Thread: Pole limits

​10-4 Crappiecon, well said.

Be careful what you say and be sure to attend any meetings you can about these changes if they are anything more than rumors. we have had then here on the big four for several years, no where else in the state I know of, only really an issue when fishing by yourself. Its harder on Nader and Sardis to locate a pattern with just 3 poles out, Enid and Butla we can use 5. Change has a way of sneeking up on ya.

I hope if they make pole restrictions, it will be based on sound biology. In Mississippi for example, the Fish and Wildlife Dept. had a meeting and made decisions based on the sentiment of some locals. The single pole mafia showed up at the meeting in force and were able to persuade them to drop the pole limit on Sardis. There was no sound science for the decision. It was made only to appease the crowd at the meeting. Don't get me wrong, I love to single pole as much as anyone. However I also love spider rigging, long lining, pulling cranks and casting. I'd stand on the deck and throw rocks at em if I thought I'd do any good. In Missouri, you can legally fish up to 33 poles a piece as long as anything over 3 has your name and address on it. It hasn't hurt the crappie population one bit. I guess my point is live and let live. Base fish and game laws on science and biology, not personal sentiment.

Your right.......well said Speck

Public sentiment got the Corps to back off the restrictions on the tailwaters of the Cumberland River dams. Of course, the politicians all patted themselves on the backs for it.

I seriously doubt the public meetings for pole limits will be a big Kum-Ba-Ya get together if they happen. I'm not real keen on somebody taking away my rights just because they think they can.

Sound biology had better take into account the fact the Corps or TVA can do more harm to crappie fishing on any lake than all the spider-riggers could ever do. One lost spawn because they pull the plug right after the crappie hit the banks can ruin fishing for years. Why should fishermen try to limit other fishermen? Why should one group bear the blame?

I heard years ago one of the Corps or TVA guys made the remark that these lakes were impounded for flood/navigational control and they had no interest in the fisheries. IMO I'd be more open to a slot limit than a pole limit if it would help our fisheries. Personally I don't keep anything over 1 1/2 pound, for eating I like 10-11" fish and honestly have never missed any fish dinners because I turned the bigger ones back.

I agree with several post that Asian carp are our biggest threat, not to just crappie but all sport fish and should be the main focus NOW.

Originally Posted by ricky

He did say that the bass fishermen have learned how to manage the resources and we need to learn also.

Really....?

http://www.bassresource.com/fishing/...ease_bass.html

Originally Posted by Speck

I hope if they make pole restrictions, it will be based on sound biology.

Don't count on it....

Originally Posted by ricky

Through the years he has said that the no. 1 thing that affects crappie populations is water fluctuations during the spawn. He uses a lot of charts and graphs that illustrates the results from their surveys, trappings, taggings, and etc.
According to him, when the limit was reduced from 30 to 20 a few years back the research they did indicated that a 5 fish limit (or there about) would have been the one thing that would have made a significant improvement.

F&W is torn with it's own internal conflicts and being under the control of the department of tourism, which is political to it's core.... which in itself is in direct conflict of what KDFWR was originally created for. Tourism's marketing department has done a fabulous job of overselling our resources and now the ones that are affected are the ones that will bare the burden.

Originally Posted by rnvinc

And while the humans argue on ethical/non-ethical methods of harvesting 20 fish per human per day...

The Asian Carp are completely destroying our freshwater ecosystem by devouring the entire basic level of the fishery's food chain....

Really people...??

There are more important things that can be focused on...

Rickie

Well said!