Eaters

[Crm7290]

I have been keeping eater gills and crappie, I have only kept one so far, to fillet and I was wondering what sizes of crappie you guys will keep. I keep if they are bigger then the spread from my pinky to thumb so probably on the small size. For gills I do the same.

How do you guys judge a keeper?

one I have kept

[goose89]

For me, it depends on the fishery. If the lake I'm on is giving up lots of 9-10"ers, with only a few 11-12"ers, I'll keep the 9-10"ers, and throw the larger ones back. Same goes if the majority are 11-12"s, with some 12-13+"ers, I'll keep the 11-12, and throw the bigger 12+"ers back (very rare).

Unfortunately, most of the time it's the 8-9"ers that are most abundant, with only a few 10-11+ and a rare 12+. Then, (although it goes against what most of us practice), I'll keep the 9"ers, and throw the few 10+"ers back. Seems like once a crappie gets to 10"s, it's automatically a keeper in most eyes.

Selective Harvest (harvesting the more abundant, often mid-sizes fish of any species, and releasing the larger, less abundant, breeding stock) is common in walleye circles now days. Unfortunately, crappies are treated the same. IMO, on most lakes I fish, a 12" crappie ought to be treated the same as a 25" walleye.

Good question / topic. Good luck.......

[mixxedbagg]

I'm for selective harvest. I wish I could find a nice summary of the principles online (rather than a 5 page article) to post here. I'm a big fan of filling my pail with small fish and fishing for larger ones just for fun. (Also a fan of making a meal out of some of the 'forgotten' species--pretty much anything not a crappie or walleye in north-central MN.) I often come back with some little potato chip panfish to clean. I never measure them--it'd be too embarrassing--but 7-8" sunnies are pretty darn good eating, just a hassle to clean. I like to cull small bass out of some of the local lakes as well. Typically if I'm keeping larger fish, I'm targeting something bigger because I want to grill fish.

[OnAFly]

I've heard small bass are pretty good in the winter.

As for crappies, like most, it depends on the lake. Mostly 8-10s, letting the bigger ones go. If it's a bigger lake with less pressure, the 10-12 are kept. Though, I rarely keep much. I just enjoy fishing

[goose89]

As for crappies, like most it depends on the lake

I wish it was "most" on my home lakes. One in particular has a real good year class or two coming up, and they're getting hit pretty hard, IMO. 10"s, it's in the bucket, with a few "bonus" 11-12"ers, that definately go in the kreel. I'm hoping that mentality changes (it is with a few). We could have a real nice crappie fishery, year in and year out (yeah, I know they're cyclical) there. But, the walleye fishing there has really improved over the recent years with SL catching on. Being able to catch a mess of 10"ers doesn't have to be the talk of the town / area. It could be the norm, with the possibility of trphies to boot.

Getting kids out and catching alot of fish is all good, but teaching them a little about Selective Harvest, and having them catch some real trophys, takin a coupple of pix with said trophies before letting them go for another to catch, along with keeping some to fry up, that's where's the real fun is at.

[TruthWalleyes]

Went fishing 21 times in January, and have caught easily 500 crappies in those outings. I haven't kept one yet, just like to fish...Once, maybe twice in a year i'll keep a limit of crappies (typically once on the ice and once in the spring) When i do, they'll be anywhere from 8" - 10"...I do my best to throw anything back over 11" for sure.

With an electric knife I don't have any issues cleaning 8" crappies, and I know all the bigger ones went back into the lake to be caught again as trophies!

[Crm7290]

Im keeping and cleaning fish for the girlfriend, she wants fish. I mostly keep on the small side so far. Id keep slightly larger ones if I caught them but its rare.

[ANYFISH2]

Well I guess I am the one with a slightly different thought. I will not kill a crappie until it is very near 10" and usually up to but not over 12 (unless a trophy). We have very few lakes that are classified as stunted as far as crappies go, I have seen that lakes that have small crappies are the lakes that everyone starts keeping them at 8" (sometimes smaller). This results in high mortality due to harvest, If we let them grow two or three more seasons we will have better size strucure as well as more mature crappies to spawn and in turn have more consistant year classes. As in any population large fish need to be in the system in fair numbers, but with crappies we need to let some of these popular fish grow to a more quality size (IMO).

[Lunker]

For me, the panfish rule is 9" for crappie or perch, 7" for gills. I also release the bigger sizes, and only keep a handful at a time(I am not out there for limits.) Just my two cents. Just about to throw some good looking perch filets into the pan actually...yum.

[tacklebox7FF]

Now!! if you were fishing on a lake with a slot of 5 sunfish ..what size would you prefer keeping??? or if you fished a lake with a 11 minimum crappie length??? would you keep any fish at all?? I know 5 nice sunfish would be a good meal!!

[goose89]

kinda wish we had more lakes like that. probably would change things a bit. I'm guessing those lakes would have alot less pressure, and the pressure they did get would be from people fishing more for fun, than food.

Disclaimer-- I'm am NOT against eating / keeping fish. I've kept and eaten my fair share, but not more than my fair share, which is a matter each of us has to decide.

[OnAFly]

Wait a second - that's not allowed. On this site you can't be for regulation and still keep fish! It's one or the other!

[Jim Uran]

To each his own, everyone loves to bring a meal home. I know I do, but I also go out and release my fair share!! It's an awesome thing, this fishing stuff, haha!

[tunrevir]

A keeper panfish is much like a trophy panfish, it is all up to the individual that catches it as to what constitutes something for the wall or something for the frypan. I have been on alot of lakes where a 8-9 inch crappies is nice and thick and plenty good to fillet and eat and I have been on lakes where I have caught crappies up to 13-14 inches and they werent holding as much meat as some of the afforementioned fish. Bluegills are another instance where you can catch some truly large and plump gils that are in the 7" range and again, you can catch fish that are skinny and in the 9" range. Keeper size is dependent on the body of water and ultimately, the size a person would like to sit down and clean to get a meal. If you think it is decent and you want a meal go for it, if your having fun cathing and releasing so be it. Don't get hung up on the length so much as if it seems to be a quality fish to you.

Tunrevir~

[EBass]

Quote:

For me, it depends on the fishery. If the lake I'm on is giving up lots of 9-10"ers, with only a few 11-12"ers, I'll keep the 9-10"ers, and throw the larger ones back. Same goes if the majority are 11-12"s, with some 12-13+"ers, I'll keep the 11-12, and throw the bigger 12+"ers back (very rare).

Unfortunately, most of the time it's the 8-9"ers that are most abundant, with only a few 10-11+ and a rare 12+. Then, (although it goes against what most of us practice), I'll keep the 9"ers, and throw the few 10+"ers back. Seems like once a crappie gets to 10"s, it's automatically a keeper in most eyes.

Selective Harvest (harvesting the more abundant, often mid-sizes fish of any species, and releasing the larger, less abundant, breeding stock) is common in walleye circles now days. Unfortunately, crappies are treated the same. IMO, on most lakes I fish, a 12" crappie ought to be treated the same as a 25" walleye.

Awesome, we did this on a certain metro lake. Any Crappie over 10" went back.

[Jospeh]

I keep the big ones sorry to say guys... But crappie survive and reproduce often in conditions other fish don't... thats why there are so many lakes/ponds that hold tons of crappie (big to small) i have been fishing the same 75 acre lake/pond for 20 years keeping 11, 12, 13 and yes 14 inch crappie regularly, however only in the winter, I always through them back during open water. And every winter i still get the rare 14'' s and so on down the line... So keeping these bigger ones are not stinting the population at all. I dont keep a crappie unless its a fat 9.. But thats just on my lake!

[deets22]

alot of stunted panfish problems have to do with there just being too many of that species in the lake, not over-harvest of the bigger ones. i often wondered why the DNR used to stock walleyes in lakes that i thought really had no business as a walleye lake. they were trying to introduce predators to help control the stunting, by thinning the population down, and not really trying to establish a self sustaining walleye population.

some lakes just won't give up a crappie much bigger than 10 inches, or a gill over 7. but no matter what size they are not too many meals are finer than a fried batch of chips or slabs.

man i hated taking nephews fishing and having to deal with a bucket of 5 inch gills, but after alot of cursing they made a fine meal for me and the boys.

[Freedom1]

I have been out about a dozen times this year and I have only brought home crappies one time. Mostly I C&R due to fish size and time, but I dont see anything wrong with bringing a few fish home on occasion. The fish I brought home were all 8-9 inches with 1 over 10. Would I have liked to bring home all

10-12 inchers, for sure, but I know I dont have that opportunity on the metro lake I was on.

Not everyone shoots a 6.5 year old, 10 point buck when they deer hunt, some "bambies" get shot in the process, and this is legal.I know it is not exactly the same, but you get the point.

[AndersonOutdoors]

If you keep the dinks like 9 inch crappies and 7 inch sunfish they can never get to true eater size like 11 inch crappies and 8 inch sunfish,if your on a lake that dont have those sizes you should move on to another lake cause if you keep the dinks they cant grow,but hey catch fish and if as long as they dont go to waste,its not a big deal what you keep, cause theres lots of lakes out there and a lot of good size fish set your own standards,and dont worry about what people say or think,cause its just fishing.

Anderson Outdoors

[Reservoir Dawg]

I wonder what would happen if we just had a statewide law that you may keep only one Sunfish over 9" for maybe a trophy mount and all other fish over 9"s must be released. That would help preserve the large breeders and you could still make a nice meal out of the smaller fish.

[centralmneyeguy]

I wonder what would happen if we just had a statewide law that you may keep only one Sunfish over 9" for maybe a trophy mount and all other fish over 9"s must be released. That would help preserve the large breeders and you could still make a nice meal out of the smaller fish.

I would definitely be in favor of this!

[genegodawa]

"Let 'em go to grow"

or for big ones

"Let 'em go to repro"

What's left?

I just kinda go by the old adage that "God rewards us for letting the small ones go".

Luckily I don't catch many big ones.

[Chad Peterson]

"Let 'em go to grow"

or for big ones

"Let 'em go to repro"

What's left?

I just kinda go by the old adage that "God rewards us for letting the small ones go".

Luckily I don't catch many big ones.

Well said.

Sniffer