Thread: Crappie rule changes??

Not that i am aware at this time -
Will send e-mail to FWC various division supervisors for check.

Originally Posted by fishin813

Not that i am aware at this time -
Will send e-mail to FWC various division supervisors for check.

Thanks, also I should have clarified the bass changes are on the FWC Commissioners agenda for their meeting Jun 23-25 in Sarasota.

Here is response to your Black Crappie question
Hey Harold, currently there are no regulation changes proposed for black crappie around the state. The last time we looked at a potential crappie rule change was back in 2012 on Lake Istokpoga, but our stock assessment showed that regulations (e.g., 10 inch minimum) would not improve the population or angler catch rates. The primary reason was that anglers were self-regulating themselves and not keeping any crappie under 10 inches. However, a few of us have been discussing putting together a black crappie management plan for the state. We did this back in 2010 for largemouth bass which provided guidance to managers and researchers for the next 30 years and we currently are addressing the action items that came out of the plan for bass. One of those is changing our statewide black bass regulations throughout the state which will be presented to our commissioners next week for approval. There is definitely merit to doing this for crappie as well since it is primarily a harvest oriented species compared to bass which is mostly catch and release. We will probably revisit this concept for crappie in the upcoming year. However, budgetary restraints have sort of handcuffed us a bit so we’ll have to see how that turns out in the next few years as well.


Bill Pouder
FWC SW Region
Freshwater Fisheries Administrator
3900 Drane Field Rd.
Lakeland, FL 33811

The FWC can't do too much state wide regulation. It will slow down the out of state visitors ($$) especially during the winter and early spring months where Florida is the best place to speck fish. My license is $50/year. Multiply that times... Just my .02.

That out of state license is for 1 yr - pretty cheap for the amount of water
and fishery resources a person has available to them in Florida.
A $100.00 license would be more practical -
Also the amount of poaching that goes on is unbelieable - bluegill - shellcrackers
& crappie ...alone is almost beyond belief.
Coolers, Coolers & more coolers that go back North each year from mid March
through April is staggering

Canada has heavy restrictions on its fishing pressure compared to US.
Walleye 3 per day - 2 day total
N. Pike 3 per day - 2 day total
Muskegon - used to be could not have one in proes. under 51 inches and
than only 1.
Sea Trout - ukn
Small Mouth Bass - unk but thought they were under heavy protection
Just to name a few.

Some Florida lakes will not support the 10 in min. limit - others might depends
on what biologists and creel surveyes produce. To some degree the FWC is
indeed held in check by other Govt. agencies

Sorry about the Soap Box Revalle:

fishin813....soap box not a problem for me. A $50 per year license for a non-resident is cheap in my opinion. I hold both Alabama and Georgia 1 year license which is right at $50 each, and I will not fish in either state more than a hand full of times a year. If FWC had the funding to do more research we would most likely have a much better fishery in quantity and quality of fish. I fully support the proposed new bass regulations. In time we will be seeing much improved bass fishing.

Originally Posted by fishin813

Here is response to your Black Crappie question
Hey Harold, currently there are no regulation changes proposed for black crappie around the state. The last time we looked at a potential crappie rule change was back in 2012 on Lake Istokpoga, but our stock assessment showed that regulations (e.g., 10 inch minimum) would not improve the population or angler catch rates. The primary reason was that anglers were self-regulating themselves and not keeping any crappie under 10 inches. However, a few of us have been discussing putting together a black crappie management plan for the state. We did this back in 2010 for largemouth bass which provided guidance to managers and researchers for the next 30 years and we currently are addressing the action items that came out of the plan for bass. One of those is changing our statewide black bass regulations throughout the state which will be presented to our commissioners next week for approval. There is definitely merit to doing this for crappie as well since it is primarily a harvest oriented species compared to bass which is mostly catch and release. We will probably revisit this concept for crappie in the upcoming year. However, budgetary restraints have sort of handcuffed us a bit so we’ll have to see how that turns out in the next few years as well.


Bill Pouder
FWC SW Region
Freshwater Fisheries Administrator
3900 Drane Field Rd.
Lakeland, FL 33811

Excellent, thanks so much for your inquiry and sharing It pays to have a contact. From time to time you read something about possible size limit changes on certain lakes. As we can see it takes years and money for research to reach a point of proposing a change. Mr. Pouder made a very good point about crappie being primarily harvest oriented compared to bass which is mostly catch and release. Crappie quality can be improved on certain waters. Grenada in Mississippi is a good example....the minimum is 12 inches. Folks from all over the nation go there seeking 3 pounders which are common. I would like to see Florida setup and manager a lake that has the potential of achieving the quality like Lake Grenada.

There are 5 that i am aware of in the State which can and have produced 3 lb plus
Crappie. Heavy pressure being put on two of them could decrease return rate of the
big strain breeders, unless some type slot limit could be enacted on these lakes
to control harvesting.
I would think that there is already thougths by various State FWC's to look at
this type situation - but Political thinking, time & money control a large variable
of the execution of needed programs.