Crappie Spawn Info

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Originally Posted by D10

Good question, but in a situation like Conway, a minimum length limit will boost the number of larger fish by allowing the crappie to reach at least 10-in before harvest. This only works when you have good growth (Conway has excellent growth) and mortality is high. We estimated Lake Conway's total annual mortality to be around 75%, with 68% coming from harvest alone! Creel limits have very little impact on the population structure compared to length limits. It was raised to 30 state wide in an attempt to simplifiy the regulations a little. It made no sense that some of the best crappie lakes had lower creel limits than poor crappie lakes. There was no biological justification. Some new data analysis techniques are being developed that will allow us to evaluate the impact of increasing or decreasing creel limits on a population. I will be reexamining our creel limit's once I figure it all out. But think of it this way, What percentage of Lake Conway's crappie anglers harvest 20 or more crappie per trip. Not a very big percentage at all. This is the case on most lakes. You have a few CrappiePros that can flat wear them out, but the majority of us don't regularly catch 20 keepers in a trip. So raising the creel limit to 30 wont make much of an impact because very few anglers could catch 20 keepers. Does this make sense?

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makes sense to me. the creel limit could be 10 and I still wouldn't hit my limit most of the time cept maybe in the pool in November. thanks for the info.

Are there any other lakes in Arkansas that have similar mortality rates to Lake Conway at around 75% or higher?

I don't know off the top of my head but I imagine there are some others close to that. I'll see what data I can find tomorrow when I get back to the office.

I am all for lake specific regulations in an attempt to manage ALL species as effectively as possible. It takes some doing to keep up with it. But then it makes it simpler to just follow biologist recommendations. You tell me keep some small crappie...then I keep some small crappie....you tell me to keep some small bass...then I keep some small bass....you tell me to throw these back...then I throw those back.

My home lake right now the biologist are saying (we encourage anglers to keep their limit of 5 bass under 14")... sooooo...everytime I go I keep 5 bass under 14".

Next year they tell me not to I won't....it's that simple.

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Originally Posted by doggone

I am all for lake specific regulations in an attempt to manage ALL species as effectively as possible. It takes some doing to keep up with it. But then it makes it simpler to just follow biologist recommendations. You tell me keep some small crappie...then I keep some small crappie....you tell me to keep some small bass...then I keep some small bass....you tell me to throw these back...then I throw those back.

My home lake right now the biologist are saying (we encourage anglers to keep their limit of 5 bass under 14")... sooooo...everytime I go I keep 5 bass under 14".

Next year they tell me not to I won't....it's that simple.

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Way to be a team player doggone! The truth is just about every lake could use a good thining of small bass. Unfortunately most bass fisherman refuse to do this and would talk down to a fellow angler if they saw them doing this. We need more anglers like you. Keep up the good work and feel free to come down to Central Arkansas and harvest some small bass!

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Originally Posted by D10

Way to be a team player doggone! The truth is just about every lake could use a good thining of small bass. Unfortunately most bass fisherman refuse to do this and would talk down to a fellow angler if they saw them doing this. We need more anglers like you. Keep up the good work and feel free to come down to Central Arkansas and harvest some small bass!

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I am planning on it....hope to make at least two trips.

if we need to harvest some small bass, why is there a 14" length limit on the Arkansas River in the Little Rock area? Is the river situation different?

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Originally Posted by D10

Way to be a team player doggone! The truth is just about every lake could use a good thining of small bass. Unfortunately most bass fisherman refuse to do this and would talk down to a fellow angler if they saw them doing this. We need more anglers like you. Keep up the good work and feel free to come down to Central Arkansas and harvest some small bass!

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why would anyone give a flip what bass fisherman think :Rofl

Wonderful Thread!!!! Very informative! Was actually talking about this exact subject while fishing yesterday!

Are there any other lakes in Arkansas that have similar mortality rates to Lake Conway at around 75% or higher?[/QUOTE]

Here you go! Have at it! Let me know if you have any questions.
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