Ice Fisherman Lands Rare Golden Crappie

Minnesota fisherman, Rick Konakowitz, recently landed a rare "golden" crappie while fishing on Clear Lake.  The 9" crappie is thought to be a very rare genetic mutation as crappie in Minnesota lakes are usually speckled, greenish-colored and quite common.

Konakowitz joins the handful of anglers with an experience with this elusive variation of crappie.  Only one or two of which were thoroughly documented, and others remain as brief photographic encounters.  Other known cases have appeared in the Fox River and Chippewa Flowage of Wisconsin as well as Buggs Island Lake of Virginia.

Konakowitz states “I thought maybe it was a sunfish due to the color, but after I got it out of the hole I thought it had the body of a crappie; I was a little perplexed.”  He also maintains it was "a fish of a lifetime".