Record White Crappie From Savannah River

Mike Markovcic, of Statesboro, with a beautiful white crappie he caught from the Savannah River on March 3, 2016. The 2-lb., 13-oz. slab set a new record for white crappie caught and verified from the Savannah River, which for record-keeping purposes is the stretch from the Clarks Hill dam to the Atlantic Ocean.

Both white and black crappie are found in the Savannah River, and the species differences have little to do with color. Males of both species can turn darker during the spawn, and either species can lose all their markings when the water is very muddy. When they do have markings, white crappie will have vertical bars running the length of their body, and black crappie will have no discernible pattern and will just be speckled. Markings vary, so to positively identify these crappie, count the dorsal fins that runs across the top of the fish. White crappie have five to six spines, and black crappie have seven to eight spines.