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I'll just say this....they use traps to survey the fish. They don't always put them where the fish are. Their traps are on bottom, I seldom catch fish on bottom this time of year. January is typically a slow or non existent bite on the reservoirs anyway. I'm in wait and see mode....
I agree Rees no fish equals no pressure. Catching 100 fish walking away with 5 equals no pressure. No body wants to waste time nor money and walk away with nothing. The 11" rule was put into place to appease the masses of the dollar. This year would be another good one but from the looks of it and last fall numbers I don't think so. If anyone knows when the next meeting is post it with time date and place. I will give my 2 cents on Sardis. Honestly what people say goes on deaf ears unless you got a envelope full of money to pass around at the table. Back to Rees point the fish will dictate the pressure. It's a gamble on rules and regs and angler head counts vs fish population. Need a magic wand I geuss.
If you quit catching so many all year rigging, there would be more that would hit the banks!!! See, that is the kind of statement that hurts fishermen !!Quote:
Originally Posted by macpappy
How about no spider rigging when the crappie are schooled up by the thousands!
See...we can go on and on...
Maybe I'm oversimplifying things. But Less Structure, Less Water, More Fishermen, More Poles, More Technology, Year around Fishing, more Striped bass. All equals less fish. About the only thing to help are cycles in bad weather that keep people off the lakes. And/or changes in regulations. There is nowhere close to the numbers of fish in Sardis as there used to be--regardless of size. Some of its natural change in the lakes and much of it human induced!!! Social media alone (like this website) has made it more popular and just about anyone can learn quickly how to fish just searching the computer. Crappie tournaments and the like. Commercialism and $$$$. All that used to be just for Bass Fishing. Not anymore. I read an article more money spent on crappie fishing now than Bass fishing. Bottom line, this is a debate that won't end. I'm happy to get off work a few weeks and be on the lake. Catching a few fish is a bonus. But one I'd prefer to keep!
Its the Weather! I don't remember the fishing ever being the same every year? I'm just a young pup. 52 Yrs. Young. And to me the fishing and the Weather go hand in hand. Thank goodness Crappie are so prolific. I agree sound management is the key. JMO
i agree!!!Quote:
Originally Posted by hotrod1
I personally don't care for fish smaller then like 15" . Smaller crappie are just too much bother to me when I could harvest a much larger fish that would feed more with alot less work cleaning ......it's like chosing between a hamburger or a Rib eye steak IMHO
The solution is for everyone that has birthdays in odd number months to be issued a fishing license for odd numbered years and the people that have birthdays in even numbered months get a license for even years. I would suggest it be tried on a one year basis starting now since I was born in January and it is 2015.
I know that Matt(D10) is one heck of a biologist but he is Arkansas, not Mississippi.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mac Daddy
My bad. I get it now, I thought "they" was still referring to Arkansas hatcheries. I guess I should just stay on the Arkansas forum as to not confuse myself.:Doh:Quote:
Originally Posted by jigflinger
Its real simple....fish with me or Wannabe. We catch our ONE fish and go home.....That's not by design, its just the way it works out for me. Ill let WB defend himself, if he chooses. lol
Seriously, though....I come down and partake in the spring frenzie at least twice a year, and for me, the uneducated crappie fisherman, soooo much of catching has to do with wind, weather, barometric pressure, COE messin with the water depth, some would say moon phase, and probably many more issues I have no clue about. NOW, there are those die hards (bless them) who, through sophisticated electronics, etc., can zero in on them quicker than the average, twice a year migrating crappie warrior, and good for them. But, restricted areas for spawn, and the like, seems like trying to engineer mother nature. She'll spank you EVERY TIME!! My heart of hearts tells me, fish, enjoy the day, the company and keep what you want to eat, but not over the limit. I usually keep 6-8 per day and release many more. Just me....and thats the way I'm wired. Maybe that makes up for the poachers, law breakers, and asundry folks with no character or morals when it comes to our 'sportsman's way of life'. Personally, I find much solice in reporting those kind of lawless folks....they make ALL of us look bad.
I thought spider riggin was ridiculous when I first saw it employed. I'll never to that, seems like cheating. Well, after going thru a bunch of 12 and 14 footers, and messing with just the right reel, seats, rod holders and extended nets, different magic techniques, and now waiting to try my new 16 footers, ...I have found riggin to be a hoot. Unlike Sat and Torch who have this thing down to a science, I catch a few fish, and spend 80% of my time untangeling lines, cussin and goin thru way tooo many cigars. But it is fun, no matter which way you roll on methodology.
Let the 'experts' tell what they will. Just hit the water, thank the Good Lord you are there, enjoy the day, and oh yeah....maybe catch a fish or two and make a new friend. And that's all I have to say about that........
I think a solution, which many may not like, is alternate closing the Big Four to fishing in March and April. One year, Grenada is off limits, the next year Enid, Sardis next, and Butla last or whatever. I think a few years of this will bring up the populations significantly. I dont think anyone will have a problem fishing another reservoir when one is off limits, since they are so close together. I know it's tough for some people, but sacrifices will have to be made to preserve our sport for our kids, their kids, and future generations. Natural resources are not UNLIMITED, and they can disappear very quickly if no sacrifices are made to protect them. A lake off limits for 2 months every four years is not going to cause anyone to go hungry. Just a thought.......................
Only problem I could foresee is the unintended consequences of over loading the other lakes during the time when a particular lake is closed. May, MAY, help one lake but really pressure the other lakes. Jus sayin.....
Blah blah blah blah and blah.
Some of you sound like a bunch of women griping and complaining because you ain't getting your way, because everybody don't fish the way you want them to fish, and because you're too afraid somebody else is catching more fish than you. 2014 was the worst year I've had as far as crappie fishing goes, and every time I voiced an opinion on how to ensure that I caught more fish in the coming years, my posts ended up being either closed or tossed in the No-No Zone that requires a special password that I neither know nor care to know.
What I did have to do was do some hard praying, and praise God, He told me to stop being so hard to get along with and enjoy living while I can. It allowed me to stop assuming that "they" were doing something "to" me. People fish. Some do it for fun, some do it for food, and some do it for both. If there is a problem and we can see it and if we feel compelled to take action, we should do what we can to fix it. In sticking to that, I read one really good idea: Be the one to change. If you think less fish should be kept, keep less fish. Tell others what you are doing and encourage them to do the same, if they like it. I think some of you made a suggestion that was more damaging than helpful.
I believe we need fewer politicians and fewer law enforcement officers. Any suggestion having more laws and/or more law enforcement officers as one of its constituent parts is unhelpful at best and damning at worst and should never be considered. Every stinking time something happens that we people do not like, we scream for more or stricter laws, or we say if we had more badges on the street to enforce the existing laws it wouldn't happen. Please, stop being such little girls wanting your Government to come protect you and your rights. Learn to take care of yourself. If you have a right, it is your right to ensure that your right is not violated. If you lack that level of commitment, stop whining about it. It does not really mean anything to you.
Me? I am going to keep doing what Mo suggested. I will fish the way I think fishing should be done, and I am going to leave it to others to do the same. I am not going to try to make everybody get in line with me. I don't even like lines. I encourage the rest of you to join us.
Be the way you want others to be.
This same discussion comes up every year about the same time. Ironically, everyone still catches fish every year. People get penned up inside their houses in the winter and fret over fishing and fish populations and how there are not going to be any crappie left, etc. Funny that when fishing season gets going, folks kinda forget about all their worries and still catch fish.
I don't know how popular striped bass fishing is in Mississippi , but them dang fish will eat the heck out of crappie for sure , and the crappie get the heck out dodge when the striped bass goes to feeding !!! here in South Carolina we have a lot of people that fish for striped bass but they don't get to them all but try to manage them , now for me I will take a striped bass and Lm bass out I look at it as taking out the fish eating crappie and they don't taste that bad either nothing a little hot sauce and cold beer wouldn't take of !!! but look at it this way striped bass , Lm bass , white perch and crappie all feed on the same baitfish shad !!!! out of the 4 fish mentioned which of the 2 do you think prevails !!!!Quote:
Originally Posted by 27458
Max is on a stump again....and I like it. Good to hear from you my friend. Like the way you roll.
I'll agree with CCCW on this one. It's folks catching a limit, taking them home and going back and catching more. That, and folks going 5-6 days a week, catching a limit. One or 2 folks won't hurt but when you have 15-20 folks doing it that often, yeh it hurts the population. The more fish caught, the less that are around to spawn. Same thing on Barnett. I've seen folks catch WAYYY over the limit, then meet someone at the ramp with a cooler, then go back fishing. YES, I called the GW and always will. Limits are put in place to keep the fish population where they need to be. Catch to many fish and there won't be as many later on
THERE ARE NOT ENOUGH M.D.W.F.P . WARDENS TO POLICE THE MASSES .FOR A LARGE NUMBER OFTHE FOLKS THAT LIVE WITHIN 20-30 MIN.OF THE LAKE THERE ARE NO LIMITS .M.D.W.F.P. DO A GREAT JOB FOR THE MONEY THIS STATE GIVES THEM . IT COMES DOWN TO EVERYBODY DOING THE RIGHT THING . OF ALL THE CRAPPIE FISHERMEN I KNEW WHILE LIVING IN WATER VALLEY VERY FEW FOLLOW ANY DAILY LIMITS .MOST FISHED SARDIS OR GRENADA IN THE MORNING AND ENID IN THE AFTERNOON . NO WAY TO REGULATE THE UNWILLING .
They had a large new crop of wardens come through this year. Manpower patrolling these areas is the only way to enforce limits. But these limits are made to accommodate the higher fishing pressure. There is nothing WRONG with taking your limit 365 days a year. It is LEGAL. If it's hurting the populations, the biologists will adjust it. I don't think these lakes are going to be fished dry.... But if they do run out of fish,,, WE CAN ALL BLAME IT ON SPECK!!!
Speck ? Ha ha ha......talk about a dead horse lmao. Oops....sorry Speck I couldnt help it lol
No biggee Mac....I stay confused all the time so stick around over here and keep me companyQuote:
Originally Posted by Mac Daddy
But you might have been born in January 195(6), which would eliminate YOU this year. I agree that no matter what year you were born, you're definitely Odd!!!Quote:
Originally Posted by RCC
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA [emoji12]
I remember 50.Quote:
Originally Posted by canebreaker
Lets Have a white bass tournament on Enid . 25 dollar entry . winner take all ! I have dibs on sign #5 . :biggrin
Not fair lolQuote:
Originally Posted by eagle 1
I'll take #3.Quote:
Originally Posted by eagle 1
The striped bass they are talking about is the much smaller cousin the white bass. There are no actual striped bass or hybrids in Sardis.Quote:
Originally Posted by strmwalker
Eagle, I ain't trying to start no fight with you, but we are on opposites ends of this.Quote:
Originally Posted by eagle 1
"THERE ARE NOT ENOUGH M.D.W.F.P . WARDENS TO POLICE THE MASSES"
Urgh. When I see somebody doing something "wrong", I usually have no choice but to say or do something about it. I get in trouble for it, but I am either unable or unwilling to resist the urge. Mind that I didn't say "illegal." I don't care if I ever do anything that's legal as long as I don't do anything that's "wrong." I fully believe that we, the masses, need very little policing that we cannot do among ourselves. We are always present, and we are always accountable.
"NO WAY TO REGULATE THE UNWILLING ."
Then who are we going to regulate? The only possible answer is to regulate those who need no regulating. This is exactly my point. There is no reason for me to have to put up with a policeman checking me to see if I have too many fish or too short of a fish when I'm not going to keep too many fish or too short of a fish. It is an intrusion that is both unwarranted and useless.
As I said, this is just my opinion on it, and I don't expect everyone, or anyone, to agree with me. I can't help but wish everyone would though. It would be nice to taste freedom at least once before I die.
Hey Jimmy! Me? Stump? Nah.Quote:
Originally Posted by jimmydee1
Good to see you still coming around. Maybe we can do some fishing this year.
We love to eat crappie at least once a week, it takes X number a crappie in the freezer to accomplish this, so i fish, sometimes single poleing during the spawn, sometimes rigging or pulling cranks, dont care if i gota hit'm in the head with a bat, some days i dont limit, lots of days i do. Sometimes i fish once a week, sometimes i fish all week.i catch them when they are biteing so i'll have them when they aint. I'm not a rule breaker, but have bent a few till they cracked. What it all comes down to is this...i fish my way...you fish your way. I get the fish i want and need to have fish when i want to cook them just like you do. Lets just agree to dissagree on how and when and all enjoy what we love doing..... CATCHING CRAPPIE. They aint gona go extinct , the reproduce to effectivly for that.
I am going to go ahead and apologize for getting a little to into arguing over this. I know this ain't the place for such, and I tried to edit/delete some of my posts. Apparently, I ain't smart enough to do it. So, I'll just handle it this way.
I was wrong to bring it out there. I am sorry.
Edit can only be done within 30 minutes of the post being made, after that only a mod can make a change.
Life goes on, we dont all agree, so what, we all love to fish.
:popcorn...I think they ought to make all yo sippians kill one deer per crappie caught!! :biggrin I'm jealous!!
DANG, I'd have to start reloading, no way I can afford all dem bullets!!!!!!!!:biggrinQuote:
Originally Posted by hawgdog
oh sure ya could, pretty sure we could figure sumthin out!!!Quote:
Originally Posted by Rees Guide
Yeah I can, when you coming down???
The plan right now is march 20-26 and were staying at hambones. Hopefully it works out!!!Quote:
Originally Posted by Rees Guide
Good deal, hope yall can make it.Quote:
Originally Posted by huskerwill