Minimum size requirement needed for crappies? Or shut down season during spawn?

[BLACKJACK]

It seems like the size of crappies caught is steadily going down, especially in the southern part of the state where the lakes are smaller and the pressure on the resource is higher. Once the word gets out on a hot bite, the ice fisherpeople flock in and limit after limit is taken until the lake is fished out. Then its several years before the population comes back. Even when the population does come back, people will start taking home the 7-8-9 inch crappies - "just enough for a meal". I realize one persons catch and release fish is another persons eater, so the only way to stop that is to put a minimum size on crappies, say 10 inches.

So after the fish have been fished hard by the icefishermen, then any nice fish left are taken off their spawning beds in the springtime! I think that the season for crappies should be shut down during spawning time, just like it is for walleyes, say from April 1 to May 15.

I know the majority of fishermen will disagree with these ideas, especially the 'panfish are for eating crowd', but with modern electronics, the evolution of portable fishhouses and warmer clothes, ATV use, etc., the pressure on crappies is just too great unless something is done. Lowering limits is not the answer, people will just keep going back more often. A minimum size would keep the fish in the lake until they are a decent size.

[phin101]

I have to say I totally disagree with a minimum size limit on crappie. Green lake in chisago is a perfect example of how this doesn't work. If you limit the harvest of smaller individuals, you won't limit the amount of fish that are taken home, you'll maximize the harvest of the larger, older age class. this is the age class that produces the most spawn. I think the jury is still out on the reduced limits. Personnally, I think that is going to be the answer. You're right by saying people will just come back more often, but the bite will last longer. It's likely that more of the larger age class will survive the winter season to spawn. The better age distribution you have in a lake the more sustainable that population will be. You can't have a closed season for all game fish. People have to be able to take some fish home for eating. That is the ultimate reason fishing was invented and is our constitutional right. You'd also create a "run" on any fish that are open to keep, like sunfish and perch. Then we'd be right here again trying to figure out how to fix the gill population. Let's give the new limits a fair chance before deciding they don't work. If you're seeing somebody who is obviously overharvesting a particular lake, don't be afraid to let your local CO know about it. There is no possession limit for fish, that means you really shouldn't have more than one limit of fish in your freezer at any one time.

The other thing we as FMers need to do is to limit the amount of people we send to our hot lakes. If you post it, they will come!!!

[CrappieJohn]

Blackjack...I can appreciate your discontent, but what you suggest here is not feasible. Every body of water is different and has it's own threshold for larger fish. Some waters will never be capable of supporting them. The 10 fish inland limit will help some waters, but where a heavy harvest is required to sustain balance in these prolific spawners we will have to see what happens. Indeed, there are some lakes where your suggested minimum size of ten inches may well be the largest fish in there.To inpose a harvest of only those fish would soon remove the genetic support for large fish. People need to KNOW the water they fish and be responsible for imposing thier own standards regarding selective harvest. As you stated...one man's throw-away may be another man's keeper. To close the fishing during the spawning season would mostlikely be met with about as much enthusiasm as no alcohol consumption form Jan.1 to Dec.30 each year. Bottomline...You will never be able to control what these other fish hogs do, but you can set your own limits and get on with enjoying your fishing. You'll be doing everything you can that way.

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Plastics...making better fishermen without bait! Good Fishing Guys! CrappieTom
[email protected]

[StPaulParkFisherman]

My norm is 10" to 12" i keep any thing smaller goes back any thing bigger goes back. There should be a slot limt on panfish and some schooling for the pepole that are not from here and keep 100 quarter size cpappies from or city lakes. As far as closeing down the season i disagree nothing better then getting the in the spring. It's best to pratice c/r when there on the beds.

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EL CRAPPIE SLAYER

[StPaulParkFisherman]

I do not keep a lot of not even on red lake. I have had my buddys and dad say way do you put that back and not keep. Becuse it is funer to chatch then clean. I agree with the c/r bass season. i do not fish for bass much but really bass fisherman dont keep there fish any way. what a early c/r for pike a lot of outher states you can fish theme.

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EL CRAPPIE SLAYER

[prophet]

i think that the slot limit9 inches on green
lake\chisago area was a good thing,more and more 10\14 inch crappies are being caught then ever,with the slot in place,fisherman are now bringing home less fish but better quality,i sat over an area and released over
a hundred fish,partial reason for the slot
was the indians also fishing the lake

[phin101]

STPAULPARK,
The fishermen who are willing to keep as many 8"ers as 11"ers are probably helping the fish population more than those who only keep the larger fish. I'm not saying keeping 100 little ones helps a lake, it certainly doesn't, but neither does keeping all the 10" to 12" fish.

I like to keep an average of 9". Meaning if I have a limit of fish, the average all the fish should be around 9". If I've kept a few 10" fish, then I should also keep a few 8" fish to help maintain the average of 9. I don't fish with a calculator or anything. I just try to keep what I've already kept in the back of my mind.

On the bass topic, the idea of a C&R bass season is being discussed. I think a season like that would greatly help reduce the number of anglers who target spawning panfish while they wait for the bass season to open up. I am guilty of that myself and probably wouldn't fish slabs as much in the spring if I had a choice. If anyone agrees with this idea, more voice is needed to get it done.

[CrappieJohn]

Now how about the DNR or the state impose a limit to how many days a year you can consume two beers with none consumed the rest of the time? There are enough regulations flying around already. If the DNR thinks that a lake is in need of regulating ( Green Lake for example), they regulate it. Instead of thinking up some more ways for the state to screw with our fishing, why don't you take the time spent doing so to read about the crappies...get to KNOW them and then face the fact that many waters are just not pre-disposed to holding large fish. And is it at all possible that you maybe do not know how to target bigger fish? This thread oeiginally mentioned a body of water that had large craps in it but noone can find them now. I'd dare say there are probably larger fish there than thought to be. Over time the make-up of a lake will change and those fish will follow suit. Traditional hot spots disappear. Go find the new ones. Go to a lake this spring that you know is famous for BIG crappies. Fish them several times. If you come away with paltry, little fish, the problem is not that fishery...it is you not knowing how fish the big ones. I say we do the beer/booze thing a while first. After ten years we can assess how well that is working and then we can look at regulating the crappie fishing.

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Plastics...making better fishermen without bait! Good Fishing Guys! CrappieTom
[email protected]

[united jigsticker]

I take into account the numbers of people who could fish in a boat with someone who is slaying the Crappies and sit there and catch nothing no matter what they do...

Those guys count too...And they go home with nothing time after time. (trust me, I know a few of these people)

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Good fishing,
UJ
[email protected]

[Seabass77]

I’ve read a little on this issue and what I have learned is that large crappies come out of lakes that have a good pike population and a small to medium amount of weeds. I also read in the last issue of in-fisherman that having a minimum size requirement only works in particular lakes. Things like growth rate, predation, fishing pressure, and other environmental considerations all have to be looked at to determine whether or not any special regulations might work, let alone a minimum harvest size.

However, I would agree on a restriction or regulation if I knew it would help. Personally, I have wondered what the best approach would be on crappie/panfish harvesting. Is the key to keep the volume down? Harvest a particular slot? I have heard from some that keeping the big ones is fine because they are old and will be dead soon anyway, leave the midrange ones for reproduction. Others have said that the biggest are the most important to have around form spawning/reproduction. Who knows??

[CrappieJohn]

Seabass....that is the point I am try to get across here. You don't need to do anything unless a SPECIFIC body of water shows the need for help (slot, limit alteration, season adjustment). And the DNR is on top of these things.
Jeff brought up another point.There are people who just will not give in to trying something different. They go to the lake where they caught some good fish two years ago, they throw out the anchor, pop a beer, put on the minnow and sit and watch the bobber. And catch four or five small fish. That is not a fair assessment of that body of water. But they'll carp about the lousy fishing and how it used to be! dump[pies are one of the most challenging fish in the water. Just because they are in the spawning mode and seemingly easy to catch does not mean that you will be able to go out and bring home a limit of 11 inch fish for dinner. (Remember the guys in the boat with the beer?)Catching quality crappies requires that you get on the water with a complete tackle box and a complete understanding of the fish. If you had big ones there at one time, they are still available. The key is to KNOW the Quarry and the LAKE and be ready to shift into another gear if things are slow.
And if you have genuine concerns about the lake's ability to maintain a healthy crappie population, call your local dept. of fisheries and speak with them....about that lake. If you see people double dipping limits, get the boat numbers and call it in. Carry a cell phone and do it from the water! I have the local sheriff's number as well as the local CO's number on speed dial. More rules and regs will make you an unpopular person should you press for it without need. Now , if you want one good thing to caome from this exchange, here it is: leave the bait at home in the spring and get yourself some tubes. You will at least have the proper tools to boat better crappies.

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Plastics...making better fishermen without bait! Good Fishing Guys! CrappieTom
[email protected]

[Matt Breuer]

Just my quick two cents: No minimun size requirement, and no restrictions during spawn. Crappie fisherman need to be more conservation minded. Don't pull fish off the beds, that's not true fishing, it's like cheating on an exam! If you do, only take a few, and don't catch and release, when you've got how many you want, quit! Set limits for yourself, how many you'll stop at, and sizes you'll throw back,a nd sizes you'll keep.

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Matthew J. Breuer
Northcountry Guide Service
[email protected]
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Ice Leaders

[Guest]

I've got the perfect solution.

Instead of setting a minimum size, which decimates the large class populations and causes the smaller ones to be stunt, how about a limit of only so many fish (2 or 3) per inch alotment (2 or 3 fish between 5"-6", 2 or 3 fish between 6"-7", and so on). This will force the fish keepers to spread out their limit from various classes.

[FI Guide]

I agree with Matt but we all have to start releasing more and also you might want to contact the dnr because i heard that on on some lakes the limit is less that might be a thing we should look into the future