Thread: Cutting the limit yet again.

This should be a good indication of expected fishing the next few years.

Originally Posted by Handicrappie

This should be a good indication of expected fishing the next few years.

That is exactly what I'm seeing at Enid. The fish are 4 to 6" or 13 1/2" (give or take 1/2"). After the cranking season and the fall fishing season, the keeper fish are going to be few and far between for a couple of years. Grenada may be in the same boat.

Handi, did their predictions hold true? Was 2012 "an excellent spring"?

Originally Posted by stormcloud

That is exactly what I'm seeing at Enid. The fish are 4 to 6" or 13 1/2" (give or take 1/2"). After the cranking season and the fall fishing season, the keeper fish are going to be few and far between for a couple of years. Grenada may be in the same boat.

don't think that's a maybe, if you think Enid is tuff run on down to Nader. I caught more keepers in a week at Enid than I did in a month at Nader.
These lakes cycle, just the way it is. On good years we catch a lot of fish, on bad years we don't. Being flood control has way more to do with any of it than what goes out the gates, how many are caught, limits, number of poles. No one knows what the water level will be next spring, high years are good for the crappie, low years not so much. Play the hand we are dealt and on bad years cherish the memories of good years.

Great information guys, good work.

Firebug, I can't remember 2012, maybe Handi can.

But with the information yall have found it seems the anglers do have a significant impact on the population.

That was what I was wondering, not trying to beat a dead horse guys, just looking for answers to some questions that I have wondered for a while.

The only thing I will say is I wish all the lakes had the same rules, but I'm all for what is best for the fishery.

Originally Posted by Firebug2006

Handi, did their predictions hold true? Was 2012 "an excellent spring"?

The spring and summer of 2012 you could literally go catch 100 plus fish every trip u went but most of those fish were right at or just under 12. By the fall of 2012 those fish had grown up and from there thru 2013 the number of keepable fish was excellent so yes it held true for the 2009 class.

I totally agree. If a high percentage was going out the gates the lower lake would be running over with fish. Also, when I fish the upper lake near the spillway, I don't see any higher concentration of fish there than I see anywhere else on the lake.

Originally Posted by clfarms1

I would bet the actual number of fish that go out the dam is very small probably less than 5 % and the reason I say that is If 50% of the crappie went out at Sardis you would be able to walk across the lower lake and not get your feet wet because there would be so many fish in it, and also that is where everyone would fish down by the dam because there would be alot more fish there than what I have found around spillways.

In the fall of 2012 we would catch 20 to 25 and go in because we had all the fish we needed. Came in one morning at 9:30. I try to get out there by daylight. I try to let it get light enough to not have to put the running lights on my boat. I told my wife we might never see fishing that good again. The big four are super fisheries and I for one am glad I was able to experience them. It's a good thing we have professional people managing them. If they let us make those decisions, we would destroy them in a few short years. The only time we are really brilliant is in hind site.