Let it up to someone who thinks the world evolves around himself to take a positive good reading thread and make it a negative.
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Let it up to someone who thinks the world evolves around himself to take a positive good reading thread and make it a negative.
It is only meant to "encourage" others to release a few big fish, not "bash" TC. I too release most all of the big fish I catch, especially the 2lb. + fish before they spawn.Quote:
Originally Posted by Southern Young Gun
Keep a few to eat throw the rest back for the next trip.............................Just think that some kid may catch that big fish you threw back..................................
At least I haven't resorted to position fake pictures and reports .....
Quote:
Originally Posted by Southern Young Gun
:Rofl :Rofl :Rofl :Rofl :Rofl :deadhorse
The Harris Chain of lakes are still good fishin but you have to work for them. It is not unusual to catch 50 to 75 fish per day ranging in size from 4 to 9 inches. It is also not unusual to catch 20 to 25 fish over 10 inches each trip. I agree that a size limit on every lake in Florida is definitely needed but will probably never happen. 12inch limit would help. Stocking the Harris Chain would also be very helpful and smart. The FWC is constantly stocking bass but nothing else. How dumb is that? Nobody keeps the bass. You can see the biologist on Lake Carlton at least twice per week checking on the bass they have tagged and released. When you ask the biologist about stocking Crappie they tell you that they are so prolific that it is not necessary. When you bring up the point that 10 times more people fish for Crappie than bass and nobody keeps the bass they have no response. Just my thoughts and opinion!
Most people cant catch that many so it is easy to slam somebody that can!!!
From what I have just read, I don't see anyone being bashed or slammed. If I have done that to someone on here, it was unintentional. SYG, the lakes I was mainly talking about were the lakes that you don't hardly go to anyway because of what I originally posted in response to Harold. Those lakes were once really good fisheries and alot of people fished them with without respecting the sport of crappie fishing and that is a top reason you don't see many reports from those lakes. I remember when Kissimmee was an awesome lake and everyone fished the dickens out of it. That along with the spraying for hydrilla has out a major decline in the fish there. Anchor Man is definitely a prime example of a Catch and Release angler. Hooker, Rawhide, 65Pontiac, Speckanator, Chuck Auten, Heavylead, Justfish, myself and many others I fish with also Catch and Release more fish than anyone will ever know. All I am saying is that it is gonna take more than just a few folks to make this thing work and the only way that will happen is to get the State involved. I don't mind seeing pics of a good fishing trip, I encourage it. I post pics too. To be honest, I didn't put the first fish in my freezer from January of this year until November of this year. All fish were given to those that can't fish for reasons they can't help, to friends that didn't catch enough for their fish fry they had planned or they were just released. Heck, I only have 3 quart size freezer bags of fillets in my freezer now (15 fillets/bag). Harold has brought up a good point and I personally believe my response to him is one of the reasons why these lakes are never mentioned. I know that I am one the the "10 regulars" that post on here year around and I wasn't aiming for anyone in particular with my comments. Like you, I spend alot of time and money trying to find and catch fish, I try to give a good report when I have one and I even mention what lake I fished at. That's what it is all about, helping each other. If the only reason someone is posting on here is to advertise a particular business, maybe it should be posted on the Member Sponsor Classified Ads Forum....As Forest Gump would say, "That's all I got to say about that!!"
Careful what you ask for, you might get it. Good speckled perch lakes are cyclical. When people hear they are catching fish at Lake Bluebird they flock to Lake Bluebird. After umpteen boats and people deplete the stock a little and not catch as many, they flock to Lake Quail, where they heard fish are biting, while Lake Bluebird recovers. And so on. If you do not harvest fish the lake will become unbalanced with a lot of small fish with not enough food to get bigger. You start getting the government involved and first thing you know you will be complaining about over regulation. SYG please post your reports they are very enjoyable.
So Yelim...what you're saying is that without fishermen/women, there would be no large crappie? Most crappie would be stunted without us catching them? I understand that lakes can be cyclical, but is that only because of over-harvesting? I do not know the answer. I think someone else wrote on this subject last year and said that nowadays there are more fishermen with better equipment, and the same amount of water for fish to roam. At some point the creel limits will have to be reduced, which seems to be the trend. Somebody please tell me why the limit used to be 100...to 50...and now 25 per person? I cannot count how many times I've talked to old-timers who used to fish all the water around here and they report that fishing used to be outstanding...even in the Harris Chain! :yikes
In a sense, I guess I could be considered an old timer. I remember in the late 70's when a rather large lake here in GA opened up to the public for fishing. The limit was 100 per person then also, (which went to 50, then 30). It was nothing to catch a limit, but there were not hardly any fish over 1/2 lb, an occasional 3/4 lb fish was considered "nice"...I remember the first 1 1/2 lb crappie I caught and I wanted to mount it because I didn't realize crappie got that big. That's when I started getting more serious about crappie fishing and that they actually got even bigger than that 1 1/2 lb trophy fish I caught. Yes, crappie replenish themselves in a lake rapidly but creel limits have increased the quality of fish in that lake today without enforcing a size limit. I personally believe that a size limit could make it even better. A size limit will make fishermen to practice catch and release when under most circumstances they would have kept that 8 or 9 inch fish. Personally, I would rather catch 10 quality fish than catch 30 smaller fish. I'll guarantee you that any tournament fisherman, especially those "serious" ones, want quality. Not all, but most of us fillet our crappie because it is much easier and quicker. I like fillets because I don't have to worry about smaller children, and us older ones for that matter, accidentally swallowing a bone. A 10" fish really isn't much of a fillet, that's why I choose to set my own size limit at 12 inches. I know there are a lot of people that like those fish under 10 inches fried whole but a whole fried 8 inch fish don't really go much further than stinking up the grease once you cut the head off and gut it. I'm getting off subject here but these are just my thoughts. Size and creel limits made Monroe a lake people talked about all over the Southeast a few short years ago. The size limit was lifted and Monroe does not produce the huge fish it once produced consistently. Talquin has a 10" size limit and has been producing quality fish year after year, although this year the 2+ lbers have not been as common which I believe is due to the terrific amount of fishing pressure this lake has suffered over the past 3-4 years. Talquin goes in cycles also. But those pigs will be back in the next year or 2. I just believe creel and size limits, along with catch and release will increase the quality in "most" lakes. It is going to be interesting to see how Lake Griffin will be in the next 5 years...Maybe even Slab catch increase his daily limit from 1 fish a day to 3 fish a day!!