Fish size...does it matter?

[CrappieJohn]

I have fished for some forty odd years and over those years have become quite opinionated regarding a few things. One of the things that I get tangled up with once in a great while is whether the keeping of certain sized fish matters at all or whether a general harvest of all sizes is in vogue. It is not an easy question to answer and even tougher when one narrows down the playing field to one particular species.Let's zero in on crappies.
Take one particular body of water that I regularily fish in the open water season and will give some attention to during the hard water as well. It is more an impoundment than a lake, but possesses qualities from both. Instead of looking at the obvisious things lets jump right to the fish...in quantity. This puddle has a tremendous reproductive capacity. Productivity is extremely high since water levels rarely influence the spawn's outcome. The lake is a phenomenon in my eyes. The crappies are hyper abundant in the smaller sizes and the 1-2 year age classes. The middle of the road is so solid that the inland limit of ten fish will most likely be a negative to it in the future. And the larger fish from11" and up are quite abundant. Things were not always this way though.
For many years the general condition of the crappie population was fair. All sizes existed...you'd find a few of all in your daily catch.About fifteen years ago the lake got socked with an "age -specific" bacterial infestation that killed off thousands of the mid- sizes fish...those from 7 to ten, maybe 11 inches. Perhaps two whole year age classes of fish were suddenly not there. One would most certainly look at this event as I did, sadly. BUT... good old mother nature had a plan, I am now convinced. By removing that particular size of fish from that entire fishery, it opened up some unreal feeding opportunties for fish at the other ends of the spectrum. Those smaller young fish, for at least two years had the most savory of pickings that be imagined and they grew. Fish going into thier third fall were now 7 inches and fat instead of five inches and lean. When they got into "real" meat, the difference in the growth rate was even more pointed. And the there was another bout of this baterial dump. With another rebound of like results.
If people take time to "know" the waters they fish, they can do a lot to help out a sagging fish population. In waters where there are few large crappies, put the ones caught back and keep those which measure a n inch or so shorter. In waters where they are all maxxing out at nine inches, eat a ton of them every year (fish are good for you, ya know). But in all seriousness, understanding how the size of the fish kept, with regard to the size and overall health of the water, can influence to a degree what you will be looking at for tomorrow.
If you have a few large fish in an area with tons of the smaller ones, you already have the genetic predisposition to having more big fish. If you take those large fish out of that environment, you are greatly reducing the chances of improving it. The genetic imprint is in the smaller fish to be big, but food competition becomes a serious issue. Taking the mid-sized fish will lessen the demands for food at the opposite ends and will influence the growth rates....these are the fish with mixed food preferences. These are the fish that eat a ton of what the small fish eat and then turn aound and eat a pile of minnows for dessert. They directly affect the other sizes through appetite alone.
We can't do what mother nature does. We can, however, be diligent in selectively harvesting fish that have the greatest influence on the water we fish. Over time, this will have a bearing on how well any targeted fishery begins to show positive results. What we keep does make a difference. Sometimes that difference seems miniscule and petty, but when things do start to grow, then we can all say we have had a part in it.

------------------
Sure life happens- why wait....The Crapster....good fishing guys!
[email protected]

[Matt Johnson]

Excellent post Tom

I agree 100%.

Those larger fish should be going back in the lakes. Sometimes one doesn't want to go back in the water because of the tramatic stress put on the fish from deep water or because of the cold, but as a rule of thumb, let those true slabs go free. Keep the smaller fish to eat, say like 8-10 inchers.

There are so many lakes that I can think of that have majority of their crappies populaitons maxing out at like 9 inches or so. Everyone catches those fish and lets them go. Next time keep a few for the fryin pan. It will help the lake grow larger size populations in the future.

A lot of people get frustrated with lakes that keep producing these little crappies day after day. I know, I'm one of them, but by keeping a few of those little crappies you can help ensure a better future for crappies in that lake both size and numbers.

And those lakes where you start catching all those mixed sizes like in the 9-14 inch range, I know it gets real easy to start keeping what you catch. But let the larger fish go and keep the 9-11 inchers for the table. By doing this you will have that same excellent fishing in years to come. If not, after and few seasons of heavy hitting that lake will really decline in quality of fish. Happens all the time.

Good Fishin,
Matt Johnson

------------------
First Choice Guide Service

[email protected]
Catch-N Tackle and Bio Bait
MarCum

[Guest]

after reading some of these posts....I just thought about crappies in general...that crappie has got to be one of the nicest looking fish god ever made!.....lol! (biased of course..lol!)...when I pull one of those crappies into my canoe (big or small)the irredescent blues and greens of different hues are a sight to behold!.......I never tire of a crappie....no...they don't have to be "large"....just catching a few makes my day!...just a few thoughts....sixmile

[CrappieJohn]

sixmile...you need not wonder why God put you on earth! Ditto to your thoughts. My tc

------------------
Sure life happens- why wait....The Crapster....good fishing guys!
[email protected]