C & R slabs

[redhooks]

How deep can a slab crappie to pulled up from and be safely released? The reason I ask this is that I found some really nice slabs(14"+)in 40' of H20 8' off the bottom, I caught 3 that were 14-14.5" as well as a couple smaller ones, on the third slab I measured and took a photo and then put him down the hole- I waited 2 minutes and he didn't seem ready to go so I kept him also. Just as I was packing up to leave I caught one more that was bigger than the other 3 maybe (15"?) I quickly unhooked him w/o measuring or photos and he quickly swam down the hole-it was out of the water maybe 1-2 seconds. I know that they were pulled up from 30' down but none of these fish had thier eyes bulged out or air bladders popped into thier mouthes. This lake is very tiny and will remain nameless and I want to make sure I save some hawgs for the future. What I want to know is-do you think that fish I released will be alright? And more importantly can a guy catch some deepwater slabs and release them or do you pretty much have to plan on keeping them?

[Guest]

A couple of things here;

I have caught Crappies from 25 feet of water and had them not go down...

I have caught Crappies from 40 feet of water, had them swim off, but only float up 20 yards away a short while later.

Crappies of that size are very very very old. They are going to be alot less resistant to the stresses of a battle from 32 feet down then a 3/4# fish is. At 14-15", they probably are getting close to the very last stages of their lifecycle. I am guessing ages of these fish is between 12 and 14 years or more depending on growth rates. The average life span of a Crappie is 7-10 years.

These slabs obviously have natural slab sized genes, but in 13 years have spawned enough to keep the big fish pool going for many years to come.

I would guess from those depths, and the age of the fish...It might be a complete waste by throwing them back. But nothing is for sure.

Judgement call is what prevails here. I guess I would opt to not fish the lake when the Crappies are running that deep if you want to preserve the old ladies that are down there.

PCG

[Guest]

Nice fish! It's great that you respect your resources.

------------------
MILLE LACS AREA GUIDE SERVICE
651-271-5459 http://fishingminnesota.com/millelacsguide/
click here

[Guest]

Nice fish redhooks! I caught some crappies last winter in 40 feet of water and I released them without any complications. When you reel them up you have to be more patient. Instead of reeling them up as fast as you can you have to kind of guide them up. Try to keep the fish in the water as long as you can too. Think of it this way, after and long workout you don't hold your breath, so its the same for the crappie once you take it out of the water, it needs air after its long workout and its air is in the water. And like PCG said these fish are older, picture grandma or grandpa running the 100, weak comparison but I think you know what I mean.

Anyways, keep catching those slabs. I applaud you for practicing catch and release. Some of my buddies that I ice fished with in the past always gave me a hard time because I only kept a few for a meal and they were keeping a freezer full. Makes for better fishing in the future. These resources are limited, especially those 15 inchers.

Good Fishin, Matt.

[redhooks]

Thanks for the info guys- I'm thinking I may keep looking for more fish elsewhere and if I go back and hit that lake again I might just limit myself to 3-5 fish and call it a day-that way I won't be releasing a fish that may/maynot die anyway. And hopefully I can go back in the spring and try to find them on open water. By the way my younger bro released a 16" there last winter in 24' of water 8' up- so I feel pretty confident that one was ok-personally I would have put that one on the wall but I'm also glad he let it go-now I just have to try and catch one bigger to teach him some modesty. Tight lines and save some for the kids!

[juggs]

I think MJ5 is right. The key when bringing them up from way down is to do it slowly. From what I understand, it's the quick pressure change that stresses them, not so much keeping them out of the water whence landed. I've had smaller fish on the ice for several hours and decided to let them go (if they looked survivable) and had them seem away with apparent ease. That's not to say they lived. Maybe the best thing to do would have been to give them away. But how tempting is it to land the fish, especially that size, as fast as you can?!

[juggs]

I think MJ5 is right. The key when bringing them up from way down is to do it slowly. From what I understand, it's the quick pressure change that stresses them, not so much keeping them out of the water whence landed. I've had smaller fish on the ice for several hours and decided to let them go (if they looked survivable) and had them swim away with apparent ease. That's not to say they lived. Maybe the best thing to do would have been to give them away. But how tempting is it to land the fish, especially that size, as fast as you can?!

[Guest]

Bringing up smaller fish slowly is a good idea.

But the longer you battle Grandma Crappie, the more tired she'll get, and she might have a heart attack and die from the "marathon" she has been put through.

So, it's 6 of one and half a dozen of another.

PCG

[Ice Hole]

I think you're making most the guys here jealous

[Guest]

PCG, I like the insight. I never thought of Grandma crappie having a heart attack. I guess we're stuck in a dilemma, whether to bring the fish up fast or not. I've had better luck with survival rate in the past by bring the fish up slow. How about you? I'm curious because I'm writing a book on ice fishing for crappies right now and I enjoy reading input from others. Maybe we can hit the ice someday and find some slabs. I start my vacation on monday and it lasts until January 13, so I plan on getting out on the lake a lot. Let me know.

Good Fishin, Matt.

[Guest]

Grandma Crappie is more suseptable to stresses and related tirings of a slow, long faught battle then say grandson Crappie, who is in his prime at say 10 oz size. In this case, as the fish is in better condition to handle a little longer workout, bringing them up slowly will increase there chance of survival by not popping their bladder and bulging their eyes out of their heads like in the cartoons.

But as we know, with all living creatures, when they get near the end of the their natural life expectantcy, they typically spend more time in the rocking chair then they do on the treadmill.

That's why these fish are laying on the bottom in the dark cold dungeon of the lake, while I am betting the smaller fish are nearer to weeds and structure, and fry and such are probably still roaming in the 7-12 foot range in cover while oxygen levels are still high.

These fish have already beat the 7-10 year expected life span, unless of course their is some freak of nature growth rate in the lake, but I am betting at least 12 years old, probably more. It would be interesting to get some scale samples and get em' under a scope and take a peak.....(hint, hint)

I wish I had the patients to write a book. But I struggle to make these posts...

PCG

[sorenson]

PCG brings up an extremely interesting point in his first response. That being, crappies that big have in most cases lived much longer than normal and are probably (on an individual basis) contributing little if anything to the population anymore. Their genetic information has long since been passed on over several spawning iterations (remembering that BIOLOGICALLY, an organism's responsibility is merely to replace itself, not necessarily expand the population). Their likelihood of survival even to, let alone through, another spawn is remote at best. I do not want to get into a C&R vs. harvest debate here, but it would seem to me that the population of crappies in this body of water would not be harmed by harvest of these individuals. The harvest of them is largely a value judgement rather than a biological one. Both are equally important to our sport sometimes, however! I admire the selective harvest ethic redhooks has chosen to pursue, but it is no more beneficial to the population of crappies in this lake as taking as many as he can legally posess. I would probably do as he has chosen, and limit my take, if for no other reason than to make my subsequent trips productive and enjoyable. I guess it boils down to your thoughts on what should happen to old fish - should they be allowed to be released to die a 'natural' death, or be utilized by an angler. Some feel that a big fish is wasted if it is released, some feel that it is wasted if it is kept! The depth of the water from which these fish are taken probably doesn't bode well for their survival no matter how they're fought. A fish that big will build up lactic acid in it's muscle tissue from a long fight or would be seriously stressed from pressure changes from a quicker one (crappies, unlike fish like take trout, do not have a 'vented' air bladder; the air bladder changes volume by physiological means, not by 'burping'). Both will most likely result in delayed mortality, no matter how lively the release may appear. Not really knowing anything about the lake, I would hazard a guess that if it can produce crappies that big this year, it can in others too. Don't feel to bent out of shape taking a few big ones out to make room for the smaller ones to grow into the vacated niches! Have fun and enjoy the resource.

[Guest]

I am familiar with a very small lake, no more then 12 foot in max depth, that has produced Crappies in the 2 lb range for me consistently.

I was aware of this lake, and it's potential for large Crappies for about 10 years, but never ventured a trip until first ice last year. It proved itself, with 13" and 14" Crappies for the first 3 weeks within ice up. I kept a few for a meal, but returned most of them, believing this would be a fragile enviroment given the lakes lack of size, structure etc.

I had believed this lake to be a secret, but as soon as the ice was all of 6" thick, the lake turned into a Zoo. People taking limits of these large Crappies had me a bit concerned. I figured somehow word had gotten out of my partners and I success and had caused the sudden rush.

Not the case. After speaking with a few of the locals, and some other individuals it was explained to me that the lake is hit hard like this every single winter, and people taking close to their limit of slab sized fish was pretty common for the 1st month of ice fishing.

It truly amazes me how a lake this small, and shallow could consistently produce those numbers of slab sized Crappies each year. But according to the regulars on the lake, it has for many years.

Credit to excellent reproduction and healthy growth rates, and a variety of year classes I would imagine.

As oxygen levels depleted last winter, each week fishing was still productive, but brought later year classes each time. While believing this to be healthy for the years to come, I also thought that the pressure had taken out the large classes of fish...Not so, as last ice proved again the numbers of slabs caught by anglers as oxygen levels began to comeback with melting etc...

This lake is what I call a fruit pond, and hopefully the enevitable will not take place by overharvest of these monster Crappies.

Sorry not to dispatch the name or location of this lake, as it recieves plenty of pressure as it is.

PCG

[This message has been edited by Pro Crappie Guide (edited 12-11-2002).]

[Guest]

We used to own a resort on whitefish bay lake of the woods. In sabaskong bay was excellent crappie fishing but in the spring there would be rafts of dead crappies Use common sense any crappie taken in over 20 foot no matter what is very likely to die Any over 25 is NOT going to make it most of the time.

[Guest]

PCG,

There was a lake like that around my neck of the woods but the population of slabs didn't return. A few years ago it produced consistent 12 to 13 inchers day in and day out and after a few years of constant pressure it got fished out. Now you can't buy a crappie over 9 inches from that lake. Too bad that those fishermen couldn't realize a chance for a nice fishery and praticed selective harvest. They could have easily brought home a meal of 10 inchers but instead they brought home the fish in the 13 and 14 inch class. I personally think that the crappies in the 10 inch range taste the best anyway, any bigger and the meat seems to get a little mushy. Take a picture of the 14 incher and take home the 10 incher. After you bring home the 14 incher and eat it you won't remember it the next day anyway. Sorry if I ramble on about this but I want to be able to catch trophy crappies in the future.

Good Fishin, Matt.

[Guest]

Well at any rate it is out of my control.

The thing was about this lake, when you caught a 13" Crappie...That's all you caught all day. That's why I kept a few and released the rest.

If you caught a 10" right away...Thats all you caught all day. Strange, but sometimes typical.

PCG