Slab Tops 3 Pounds To Set Bartletts Ferry Crappie Record

Mickey Peacock has been chasing crappie across Georgia for more than 50 years, and he finally got his giant slab—a black crappie that on certified scales weighed 3.09 pounds. The 71-year-old angler from Lizella caught the huge crappie on April 17 while fishing Bartletts Ferry.

Mickey Peacock, of Lizella, set a new lake record for Bartletts Ferry with his 3.09-lb. black crappie caught on April 17, 2020.

Bartletts Ferry, also known as Lake Harding, is a 5,850-acre Georgia Power Co. reservoir on the Chattahoochee River along the Alabama state line between lakes West Point and Oliver.

Mickey took his fish to Trails End Taxidermy, where it weighed 3.3 pounds on uncertified scales. David and Len Sams took the time to get the fish to a certified scale at Minton Lawn & Garden for an official weight before the fish went in the freezer.

Tim Bonvechio, a WRD Senior Fisheries Biologist, was able to positively identify that the fish was a black crappie versus a white crappie by counting dorsal fin spines.

Mickey’s slab right after it came into the boat. Black crappie have seven to eight dorsal fin spines, while white crappie have five to six.

“That is a black crappie,” Tim said. “I count seven dorsal spines. Black crappie have seven to eight dorsal spines, while white crappie have five to six dorsal spines. Although hybridization does occur with those two species, I don’t know of it occurring in Georgia waters. I have caught hybrid crappie—black and white cross—in Lake Fork, Texas.”

According to Mickey’s proud daughter-in-law Tonya Peacock, the lake record crappie bit at about 7:30 a.m. during a Friday morning trip to Bartletts.

“Mickey always uses an Uncle Buck’s crappie rod and his own handmade Marabou crappie jigs with a red head, yellow body and chartreuse tail,” Tonya said. “He’s been an avid crappie fisherman for 50 years and has always talked about a 3-pounder. He knows all the honey holes at the nearby lakes.”

Converted from the digital weight of 3.09 pounds to pounds and ounces, which is how lake and river records are kept, Mickey’s black crappie goes in the books at 3-lbs., 1.44-ozs.

GON Official Lake Records For Bartletts Ferry

See all of GON’s official Georgia Lake & River Records here.

Requirements For Record Fish

• Fish must be caught legally by rod and reel in a manner consistent with state game and fish regulations.

• Catch must be weighed on accurate Georgia DOA certified scales with at least two witnesses present, who must be willing to provide their names and phone numbers so they can be contacted to verify the weighing of the fish.

• Witnesses to the weighing must be at least 18 years old, and they must not be members of the angler’s immediate family nor have a close personal relationship with the angler.

• Catch must be positively identified by qualified DNR personnel.

GON’s records are compiled and maintained by GON, to be awarded at GON’s discretion. Additional steps may be required for record consideration.