A limit is a limit!

[ATM]

The following is an excerpt from a published study conducted and written my MDWFP Biologist Keith Meals.

In fisheries that lack harvest regulations, an increase in catchability, fishing efficiency, or both will result in increased exploitation. In contrast, for regulated fisheries a common argument is that increased catchability or efficiency will simply reduce the time needed to catch a limit, but as long as the limit is
not exceeded the increased efficiency will not produce increased
exploitation. The fallacy of this argument lies in its assumption
that all fishers harvest the daily limit. Limits are not set such that
each angler can harvest a limit daily. In reality, only a small proportion of fishers harvest their limit regularly; therefore, limits
(particularly if generous) may not effectively reduce exploitation (Noble and Jones 1999). Crappie fisheries use bag limits
to prevent a small fraction of skilled or lucky anglers from harvesting exceptionally large numbers of crappies and to signal
that crappies are a valuable and limited resource (Scalet et al.
1996). Given that most anglers harvest fewer fish than the bag
limit, any increments in harvest rates will produce increments
in fishing mortality rates, although the proportionality of these
two rates depends on the level of compensatory mortality (Allen
et al. 1998). Our study results suggest that lower bag limits could
help to control exploitation of crappies, but reducing exploitation with bag limits alone would require the bag limits to be
set at a level that is unacceptable to most crappie anglers (Dorr
et al. 2002).

[KDAVID1]

So the way I read it things are set based on the few not the majority.
Ie: they hedge their bets?

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I777

[ATM]

I can see that. In email from MDWFP yesterday, I was told they knew lowering the MLL would increase pressure. To combat that pressure they lowered the pole limit.

[yikess]

I would be the angler he refers to as "skilled" and Speck is the other one called "lucky".

[yikess]

Sounds like we better leave well enough alone. We may get our 5 poles back but the daily creel could be lowered to 10 or less to make up for it.

["G"]

Sounds like they should have just reduced the creel limit to 15 only then and left the 12 inch rule and the number of poles alone

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using Tapatalk 2

[spiderwoman]

I agree with you "G". Lowering the creel limit in no way is going to reduce pressure. IMO it's going to make it worse.

[Speck]

I would be the angler he refers to as "skilled" and Speck is the other one called "lucky".

In the words of the immortal Yogi Berra, "I'd rather be lucky than good any day!!!"

[ATM]

They like the term harvest rate instead of pressure. According to the assistant chief trollers take three times as many fish as polers.


http://councemarine.com

[Speck]

They like the term harvest rate instead of pressure. According to the assistant chief trollers take three times as many fish as polers.


CounceMarine.com, Memphis boat dealer of Crownline, Bayliner, Maxum, Godfrey Pontoons, San Pan, Aqua Patio, Sweetwater, Tuscany, War Eagle, Weldbilt, GoDevil, Yamha, Johnson, Evinrude, Karavan Trailers, Haulrite Trailers, Prestige Trailers

Going by that, single polers are way more efficient. If a troller using 5 poles only catches 3 times the fish of what a poler catches, he is loosing efficiency with the added poles. The math says trollers should be catching fish at 5 times the rate of single polers.