Food for thought...

[Corey Bechtold]

"Food for thought" or "Thought for food"? Either way fishing has definately evolved since I was a kid. The days when limits were 60 for Sunfish and 30 for Crappies, possession limits were double the daily limit. Fish were abundant and big. It was always something to brag about when you caught your limit. Then things started to change. Fishing started to tail off and catching bigger fish became difficult. Lakes that once produced nice Bluegills only had smaller fish left so we went to a different lake, then another. Size tailed off eventually. Then came some changes. Lowered limits came and there was some disgruntled fishermen who didn't understand why they couldn't take home more Panfish. Really, who needs 120 fillets of Sunfish? Fish fry's are fun but having a good meal is sufficient in my opinion.

More things started to happen. Fishing magazines, articles, weekly newspapers with fishing reports, the "Internet" and more. The way we fish has changed drastically but the fish haven't. They don't know that we are conspiring new ways to hunt them. They don't know that there are GPS coordinates to the spot where they are biting. They just continue doing what they always do. Swim around, reproduce, and eat. The DNR likes information from anglers because it helps them decide how to regulate the fishing pressure. We can look at lakes like Mille Lacs this year as a prime example. Who would have thought that with a lake of it's size that man could wipe out such massive numbers of Walleye's? Will it come back? Yes. Will it take some time? Yes. Fish that hit the frying pan don't just show up day after day and bite. It's up to us to decide if we need to get to the limit or take what we need. Panfish aren't that much different. We don't always need to test the limits, push the boundary's and take what we can because we can. It makes more sence to only take what we need. It could only help the fishing in the future.

Getting back to the DNR and Fisheries departments, they are doing all they can to survey numbers and data to come to a conclusion about how to better manage fisheries. Lakes are starting to see minimim size limits and/or lowered limits. Is this bad? No. Lakes that I have fished that have a reduced limit on Panfish seem to have better fish in them. This can't be a fluke. Lakes that have a minimum size limit tend to have plenty of fish but I have seen more fish that are just shy of the magical "harvest" size. Why does this happen? Is it that when a Crappie makes the appropriate size it's on the table. There's a lot of room for this discussion.

I talked to a friend of mine who works for the Department of Fisheries and he gave me a lot of good information. I asked him about some observations I have made on some different lakes I fish (along the topics I just brought up). Here's what I was told while on the topic of length limits...

"Regulations certainly have their place and can affect the fish population positively. Length limits with panfish have been met with varying success across the country. In areas with quite a bit of angling pressure the limits have a tendency to push the lengths to just under the limit. In cases where there is lower pressure overall it seems to be more favorable results."

Here's what I got about reduced limits...

"Bag limits are a very encouraging part of panfish management. Sunfish length at maturity can literally be changed in some cases by preventing the "stocking up" mentality that some anglers have when the fish are on the beds."

Lake associations go to their local departments and come up with requests to help make fishing and lake water quailty better. Every lake tends to be a little different but with the use of common sence and using good judgement we can manage our lakes without having to have special regulations pop up causing frustration. If we can learn to practice some Selective Harvest the future will probably be brighter.

I hope I don't offend anyone. I'm just noting some simple observations,. When it comes to me personally I only take what I need if I want a meal of fish. Legally I could take home 80 Sunfish if I took my kids fishing but there's really no need. I will only keep my personal limit of 10 Sunfish if we want a meal. I don't take home Bluegills over 9" because I believe they need to remain in the system to ensure good genetics for future generations. Same goes with Crappies even though they don't seem to be as prone to stunting as Bluegills. I don't like to keep fish over 12". A meal of Crappies for my family (of 5) is only 8 or 9. This gives us 16-18 pieces of fish which is plenty for a meal.

The future if fishing is in our hands. If we don't push the limits and show some self discipline then we won't have to wait for te DNR to make the changes for us.

Good fishing,

Corey Bechtold

[rosspj59]

Good points made here Corey, keep spreading the word. I like to eat a fish now and then too, but there is no need to keep a limit every time I go out either. Hopefully lakes with nice sized fish will keep producing those fish if more of them stay in the lake.

[fisherman-andy]

I just don't see how one can eat that many fish. It takes me a month just to consume 10 Crappie filets all by myself. Fish just doesn't taste good if you eat it everyday... Plus I don't like to keep frozen fish in the freezer for more than a month without being consumed. I like my fish fresh.

Keep legally & only what you can consume. Dont forget to follow health guidelines...

[andrew chadwick]

Kudos to corey. I never keep a fish if I have any doubt I wont eat it that day. If I think It will end up in the freezer, it goes back in the water.

[Corey Bechtold]

I know that a lot of you are with me on this subject which is great! It's just difficult to see that there are others who don't think that "self managing" could help improve the overall fishing for future years. It's hard to break that old school mentality about Panfish but I know it can be done, I have seen it.

Sharing knowledge is a good way to improve the overall fishing for years to come. Let's spread the word.

Good luck,

Corey Bechtold

[Write-Outdoor]

COREY--URGENT--Can you send me a message ASAP so I can chat with you for an article in Minnesota Sportsman magazine? My e-mail is in my profile. If you can find it do a search for WriteOutdoors and go to the com not the net.

[hanson]

Corey-

That was a good read!

I totally agree with you as well. "Self-management" is a key idea.

Just because you can keep them doesn't mean you have to.

[Mr. Pike1]

Cory, excellent post. I respect everyone's right to purchase a license and fish with in the limits. I also do my part to self manage and for the most part am catch and release. My biggest challange was to convert my father and some of the other old timers he fishes with. It was a tough challange but I for the most part got them to change there ways and how they veiw the sport as fishing.

[Corey Bechtold]

Well done! Changing someone's perspective is definately challenging but worth the effort.

Good luck,

Corey Bechtold

[Scott M]

It is a little bit frustrating for me when I fish with my grandfather. He taught me fishing by going out for bluegills and success was judged in limits.

Fast forward twenty some years.

Today I can't stand eating that many fish, let alone cleaning them. So I won't keep any and only he keeps fish when the two of us go out.

He can't believe the fish that I release-big bass, monster walleyes on mille lacs, brut bull bluegills. If it were up to him, he'd keep everything he ever caught...but it's the mindset of that generation.

I know some really good lakes with some nice size gills but I wouldn't take him there because it wouldn't be good for the resource.

It just takes time...I spoke with one DNR guy and he couldn't believe how far we've come. The annual fishing roundtable has people that fish exclusively for bluegill (Matt or Corey, you weren't there were you ), just like the bass, walleye, or musky guys.

[Bluegill1510]

Quote:

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He can't believe the fish that I release-big bass, monster walleyes on mille lacs, brut bull bluegills. If it were up to him, he'd keep everything he ever caught...but it's the mindset of that generation.

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Yeah, it is the mindset of that generation but you have to respect it none the less. They fish for food not for the sport or bragging rights or to "just" be on the water. My dad and grandpa taught me how to fish and like others in those generations its not how big they are or how many you C&R, its did you get your limit or not? To me I am on the fence on the whole situation, because I have fishing partners that only keep the "big" ones while I also fish with friends who practice C&R or on the other hand will keep fish no matter the size to get their limit. So I see all the different mindsets and I am ok with it because I know the fish will be eaten, and not wasted or if they get a trophy will be put on the wall i.e. real or fiber-glass or if released the fish will swim away for someone else to catch another day unless it dies from natural causes then its food for another predator or turtle. Nature takes care of itself all the time its just how we "humans" affect it positively or negatively.

And Yes there are diehards that purposely fish and go nuts catching bluegills or crappies. Just like bass guys, walleye guys and the muskie inc. type guys. People don't realize its challenging and you need alot of patience to catch pound plus bluegills or two pound plus crappies just like you do with catching trophy walleyes (10 lbs. or over) or bass (six lbs or over).

[Tyler Holm]

Awesome post Corey. I'm 100% behind you.

[lookincalifornia]

nice work corey. the future is in the hands of our kids. i know i plan on having slot limits for all types of fish for my kids (4,2) as well as lower limits. i usually only keep fish when caught through the ice, they just seem to be more firm.

[harvey lee]

All I can say is A+ Corey.

[fishorgolf]

My Father-in-law used to keep everything he caught no matter what it was. I don't think I ever saw hin throw a fish back, This would drive me crazy so one year I desided to take him on a fly in fishing trip to Canada to see if I could cure him. Guess what it worked. We are all catching fish one after the other and I say OK that's it for keepers today. The next fish he caught and had to throw back and I honestly saw his hands shaking as he released that fish. This may have been the fist time in his life he had released a fish but before long is was catching and realeasing like it was nothing. He passed away a couple years ago and everytime I recall that trip I get a smile on my face. Moral of the story? You can teach and old dog new tricks.

[livintofish]

Corey,

Great post, and it is great to see so much support for it, we NEED to be conscientious of resource needs in order to maintain them. I was thinking of posting such a thread after responding to one on "what you consider keeper size". I saw what I expected for panfish keeper sizes there 10-12 crappie, 8-10 sunfish....and so on. Along with limits size is an important consideration while on some lakes these may be fine, on many fish kept are too big, and too many when it comes to panfish. There are a whole string of genetic and maturity issues that are affected by this. A fishery ends up with conditions like fish sexual maturation at a small size and stunted growth. Also a few key components of panfish, these fish take 5-6 years to reach sexual maturity(when they can reproduce), and many of the fish being kept are close to that 10 year mark, and older. Think about this from a management standpoint considering size and limit, or fish taken. Also factor in advances in angling as Corey said, and a recent big change is ice fishing advancements for panfish. There are a number of factors weighing on these populations, not to mention some of us even fish them on spawning beds(a practice that is not allowed on other species, by seasons). Fishing beds is one of the easiest ways to catch big bulls and messes up population genetics incredibly, In turn messing up a good bluegill fishery for many years. This leads to sexual maturity at a smaller size, among other things. The old generation thoughts and ideas are hard to change, the best thing is education. Some did fish for food because they needed it, now that is not practical out of necessity. Some people will not listen to facts or change, but many will, and will start self managing. Lake associations are getting to be more and more prevalent and influential. It is important to realize that unlike many things we are used to in this American culture, there is no quick fix for our resources, nor should we not worry about them and go on to different ones when they are barren. Us harvesting fish puts a pressure on the resource that is unnatural among other habitat issues. As long as that pressure is offset equally by GOOD managment a resource will self sustain, and can improve IF managment is optimal and habitat is restored, and not destroyed. Were all in this together.....we control today and tomorrow for the resources....lets make future generations proud.

Fish are my passion, what can I say

[Corey Bechtold]

Well said livintofish!

Thanks for all the support everyone. We're all in this together.

Good fishing,

Corey Bechtold

[Matt Johnson]

For some reason its always panfish that take the brunt on the matter too. Bass get their respect, muskies get their respect, walleye get their respect... but it seems as if the larger the crappie the better the meal and the larger the sunfish the better the fillet. However, I will say that its getting better, and a lot of anglers are starting to understand that there is indeed a trophy class of sunfish and crappie... fish that need to be released and fish that are respected.

In order to have fish that reach trophy class, we need to practice exactly what Corey has been preaching for several years.

I'm going to eat panfish, that's not going to change, but the size and amount I keep is the focal point here. I still know a lot of people who like to keep a limit everytime out, and its discouraging to hear when they are the only one in their family who likes fish too.

A successful day on the water or out on the ice doesn't have to end with a kept limit of fish, but for some that equates to success. I hear it all the time... "I got my limit of nice slab crappies within an hour" or "I put 10 bull gills in the bucket within 15 minutes." And it kills me even more when the gills are taken off their beds.

Panfish are very vunerable to over-harvesting. Panfish like to school up, in fact, they do it by nature and not by environment. At certain times of the year you can find the largest panfish in the system using the same area(s) and it takes literally days to wipe them out if enough anglers jump on the bandwagon. I've seen it happen to too many lakes in my short lifetime.

Case in point here, practicing and teaching selective harvest for panfish can, and will, save fisheries. We will see more trophy size fish, and we will see larger fish in general, become more common in lakes and other bodies of water.

Yes Grandpa likes to keep every panfish he catches, but you CAN teach an old dog new tricks

[MOBY RICHARD*]

Someday it may come to closed panfish, or all fishing during the spawns...would also take the pressure and abuse off of other species caught accidently...

[Matt Johnson]

There's a great article in the 2008 In-Fisherman Ice Fishing Guide on page 8 called "Our Fragile Fisheries." It really dabbles into the topic at hand here. A great read if anyone gets the chance to pick up a copy...

[livintofish]

That is good to hear Matt. Sources like that are very influential on people, and when guys in the professional fishing/ teaching industry take the time to educate and talk about our resources rather then just promoting themselves and their sponsors all day long that is a great thing. Then people tend to key in on and respect biologists and researchers managment plans, and understand that there is a need for change. In Fisherman has always done good at this since the Linders founding. Love the IF ice shing guide, have to go grab one now. Not long now........

[Corey Bechtold]

I was browsing the internet and found some interesting information...

Selective Harvest of Fisheries Resources

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In the last few decades:

The number of days the average angler fishes in a year has steadily increased.

The total number of hours fished by all anglers combined, in a year, has steadily increased.

Anglers have become more efficient at finding and catching fish.

Anglers are more mobile and willing to travel to lakes where fish are on the bite.

Fisheries resources are not unlimited or inexhaustible. We can overharvest fish populations on lakes, rivers and reservoirs of all sizes.

Overharvest - What’s it all about?

Overharvest of a fish population occurs when harvest exceeds what the population can annually replace. Overharvest reduces the quality of a fish population for years to come.

There is a portion of each fish population that can be harvested each year without hurting its ability to maintain its quality, in terms of number and sizes of fish. The size of that portion changes annually based on past reproduction, fish growth and angler harvest.

For many fisheries, we are currently at, or have surpassed, a level of sustainable harvest. If we hope to maintain or improve the quality of fish populations, the impact of each fishing trip on fisheries resources must decrease. Imagine a fish population as a pie. The pie doesn’t become any larger as more people want a slice of pie. To prevent overharvest from occurring, each slice taken must be smaller.

On a daily basis, the maximum size of an individual’s slice of pie is set by the daily regulations. For an entire year, how large each angler’s slice of pie gets depends upon:

How often they fish

How many fish they catch, what sizes and how many they keep, and what they release on each trip.

Practice Selective Harvest To Do Your Part.

If we want to maintain or improve fisheries resources, without adding more complicated and restrictive fishing regulations, we must practice selective harvest. Learn about each body of water you intend to fish and what level of harvest is appropriate.

The key to maintaining and improving fisheries resources for the future is in the selective harvest of these resources on each and every fishing trip. Selective harvest requires that we make an effort to be aware of our personal impact on fisheries resources on both a daily and yearly basis.

To estimate your personal impact on fish populations, ask yourself the following questions:

How many days do I fish in a year?

What species, how many, and what sizes of fish do I keep in a year?

Does my chosen fishing method mean I might have to release fish I think will die to obey existing regulations?

To get an idea of your reasons for keeping fish, ask yourself the following questions:

Why am I keeping fish of certain species?

Why am I keeping fish of certain sizes?

Could the species, number and sizes of fish that I am choosing to keep be hurting the resource?

The best way to reduce your individual impact on fisheries resources is to take a good look at your own harvest practices:

Do you always try to harvest a limit of fish? Is that an automatic goal of each fishing trip? Have a plan in mind for fish you keep before you go fishing or don’t keep fish during that trip.

Ask yourself how many fish you need to keep to meet your immediate needs (supper that evening, etc.).

If harvest regulations allow you to keep one fish over a certain length, do you always harvest that one fish if the opportunity arises?

If you already have your possession limit of a species at home or in storage, do you continue to harvest fish to meet your immediate needs? (doing so is illegal)

Do you ever waste fish by?

Giving them to people who may not use them.

Having to throw out old fish from the freezer at the beginning of the next fishing season.

Ways to reduce your impact on fish populations:

Learn what existing regulations are trying to accomplish. Structure your harvest to help regulations be as successful as possible.

Remember, keep in mind what your yearly impact is on fisheries resources and the reasons for possession limits.

Be conservative with your daily harvest. You don’t have to harvest a limit. In fact, you don’t have to harvest fish on every trip to have a good time. If you are allowed one fish over a certain length per day, set your personal limit at zero fish over that length except for a once in a lifetime trophy.

Learn more about factors influencing a fish’s chance of surviving after being released.

Good fishing,

Corey Bechtold

[fishcast]

Wow! Thanks for a lot of excellent information, good to see it on the web where a lot of people can view it as well.

Maybe "pan"fish need a new name. No, but as I learn more about our fisheries and my views on things evolve, it is good to hear people are learning more about how there choices on the water affect the fishery.

Also it is good that we don't need to only catch and release everything, but we can have some fish to eat, we just need to practice selective harvest. However, like was sort of mentioned you have to know a little bit about the water you are fishing to make the best guess at what you could be harvesting. For instance one body of water maybe loaded with huge gills up to 10 inches and there could be tons of 8-9 inchers, and keeping the fish in the 8-9 class may be just fine to harvest some of. But then on another lake the gills may hardly reach 8.5" with lots of fish around 7 inches, and I would say the 7 inchers would probably be the best to keep if you chose to do so.

I personally believe that almost no matter what the water and no matter the fish, the fish I believe that would be best to selectively harvest, are the ones that are most numerous which are generally the smaller fish for the lake (while being big enough to fillet or whatever).

Just adding my personal opinion to some great information.