Sat. April 10 Lake Erling

Fished lake Erling with nephew sat kept 16 good fish all appeared to be females still carrying eggs found them in 10 and 12 foot of water caught them with jigs tipped with minnows they had been on the banks for several days and some very large catches were made cold front last week seems to have interupted this pattern last 3 trips fish have been caught in 6 and 8 ft water yesterday 10 and 12 ft fished seemed to be wore down did not weigh what I thought they should largest fish below was 1 oz under 2 pounds eggs were mature but filets were on the thin side are the fish wore down from the spawn or what got any ideas.
Noslab

sounds like your spawn has got interupted and they are consuming the rest of there eggs. I really hope not but thats what it sounds like

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Originally Posted by noslab

Fished lake Erling with nephew sat kept 16 good fish all appeared to be females still carrying eggs found them in 10 and 12 foot of water caught them with jigs tipped with minnows they had been on the banks for several days and some very large catches were made cold front last week seems to have interupted this pattern last 3 trips fish have been caught in 6 and 8 ft water yesterday 10 and 12 ft fished seemed to be wore down did not weigh what I thought they should largest fish below was 1 oz under 2 pounds eggs were mature but filets were on the thin side are the fish wore down from the spawn or what got any ideas.
Noslab

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Noticed that slab had a gash on it. We are catching some with the same marks on them. I been suspecting the Cormarants on the lake.:eek:

Nice Fish, anyway you look at em.

I am glad everyone is catching nice crappie. I have been wanting to know what does that to crappie at one lake that i fish. I will catch one out of 10 to 15 with a gash or skin removed, usually worse than that one in the picture. I was wandering if otters or some other critter was getting them.

TT

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Originally Posted by Timmy Tom

I am glad everyone is catching nice crappie. I have been wanting to know what does that to crappie at one lake that i fish. I will catch one out of 10 to 15 with a gash or skin removed, usually worse than that one in the picture. I was wandering if otters or some other critter was getting them.

TT

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Large Fish eating birds cos those marks, Cormarants, crains, storks, pelligans r the ussual suspects. Cormarants can really dessimate the crappie population if a lake dont have enough cover to protect the fish.

nice catch and report.....them cormorants have gotten out of hand at a lot of places