Show me your recent slabs!

[Shoemoo]

Awesome slabs. Can't find them like that very often in Oregon. ;-(

If you're in the eastern part of Oregon, try hitting Brownlee Reservoir on the Idaho border. Some nice slabs in there. ID state record black came out of there a few years ago.

[Sawdustsavage]

I do fish Brownlee at times. There are some nice slabs in there but a very small population. Market fishing and radical drops in the water level have decimated the crappie population. There are some smaller fish shopwing up this year. That's a great sign. We tried to get a 25 fish limit on Brownlee to deter the market fishing but ODFW refused because they never wanted to enforce it. I contacted the Army Corp of Engeneers to try to convince them to hold the water up till after the crappie spawn. I was told they were requiredby law to draw down the reservoir acording to a formula. I suggested they rewrite the formula but I just as well hollered down a well.The problem with crappie fishing in Oregon is there are limited places to fish. Most of the good lakes are in Eastern Oregon.With the inflated price of gas it's kinda out of most folks reach. The willamete river has a fair population closer to my area but I wouldn't eat them out of it. I'm too old fashioned not to eat what I keep.
Thanks for the help. I truely hope Brownlee improves in the coming years. There are a lot of hard working folks that depend on that fishery for their lively hood. I dont mean market fishermen either. Guides and store owners, motel and gas stations ect ect.
Thanks Again
John

[Oregon slabman]

I do fish Brownlee at times. There are some nice slabs in there but a very small population. Market fishing and radical drops in the water level have decimated the crappie population. There are some smaller fish shopwing up this year. That's a great sign. We tried to get a 25 fish limit on Brownlee to deter the market fishing but ODFW refused because they never wanted to enforce it. I contacted the Army Corp of Engeneers to try to convince them to hold the water up till after the crappie spawn. I was told they were requiredby law to draw down the reservoir acording to a formula. I suggested they rewrite the formula but I just as well hollered down a well.The problem with crappie fishing in Oregon is there are limited places to fish. Most of the good lakes are in Eastern Oregon.With the inflated price of gas it's kinda out of most folks reach. The willamete river has a fair population closer to my area but I wouldn't eat them out of it. I'm too old fashioned not to eat what I keep.
Thanks for the help. I truely hope Brownlee improves in the coming years. There are a lot of hard working folks that depend on that fishery for their lively hood. I dont mean market fishermen either. Guides and store owners, motel and gas stations ect ect.
Thanks Again
John

Is this John from Vernonia?

[bayoumonster]

I do fish Brownlee at times. There are some nice slabs in there but a very small population. Market fishing and radical drops in the water level have decimated the crappie population. There are some smaller fish shopwing up this year. That's a great sign. We tried to get a 25 fish limit on Brownlee to deter the market fishing but ODFW refused because they never wanted to enforce it. I contacted the Army Corp of Engeneers to try to convince them to hold the water up till after the crappie spawn. I was told they were requiredby law to draw down the reservoir acording to a formula. I suggested they rewrite the formula but I just as well hollered down a well.The problem with crappie fishing in Oregon is there are limited places to fish. Most of the good lakes are in Eastern Oregon.With the inflated price of gas it's kinda out of most folks reach. The willamete river has a fair population closer to my area but I wouldn't eat them out of it. I'm too old fashioned not to eat what I keep.
Thanks for the help. I truely hope Brownlee improves in the coming years. There are a lot of hard working folks that depend on that fishery for their lively hood. I dont mean market fishermen either. Guides and store owners, motel and gas stations ect ect.
Thanks Again
John

Around here gamefish can't be sold---I thought it was nationwide. I'm just suprised that folks are catching and selling crappie... Or am I misunderstanding "market fishermen"?

[Oregon slabman]

Around here gamefish can't be sold---I thought it was nationwide. I'm just suprised that folks are catching and selling crappie... Or am I misunderstanding "market fishermen"?

What's happening at Brownlee is illegal, black market selling of Oregon/Idaho crappie. Nothing legal about it. ODFW and IDFG are both reluctant to put a limit on Snake River crappie. When the crappie population is strong there are two cultures that exploit the fishery. They actually have a shuttle that hauls the fish away while the others keep fishing day and night. This is during the spawn. The selling takes place in major cities 300-400 miles from where the fish were caught. The selling takes place in neighborhoods and small fish markets. To buy them you have to be " in the know", kind of like buying anything illegal. Without a limit LEO's have nothing to enforce and once the fish are transported out of the area to the big cities it's out of sight out of mind.

[Shoemoo]

What's happening at Brownlee is illegal, black market selling of Oregon/Idaho crappie. Nothing legal about it. ODFW and IDFG are both reluctant to put a limit on Snake River crappie. When the crappie population is strong there are two cultures that exploit the fishery. They actually have a shuttle that hauls the fish away while the others keep fishing day and night. This is during the spawn. The selling takes place in major cities 300-400 miles from where the fish were caught. The selling takes place in neighborhoods and small fish markets. To buy them you have to be " in the know", kind of like buying anything illegal. Without a limit LEO's have nothing to enforce and once the fish are transported out of the area to the big cities it's out of sight out of mind.

So where's the evidence? I've seen it mentioned on state-specific message boards, but the people talking about it seem long on accusations and short on proof.

Consider the average fish-buying non-angler in either state probably has no idea what a crappie even is, let alone their legal status. Everyone out here seems to be in love with the salmonids, and I imagine the state wildlife departments have their hands too full with stopping poaching of native salmon and steelhead to worry about crappie.

[Oregon slabman]

So where's the evidence? I've seen it mentioned on state-specific message boards, but the people talking about it seem long on accusations and short on proof.

Consider the average fish-buying non-angler in either state probably has no idea what a crappie even is, let alone their legal status. Everyone out here seems to be in love with the salmonids, and I imagine the state wildlife departments have their hands too full with stopping poaching of native salmon and steelhead to worry about crappie.

You believe what you want. Spend some time at the Powder River parks when the crappie population comes back. You'll see groups taking several boxes of fish back each trip. Some of them talk about it openly. Clients on my boat have talked about who is selling the fish by name. There was one guy who bragged to other campers in the campground that he paid for his boat and truck selling crappie. It's not an open market type of selling. It takes place within certain neighborhoods or cultural fish markets.
What you imagine about salmonids has nothing to do with the problem. The economy of towns out here on the Snake River are largely dependent on crappie fishermen. At one time Brownlee Reservoir accounted for more boater hours than anywhere in the state except the Pacific Ocean. Not anymore. Hardly anyone makes the long drive over when crappie numbers are down. Crappie fishermen buy a license just like salmon fishermen and deserve to have the resource they fish for managed just as much as salmon fishermen do. That's a weak excuse.

[6poundtest]

Here's my biggest from yesterday. 14" and a bit.

[chaunc]

Some from wednesday.

[shipahoy41]

Some from wednesday.

Those will fry up nicely Chaunc.