Thread: Question about size of crappie to keep to eat during the spring spawn?

Let's just state our thoughts and not bash anyone. I have fished just about everyway possiable. My dad and most of the older guys spider rigged back in the day. Some folks catch hundreds a day spiderrigging minnows here. If you don't believe it ask some of the guys from last years Crappie camp. We have no shortage of Crappie , they have too much spawn most years. I know not all lakes are this way, that is the reason for specific regs for certain lakes. Like someone stated , does'nt matter when you catch a big sow if you keep it. I see lots of big slabs caught on yoyos early spring during high water. The regulars do it to fill their freezer and some of them only fish yoyos. I have a neighbor that fishes yoyos and don't think has a fishing pole.

Originally Posted by CrappiePro

Man Don... I cant wait to get back over there and do some Good Ole Fashioned spiderrigging with minnows. Sure you dont want to join me in the Dark Angel for a beautiful evening on the water with an eight pole set, with double minnow rigs, and I'll bring my Little Dog Pixie Lou for a little added excitement, when we have three poles with fish on at the same time, two or three tangled up, and she is nawing on your ankle at the same time. Just think about how sporting that visual could be my friend? It's got me laughing just thinking about it. Rofl

Note to All: This post is intended to be humorous in nature and is in no way met to offend or encorage the arguement between spiderriggers or single polers. LOL LOL

I'll bring scooter dog and you'll spend all day trying to keep from having little scootpixies running every direction.
Which,,In my opinion would be much more entertaining than trawling with minners.

Scooter just now came swaggering in, a cigar clamped between his teeth, all bleary eyed and smelling of 4 paws colonge and cheap liquior. He loves to fish but wouldn't lower himself to spider rigging, my dog has class, except in biotches, much like his daddy I'd say.

So, when do you want to go....roflmbo

Originally Posted by NIMROD

If I spider rigged like alot do using minnows, I'd kill hundreds of Crappie If kept any or not. Years ago I remember trolling minnows and all the small fish swallowing the hooks. Here you can run yourself ragged taking off small fish trolling minnows.

We aren't killing hundreds of small fish. That's a crock. No more than most GIVE AWAY!!!! Sounds like Lake Nimrod needs some fish removed anyway. Over populated with small fish from what I've been hearing.

No personal remarks, or bad mouthing intended. I just disagree.


BRM 870-635-0202

my dog has class

With 100% humor intended, you could learn something from him!!! LMBFAO.


BRM 870-635-0202

Originally Posted by BigRiverMarine

my dog has class

With 100% humor intended, you could learn something from him!!! LMBFAO.


BRM 870-635-0202

Your honor, I move that this be removed from the record, my client is not on trial here. He is a fine upstanding member of society, a honorable man, and your honor,,he DON'T spider rig....Thank you your honor.

Lol. CASE DISMISSED!!!


BRM 870-635-0202

If one fishes the beds (and I can't resist it once in a while, myself) it pays to remember that every male taken, even if released is one failed nest. Males may or may not renest. The females tend to assemble off the actual nesting area a bit and will recover and still spawn if released. The bigger the female the more eggs she carries and the higher quality they will be. If she is not in shape to spawn she will not be there. The females scatter their eggs between a number of male nests; so the bigger she is the more extensive her bigger and higher quality eggs will be distributed. IMO those are the best breeding stock to maintain; so I suggest that spawn harvest be limited to smaller females, and the bedding males not be targeted.

Up here in Minnesota we get a lot of aborted spawning due to some dramatic weather changes. That usually means the males desert nests and may or may not start over. If you see year classes missing from your crappie population that is normally the first thing to consider anywhere you are. A bed can also be dispersed by too much commotion. It may reform and it may not, it is the touchiness of the bedding males that is the cause.

There is no question that up here smaller average crappie size results from over harvest, but that varies from lake to lake. My opinion is that overharvest is more often the cause of reduced size than overpopulation depending on the size of the water. Very small waters can very easily end up with stunted overpopulated crappies, especially true in ponds that are not actively and carefully managed but around here anyway IMO that is not a concern so much on larger waters, say over 100 to 300 acres especially if there are other species around that prey on fry like bluegills and perch and larger predators that prey on juveniles.

One lake here deep in the metro is a very good example. About a decade ago when I started fishing it, the crappies averaged 7-8", the 9" fish were rare, and the 10" and above fish were unknown. It was heavily harvested, but about half a decade ago the DNR posted consumption advisories on the crappies in it and they got heavily reported in the media. The harvest declined dramatically, and even the first year the average size started to inch up. Now 12 and 13 inch crappies are reported pretty regularly and the biggest I heard of last summer was 15". A nearby lake of similar size and fish community that did not get hit with the consumption advisory is still harvested at the prior level and till only produces 7-9" fish, heavy on the smaller sizes.