Crappie Cribs

[JP Z]

Do you mean cribs as in structure you create and then plant? This is illegal in MN as far as I know.

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Tight Lines,

JP Z

[student]

I've heard of these being used on Red Lake to give crappies structure. It consists of de-limbed pine trees in a log cabin formation. Haven't read anything in the reg book, but there are a few people on this forum that seem very educated in the regulations.

[Lowe]

The cribs on Upper Red were placed there by the DNR. As far as I know you cannot dump anything - even if it's just logs or brush - into a public water without the DNR's approval.

[student]

That's what I thought.....Thanks anyhow.

[Esoxmn]

You can do it, just cant geet caught.

[Scott Steil]

You need to get a permit to do it. The URLAA applied for a permit to place those cribs and it was done in conjuction with the the DNR. There is lots of good info about it in the archives of the Red Lake Forum as well as on the Waskish Minnow Stations web site.

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Mille Lacs Guide Service
(320)293-3287
www.millelacsguideservice.com

[student]

It it legal to make and use crappie cribs, or is this something let is left to the professionals?

[Minnetonka]

I SCUBA dive a lot and see this all the time. Some people take the christmas tree and wire it to a cement block and drop it in the lake. This is illegal, but effective, since I usally see fish hanging around these recycled Christmas trees. Do this at your own risk.

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"I'd rather be fishing"

Mike

[CrappieJohn]

This may help a bit. If the DNR does it, it is referred to enhancement. If you do it, it is called littering...a fineable offense. Not worth the work.

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

[smallie_hawgin]

Lets see, when was the last crib you have seen installed by the DNR? I am guessing it has probably been a several years ago. The Forest service installed a few up in the Chippewa not too long ago. For the most part the early thinking with fish attraction devices was that it would increase habitat, and therefore, increase overall biomass. What actually happened was greedy anglers found these structures and harvest increased! So I would be willing to bet most fish guys would not want these structures in lakes with vulnerable populations. It also stands to reason that if you have every one-who-thinks-I-am-silly out there, placing their definition of sturucture, who knows what you might end up with??? The proverbial car body comes to mind

[Guest]

"No! Don't do this at your own risk. DON'T DO IT AT ALL! Dumping dump in the lakes to help you find fish is wrong legally, ethically, and environmentally. DON'T DO IT!!"

Whatever, If people want to put wood/Christmas trees, rock, or cement in the water I am all for it and it is ridiculous that the DNR has a reg against it. I'll tell you what people shouldn't do that they can do legally is try to harvest large amounts of weeds either mechanically or chemically. The use of chemicals can really change a lake for the worse.

[buzbunni]

What's the difference BP?

Let's take this hypothetical to it's ultimate conclusion.

I like to fish Lake O' the Isles, not a particularly large body of water; there are many decent fisheries that are smaller.

So everyone that fishes that body of water decides to create their own "ultimate" fishing spot by dumping "structure" (without DNR approval) wherever they see fit.

This goes on, and on, and on over many years.

See the problem?

Clearly there is a time and a place for approved enhancement of the fishery, but if someone is just doing it at their own discretion...well..I believe it is rather shortsighted.

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SERIOUSLY! It was THIS big!

[This message has been edited by buzbunni (edited 12-31-2003).]

[SpikeRoberts]

No! Don't do this at your own risk. DON'T DO IT AT ALL! Dumping dump in the lakes to help you find fish is wrong legally, ethically, and environmentally. DON'T DO IT!!

[Minnetonka]

Spike:

I guess I didnt make it clear that I am not advocating this at all! I advise against it for the reasons you state. I was just pointing out that people are doing this.

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"I'd rather be fishing"

Mike

[SpikeRoberts]

Thanks for the clarification Minnetonka

[Guest]

Creating one's own cover takes a bit of forethought and work and is pretty much a waste of time in a weedy lake anyway. If it was more effective more people would do it, but it really is a hit or miss proposition in natural lakes with ample natural cover in the summer. I don't think there is a big rush of people that are holding back doing it because it is illegal, but because it is too much of a hassle.

However, these types of places can be winter fish magnets if done right. Last winter I happened to get lucky and accidently parked myself on someones illegal brush pile and had a pretty good night of Crappies fishing, except for losing one jig to the tree.

(I was clued in to the existence of these brush piles but it was pretty much luck that I happened to find them seeing that I wasn't given any specific mention of their location on the lake)

[Cyberfish]

Just a good ol' putz, never meanin' no harm
beats all you ever saw been in trouble with the law since the day he was born!

yeeehaaah

[jigglestick]

i know of a person who did this many moons ago. i think about eighteen years now. dropped a small jackpine with a cement block to it in a local lake. i never fished it, but i always remembered it was there. then about fifteen years afterward, i was talking to a buddy and the topic in general came up. i told him about it, and he talked me into going and looking for it. it actualy sounded like a fun adventure, so we headed over there.
now let me tell you, i know right where this thing was placed. i saw the whole thing. right off of a certain dock.
i took my best guess as to where it was, and we laid out a grid. starting punching holes. every five feet. put the sonar down every hole. all 150 of them. nothing. i know i covered every possible place it could be, and many it could not. it was not there.
my theory is, time and wave action had broken the tree down to un-noticeable demensions.
i do not believe it hurt a thing, and it was kinda fun going on a treasure hunt. the bounty could have been spectacular!!
do not do this ever. bad, bad, bad.

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keep your stick on the ice!! jigglestick I.B.O.T.#5 have you clamped today???