Thread: Kentucky lake limit

Any of you who read my posts about this subject pretty well know my opinion on the new limit that goes into effect Mar. 1st.

I am neither for nor against the 20 fish limit but..... Stop and think about it. Howmany people do you know that go out and catch 20 keepers consistantly now. Answer, not too many if any. If you do on these lakes... consider yourself one heck of a crappie fisherman. We've already got a lower limit on Ky. and Barkley Lakes that has been imposed on us by Mother Nature and Man.

I personally don't think the new limit is gonna do much to help the population. They've tried it before and it hasn't worked. It may help a little for a little while, but its gonna take years and years to see a significant increase in fish populations. But if something's not done, sooner or later they are gonna be scarce!

The problem is, lowering the limit only addresses 1 aspect of the problem. Rarely can 1 factor be blamed for an incident. It is always a series of events that come together that cause adverse results. You have to step back and evaluate the total problem not just part of it. In this case it is a combination of... #1 Fishing pressure/new technoligy, #2 Loss of habitat, #3 Introduction of non-native species i.e. Hybreds, Rockfish, Zebra Muscles and such, #4 Large lake level fluctuations during prime spawning times (TVA's unwillingness to waver from their current practices. Start bringing the lake up on April first and by God, not a minute before!), #5 Flip/flop of dominate species primarily due to the change in water clarity (used to be ruffly 70% White Crappie & 30% Blacks. Now its almost completely reversed. A 2 pound Black Crappie doesn't carry near the eggs that a 2 pound White Crappie does. Less babies less adults)... I could go on.

We are keeping the wrong fish. We are keeping the "Dump Trucks" and throwing back the "Pickups". I believe the next thing we'll see is slot limits (keep the middle fish and throw back the big fish and the little fish). A few years of this would help the crappie population as it has helped the Redfish down in the gulf. But there again, that's only adressing 1 aspect of the problem.

Sorry for getting up on my soap box again but I wish everyone would get past the tunnel vision and see the big picture.

I have every confidence that our fisheries guys will figure it out sooner or later. I just hope when they do its not too late for my grandchildren.