization for fish caught with a rod-and-reel, lists the all-tackle world record as a black crappie weighing 5 pounds, 7 ounces. The fish was caught from a pond in Tennessee in 2018.

Read Next: It's OK to Keep Trophy Crappie

But some still think the true world record belongs to a 12- or 13-year old Louisiana girl named Lettie Robinson, who reportedly caught a 6-pound black crappie from the Westwego Canal in 1969. Although there is precious little documentation and no known photos of the catch, Louis Bignami writes about it in his 1991 book, Stories Behind Record Fish. (According to Bignami, Robinson caught the 6-pounder using an old cane pole and some worms she'd dug herself.) To this day, Robinson's 6-pound crappie is ranked No.1 by the National Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame in Wisconsin, but because it's not accepted by the IGFA, a shadow of doubt hangs over it.    

Steve Danna holds up a nice crappie from Louisiana's Lake D'Arbonne. Photo by Ken Perrotte

A list of big crappies doesn't end with the all-tackle world record, either. The IGFA also recognizes length records for crappie that were caught, documented, and released. It used to maintain a list of line- and tippet-class records for the two species as well, but IGFA angler recognition manager Zack Bellapigna tells Outdoor Life that its record book underwent a major overhaul in 2017, when the organization implemented a minimum weight requirement for these records.

"This [change] required the fish to weigh half of the line class in order to qualify," Bellapigna explains. "With that being the case, the only records available currently are the all-tackle and length records for both species." 

Here is a closer look at those IGFA-verified crappie records.

All-Tackle Black Crappie Record: 5 pounds, 7 ounces Tennesee angler Lionel Fergunson with the all-tackle world record black crappie. Photo courtesy IGFA

Angler Lionel "Jam" Ferguson caught the current all-tackle world record black crappie (and the reigning largest crappie in the IGFA record book) on May 15, 2018. He was fishing in Tennessee's Richeison Pond, which is privately owned. The fish measured 19.25 inches long and weighed 5 pounds, 7 ounces. It was a chunky fish with a 17.75-inch girth.

Ferguson was fishing that evening with a Shakespeare rod matched with a Pflueger reel spooled with 6-pound Zebco line. His black crappie, caught with a jig, eclipsed a world record that had stood for a dozen years.

Read Next: The 20 Best Crappie Lures of 2024, Tested and Reviewed

They grow them big in the Volunteer State. The Tennessee state record for white crappie is just two ounces short of the all-tackle world record. Angler Bill Allen caught that 5-pound, 1-ounce whopper from another private pond in 1969. 

All-Tackle White Crappie Record: 5 pounds, 3 ounces

Fred Bright's all-tackle white crappie record has held up for 67 years, which is longer than any other record on this list. Bright caught the 5-pound, 3-ounce fish in Mississippi's Enid Dam on July 31, 1957. There are no known photos of the fish. The fish was reportedly 21 inches long with a 19-inch girth.

According to the IGFA, Bright was using a Denison-Johnson reel spooled with Ashaway line. There is no mention of the type of lure or bait he used.

All-Tackle Length Record, Black Crappie: 16.14 inches Derek Merricks with a record-breaking crappie caught in 2024. Photo courtesy IGFA

Angler Derek Merricks beat his own crappie record earlier this year. He caught the 16.14-inch-long black crappie in Virginia's Little Creek Reservoir on Feb. 10. His previous record, a 14.96-inch fish caught in December 2023, came from the same reservoir.

Merricks was wielding a St. Croix Premier rod matched with a Shimano Stradic 1000 spinning reel and 6-pound Berkley Vanish fluorocarbon line. He caught both record fish using live minnows.

All-Tackle Length Record, White Crappie: 15.35 inches Doug Borries caught this slab on Grenada Lake in MIssissippi. Photo courtesy IGFA

Doug Borries caught his 15.35-inch white crappie on Oct. 22, 2022. He was fishing Grenada Lake, which has a long reputation as a trophy crappie destination. Borries was fishing with a B'n'M rod and an Okuma reel spooled with 10-pound Stren line. He was casting a hand-tied jig.

Junior Length Record, Black Crappie: 13.39 inches Kate Kwak holds up a big California crappie. Photo courtesy IGFA

Young Kate Kwak was loaded for big game when she hooked into her record black crappie, a 13.39-incher she caught in California's Clear Lake on June 14, 2023. Her G Loomis PR 844S rod was equipped with a Shimano Stradic 3000 reel spooled with 50-pound PowerPro line. The fish ate a minnow.

Fly-Fishing Length Record, Black Crappie: 14.57 inches

Bob Gaines was fly fishing Lake Perris in California on July 26, 2019, when a record-breaking black crappie inhaled his wooly bugger. There are no known photos of the fish, which reportedly measured 14.57 inches long. Gaines was fishing a Sage rod paired with an Orvis reel and fly line.

Fly-Fishing Length Record, White Crappie: 15.35 inches MIchael Boleware with a record crappie caught on the fly. Photo courtesy IGFA

Michael T. Boleware holds the pending fly-caught world record with a white crappie he caught earlier this year on Mississippi's Grenada Lake. That fish, caught on March 20, measured 15.35 inches. Boleware was using a Pflueger rod with a Maxim Catch reel and 8-pound line. The fish hit a sculpin imitation. 

*This record is pending. If approved by the IGFA, Boleware will top his own existing record, a 14.96-inch crappie he caught from Ross Barnett Reservoir on April 19, 2023.

Junior Length Record, White Crappie: tie

The current junior length record for white crappie is listed as a tie in the IGFA record book. According to the organization's rules, a fish has to be at least 2 centimeters longer than an existing record to beat it.

The IGFA junior length record for white crappie is a tie between two fish caught by Jasmine Hammontree (left) and James Callahan Barton (right). Photos courtesy IGFA

Jasmine Hammontree came close to doing this on Feb. 16 of this year, when she landed a 12.99-inch white crappie from Vernon Lake, a 4,200-acre reservoir in Anacoco, Louisiana. She was using a colorful Sougayilang rod and a South Bend 110 reel, with a Strike King Rocket Shad lure tied on the business end. 

But Hammontree's fish wasn't quite big enough to unseat the 12.6-inch white crappie that James Callahan Barton caught in Mississippi on June 4, 2023. Barton was fishing on Sardis Lake. He used a B'n'M West Point rod with a Lew's Xfinity size 30 spinning reel and 15-pound Spiderwire. The fish ate a chartreuse-and-green Bandit 300 crankbait.

FAQs What is the biggest crappie ever caught?

That answer depends on who you ask. Most would point to the 5-pound, 7-ounce black crappie that was caught in Tennessee in 2018, and which is ranked No. 1 in the IGFA's book of fishing world records. Others would say that record belongs to a young Louisiana girl who reportedly caught a 6-pounder back in 1969. Although there is no photographic evidence of the catch, it's still ranked No. 1 by the National Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame.

What is considered a "big" crappie?

Big is a relative term, and crappies are some of the smallest members of the black bass family, averaging around 1-1.5 pounds. Any crappie over 2 pounds is something to brag about in most panfishing circles. Fish pushing 4-5 pound mark are the true "slabs" but these fish are pretty rare in most parts of the country. 

Where are the biggest crappies caught?

Like many other warm water species, crappies typically grow bigger in southern states like Florida, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Texas. Lakes in the Midwest are also known to kick out some big crappies. A few of the most well-known trophy crappie lakes in the country are: Grenada Lake in Mississippi, Lake Fork in Texas, and Alabama's Weiss Lake.

Final Thoughts on the Biggest Crappies Ever Caught A pair of anglers fish for crappie on a pond in Mississippi. Photo by Ken Perrotte

As fun as it is to catch crappie, a lot of anglers like to eat them even more. And because so many fish have ended up on the cleaning table over the years, it's hard to say with 100 percent certainty what the biggest crappie ever caught was. Records are still being broken, though, and with anglers using new technology like Forward Facing Sonar to find bigger fish, this trend will likely continue.

---