The future

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Originally Posted by Shine Runner

3 years of evidence.................that's gonna leave a mark........I hope. Let us know when this hits the courts and how it turns out. .

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After guilty plea deals of felonies:

All defendants were sentenced to terms of three years probation and received fines as follows: Buyer1- $50,000; Buyer2- $25,000; Fishermen1 - $5000; and Fishermen2 - $5000.

At least they were saved from the jail time as they had families. The initial charges carried a maximum of 5 years prison per charge and ranged from 52 counts to 19 counts depending on the person. From what I understand there were as many as 48 fishermen involved who sold fish. This case lasted over a year for these guys. I removed the names as I am only reporting the incident for awareness and to show that the agencies are trying. Not to gossip!

Any reference to a news show or newspaper article?

Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission Using Social Media to Crack Big Cases - News - LawOfficer.com

Just a little info! They are trying hard in Florida! Now if Ga would step up!

Great post!
What I have done is set myself a personal 10 inch size limit. If it doesn't go over 10 then she goes back in the water. What bothers me is when I am at Oconee or somewhere and you got people stacked up under the bridges on the banks tossing a jig and reeling in little dinks as big as your hand or less on every cast and throwing them into their bucket or cooler. First of all I personally do not want to go to the trouble to fool with a 6 inch fish. Time you cut its head off you might have 2 bites and then you have all the tiny bones to deal with. Got to remember, the little fish will be our big fish in a few years.
I just sat down and done some math too. Now I know some of you have bigger familys than I do but here is some food for thought. When my wife and I fry crappie we usually fry 4 filets. Its just me and her, no children yet. We usually fry them for a meal every 2 weeks sometimes. Each fish produces 2 filets. So 2 fish provides us some fish to eat with our slaw and hush puppies, and baked beans. If we need 2 fish every 2 weeks that means I only need to keep 52 fish per year. Figure in a family fish fry a few months and I figure 75 fish is plenty for me per year. Then there is the person and his buddy keeping 60 at least every other week. Either they eat fish every day or its sitting in the freezer getting freezer burned and going to waste.
I like your post a lot shinerunner. Just remember that just a few fishermen changing tactics like shinerunner mentioned can make a huge difference in the future of a crappie population. If just one person spared 2 healthy fish during the spawn and brought home 28 fish instead of 30 or 10 instead of 12 and each fish layed eggs and maybe 1000 of the eggs/fry survived to grow up, thats 2000 fish to catch later down the road. Times 2000 fish by just 10 fishermen releasing 2 fish instead of keeping them and well... Thats 20,000.
Personally I think the biggest help would be for the state to impose a 10inch size limit. Thats just my opinion. Would cut down on a lot of the little ones being kept that are future slabs.

I have a 9 in limit on my boat, but thinking of kicking it up to 10 in. I usually shoot for a limit of fish but lately have been happier with fewer but BIGGER fish. Catching big crappie gets to be addictive...I wish we could get at least one lake in Ga to have a 10 in limit like Talquin. We eat fish at least once a week sometimes twice, but its just the spousal unit and me, so it don't take much to keep us in fish...but then not only do I catch crappie, bream and catfish, but go down to Dads and fish the Gulf (Speckled Trout is my second fish addiction) alot as well which keeps the freezer full.

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Originally Posted by Dutch

I have a 9 in limit on my boat, but thinking of kicking it up to 10 in. I usually shoot for a limit of fish but lately have been happier with fewer but BIGGER fish. Catching big crappie gets to be addictive...I wish we could get at least one lake in Ga to have a 10 in limit like Talquin. We eat fish at least once a week sometimes twice, but its just the spousal unit and me, so it don't take much to keep us in fish...but then not only do I catch crappie, bream and catfish, but go down to Dads and fish the Gulf (Speckled Trout is my second fish addiction) alot as well which keeps the freezer full.

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Quality not quantity:biggrin. I can only eat so many. I have more meat to eat with 12" rather than 10". Oh forgot, I have been told by many that 10" taste better than a 12" :juggle

20 fish= 40 fillets if you keep em bog enough to fillet. 40 fillets would feed 20 people or more. I know we can eat more than 2 fillets a piece but really. Good topic and great posts by all

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Originally Posted by crappielimits

Their are many coming to Talquin who bring home over their allowed 50 crappie possession limit. I do not even think they realize that they are committing a felony every time they transport illegal game or fish across state lines. A local man I know is in big heat about buying illegal fish, he was on the school board and has lost his seat. He is just praying to stay out of jail! The fines are ridiculous when the Feds intervene. They can take your truck and/or boat it is not a laughing matter. Yes they did a big sting on this group of fishermen selling and found who was purchasing them. They have over 3 years of evidence and pictures. I know for a fact that some are being watched at my home lake. If they are found breaking the law, then I hope they get them.

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Yep, and one of those guys owns property next to mine and was in the process of building a house until the FEDS put a halt to his plans. Looking to buy it real cheap here pretty soon.:popcorn

So on talquin 25 per person per day has a ceiling of 50 fish total?so if a feller stays a week, lucks up and catches his limit every day, he is breaking the law to go home with them?

Ps ive never kept a limit in that lake. 15-20 bought all ive done in a day there but good grief they were good fish