trophy crappie fisheries will in fact take a beating with the sonogram technology , saddens me for sureQuote:
Originally Posted by CatchumDeep
Printable View
trophy crappie fisheries will in fact take a beating with the sonogram technology , saddens me for sureQuote:
Originally Posted by CatchumDeep
"fishing" pressure in general has risen to the point that reduced limits and slots should be applied on some lakes .
sonogram technology has made it tough on the big fish and to be sure the folks that guide take large numbers too .
in the past when a "big" fish lake name popped up in the "wrong" circles and it was a smaller lake , it was just a mere moment in time before it wasn't a big fish lake anymore .....
that was pre sonogram , AND now just look what we have ......:banghead
this is so true , a bud of mine is a pro and he had to go out and get a sonogram unit to keep up .Quote:
Originally Posted by NIMROD
I've read every comment here on this post and most have really good points that were brought up. As I have said here before, the average fisherman that has gotten into Livescope will see a dramatic decrease in the numbers of fish caught compared to their spider rigging days. They will eventually get more proficient with use. I personally, will release all fish much bigger than 1 1/2 lb and only keep enough for a fresh fish fry. I didn't always do this. I too kept all the big ones and had to have my limit every time.
I do live right on Lake Nimrod and have the luxury of doing this. I understand completely someone driving great distance or rarely getting off work to fish catching and keeping as much as they can on a trip. Yes, my Son is the local guide here on Lake Nimrod and fishes several crappie tournaments a year. He keeps what his clients catch daily to send them home with their catch but rarely worries about "limits" as a measure of their success.
Some days when he and I go out to scout for upcoming guide trips we probably won't even keep anything we catch. The biggest threat to crappie fishing with the Livescope is the mentality that You've got to have a "limit" of the biggest crappie you can pull out of a body of water every day that you fish.
How many livescope fishermen balance out their creel with a fair amount of sizable fish but also an abundant amount of the most plentiful size in the lake? For example, If your lake is full of 9 inch crappie take out 10 or so with your "limit".
I respect everyone's views. These are just my thoughts.
Some lakes overpopulated . With as much pressure as Nimrod Lake gets , a few releasing big ones is about like trying to put a house fire out with a kids water pistol . Used to see many days with no one on the lake but crowded more often than not most of the year . The lake is historically full of short fish . One thing the fishing pressure has done is fewer really short fish and lots 10'' . Draw back is few big fish and it won't change till pressure slows down . Fewer big fish on the lake than I have seen in over 50 years on this lake . Most lakes I fish in this area all are seeing less big fish . Only reduction in fishing pressure I can see is people going back to work . Crappie fishing has gotten so popular and Covid has more people with time on their hands . :twocents Most fishermen including some locals always kept short fish . This does help with overpopulation and stunting . The high numbers and slow growth just a result of spring flooding most years . The 10'' minumum the AGFC placed years ago just made things worse and once they saw this it was removed . If you want fish keep your limit of Crappie here and don't worry if you keep shorts . Some just want a good meal and it helps this lake . I just rather not clean them my self .
This is just my opinion and I can careless cause I don’t fish in Arkansas but do you think that maybe nimrod gets so much pressure because every other day you post pics of a cooler full of fish then you complain about the crowd well news flash if you post it they will come. And if your concerned about big fish versus little fish why not send some of the big fish back home and target the 10 inch fish. From what I see you always say you give the fish away to someone who can’t fish anymore and I’m pretty sure they could careless if the fish is 10 inches or 15 inches they just glad to have fish. I guess my point is you can’t complain about lack of big fish if your part of the problem.
I actually fish several lakes , fish other lakes more than Nimrod these days . I seldom tell which lake I am fishing . I share tips , tackle and methods but seldom share locations .. Don't matter if I release big fish when nearly all the rest taking them out . I know we released a good number of big fish on some lakes they are gone the next season . One lake I fish the fish and game tagged a bunch and over 1/2 the tags were turned in within a year . Fished a lake on last Sunday . We caught 65 good fish and never even put water in the livewell . :fishQuote:
Originally Posted by slabin
AMEN !!!! Well said and 100% correct !!Quote:
Originally Posted by slabin
I think some of you guys not looking on facebook . There are thousands of Crappie fishermen hauling out coolers full of slabs ever week . A few guys releasing all their big fish is not going to help . . Tightening regulations only thing that will assure some lakes will have any big fish left soon . We will see slots and/or reduction of big fish in limits or slabs to be very scarce most places . I see just a fraction of the good fish I was seeing a year ago on several lakes . I posted lots of big fish to get our Game and Fish to take notice . They say they want people to catch fish and livescope is no concern . Bet they wake up soon just hope it is not too late . It will take most lakes 4 to 5 years to recover once all the big fish are gone .:twocents
I'm curious. Who has some proof that the lakes are being depleted of bigger fish (whatever size that is)? CA says he's not catching as many but that doesn't prove to me that there needs to be a regulation change. Facebook pictures, well I guess if it is on the internet it must be true. I am not catching any less big fish than I was. I am not opposed to regulation change but I want proof that there needs to be a change.
I really don't care what you catch or what you keep. That is personal choice.
Let's go fishing!!!
Did not say all lakes but some are . Over here the numbers of fishermen is 10 fold what it was just a few years ago . I still catch alot on a few lakes but some the numbers of big ones are dropping fast . May need to go lake by lake kinda like the deer zones do . Only time will tell if your in an area that has plenty hope it stays that way for you .Quote:
Originally Posted by arkcrappie
CA, I wasn’t picking particularly at you. I would like some hard fast evidence that says livescope has hurt the fishery. I would like to see a study done on a few lakes so we all can see the results. I think as fishermen we would adjust our thoughts and ways if we had some evidence that we are causing ourselves harm.Quote:
Originally Posted by NIMROD
Sent from my iPhone using Crappie.com
Nope...he's not going to change until forced to do so by a new regulation....yet will continue to complain about folks doing the exact thing he does day in and day out. Hypocrisy at its finest.Quote:
Originally Posted by arkcrappie
What good will it do to release all mine with crowds hammering them ever day ? If limits changed it would apply to everyone . If I take someone fishing it is their right to keep what law allows . Not hipocritic just stating facts and ones I release will most likely get caught and hauled out . Seen it on Dardanelle . I released a bunch of slabs there and the next year same areas had very few to be seen . As long as it is legal I will keep fish and so will folks I take fishing .I would be happy with slots , size limits , or lower limits on some lakes if that will help .Quote:
Originally Posted by Pirogue
This sure is an interesting conversation. As a guy who could barely afford a boat, and whose boat won’t allow him to get out if the wind gets over 7 mph, Livescope is something I’ll never have the luxury of trying. I’m thrilled to death just to get to get on the water and catch half a dozen keepers. I’m gonna keep every single legal fish that makes it into my boat, because there aren’t many.
Having said that, I’d be all for tighter restrictions. Those restrictions will likely never affect me anyway.
You are correct. I’m an unlucky version of number 1, thrilled to death for every single fish. You can tell who the 3’s are; you waive at them and they scowl back.
Personal pride in conservation! Usually folks taking much more than personally needed end up selling those fish!!M
Sent from my SM-T510 using Crappie.com Fishing mobile app
That would not only be illegal but would be a losing propisition as it costs so much to fish . I used to clip Catfish fins and release them when I was not guiding but checking baited holes . They were worth more swiming. Guiding pays better than you could get selling the fish anyway . Some don't realize how many fish we release each season . But guides have to post big strings or how else do they advertize ?Quote:
Originally Posted by sharphook
Very true.Quote:
Originally Posted by NIMROD
In my local grocery store catfish goes for around 8 bucks a pound.Quote:
Originally Posted by NIMROD
Man that's expensiveQuote:
Originally Posted by Fastdrop
I would start gill netting again if I could get 8 bucks a pound ! I know I saw it at Krogers and was shocked . A friend said Catfish producers were having trouble getting enough workers to process the farmed fish .Quote:
Originally Posted by Fastdrop
Driving up the prices on everything
Livescope IMO is not the main problem. Where I fish we have lost all oxbows to the carp. This makes the good water more crowded. Also, I have 2 other oxbows that were still decent near me that have gone private in the last few years. More people are fishing a shrinking water supply. The only solution I see to it is to cut limits back.
I didn't know an oxbow lake could turn private
Some on White River have river access silted in and heard land owners have blocked river access on some .. More places that allowed fishing will turn private if landoweners can deny access . Sportsmen are under attack all over and we will see more access denied if landowners can find away . We have seen access points for hunting public WMA in Arkansas bought and closed off to the public unless your willing to go by boat or walk long distances .Quote:
Originally Posted by DockShootinJack
Duck hunting....the scourge of fishermen everywhere.
That is really a shame. The greed of man is the ruin of a many of thingsQuote:
Originally Posted by NIMROD
Davis Lake, just outside of Memphis as well as Island 40 have both been closed to the public as people are buying the land and closing it. A lot of ground has closed and I’m sure more will.Quote:
Originally Posted by DockShootinJack
Sent from my iPhone using Crappie.com
Ironically people that buy up all that property and close off lakes are a lot of the times not acid outdoorsmenQuote:
Originally Posted by arkcrappie
Yea it sucks and then no more fishn.Quote:
Originally Posted by DockShootinJack
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk