Crazy Keeper Rule at Homelake

[keeferfish]

When they started this at my home lake several years ago I thought it was crazy but now I kind of like it.

You can keep 30 crappie a day but only 15 can be over 9". If you keep 30 all 30 can be under 9" but only 15 can be 9" or over.
I would love to get checked with 2 people in my boat and each of us have our limit then watch the agent try to measure all 60 fish. I bet they'd pass.

I figure if I'm already cleaning fish that day I might just as well clean more.

Pretty good day yesterday with 15 over 9 and 8 just under, cleaned a total of 23. Had a few about 11" and several 10's but no giants.

All on jigs of various shapes and colors but for as hot as it's been they were all surprisingly shallow. Fish were in 10 fow but only 4 to 6 foot down.

[Ketchn]

it looks like it's a great way to reduce the numbers and grow larger fish to me ....
but they don't appear to be in poor condition to me no matter if they were under 9 or not .....
interesting for sure , most of the time when the numbers get out of control the fish tend to look big eyed and thin ...
them look quite plump and small eyed to me ....

[SuperDave336]

Good job. Thanks for sharing.

[BuckeyeCrappie]

Very nice!

[UnLikeU]

Hey Keefer. Brother your Home Lake rule needs to impact consideration from the TPWD really quick in my opinion. There is a decline in quality Crappie on the lakes & I'm guilty at pounding them with FFS(Forward Facing Technology). It's true. There are people who have FFS(Forward Facing Technology) that can catch limits, but the they are not the people doing the damage. I know plenty of people with FFS that may limit 1-2 times out of 6 if they even do it then. The bulk is coming from Guides. I know it's their living, I have a high respect for the good ones, & I get it, but it's pounding lakes on fish people would not be catching without the technology. TPWD is going to have to put a slot limit on Crappie. Maybe 25 Daily Limit but only 10-15 can be 12 inches or larger.

I took a buddy to Palestine on last Sunday & caught 37. A pro caught 6 in 3 hours then left, & my other buddy who introduced me to LiveScope & Palestine only caught 10. We fished our own way but all agreed that the seeing the QUALITY FISH WAS DEFINITELY NOT NORMAL WITH ABUNDANCE. Great post & SMART HOME LAKE.

[keeferfish]

I highly doubt MO Dept. of Conservation cares what TPWD thinks. JK

The under 9 limit was put in several years ago to increase the size. Lots of sampling over several years showed too many crappie never made it to 9 inches but those little fish still eat the forage so they wanted to get rid of the fish under 9 and let more fish have food to grow over 9. The main issue was we have both black and white crappie but you would never catch black crappie over 9 they were always 8 3/4 so were never kept. Now occasionally I catch black crappie over 11 and even the smaller ones are thick and fat.

They had a meeting at the lake before the rule went into affect explaining the situation. Several CDC members attended that meeting, actually most were CDC members. At the time I said I wouldn't keep a fish under 9 so it would never make a difference but now from time to time an 8 incher or few under 9 get removed by me. Hard to admit because it never happens (ask Joedog) but I was wrong.

[UnLikeU]

A 9inch Crappie is the same as a 6-7 in Bream to me. If I had to eat it, it would be dumped in ketchup. I see TPWD changing the Crappie Limits & Harvest in the next year. Some adjustments even if just on some lakes are going to have to be enforced. We are keeping too many larger fish. Even Grenada Lake in Ms. where they are catching 3lb-4lb has realized & enforced rules. Tx better do something before the effects are felt so bad years will be needed to fix it. Regardless, zero problems getting mine.