Black Crappie can be a great fish to angle as well as have a great taste on the table. Black and White Crappie are different but sometimes it can be tough to tell the difference between the two. A simple way is to count the dorsal fins.  Black Crappie will have 7 or more dorsal spines.  White Crappie will have 6 or less.  White Crappie are very prolific and are not recommended for ponds or small lakes.  They tend to over populate.  Black Crappie have less of a female population and is recommended for smaller impoundments.  They can be recommended at 100 per acre of water.  They WILL NOT commercially feed and need a good live food source.  They can grow 1/4 to 1/2 pound per growing season.