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Why is it that the lakes in NE Arkansas don't contain the crappie like lakes to the south such as Old Town, Mellwood, Or even Horseshoe to the east or Norfork to the west? We got lots of good lakes, Charles, Ashbaugh, Frierson, Poinsett just to name a few. I realize there are some good crappie in each of these places, but they ain't the norm. Why you reckon this is the case?
Gotta take out the little crappie to have big ones in a small lake. The only problem with this is that if you take out most of the small ones as hard as these are fished, you may eliminate all the crappie.
The only way I could see that may help is to have a slot and not able to keep those that are from 10 to 12 inches and a max of 5 over 12 inches. I'm no biologist, so I am just guessing.
Once these small lakes mature, they seem to get overpopulated with small fish. I don't think it's a real priority with our G&F---not a glamour fish like trout.
I'm no biologist either. But I think the other lakes mentioned have more places for the fish to exsist, spawn, and hide from predators. Also melwood is refilled with everything when it floods. Our lakes in NEA are smaller and aren't refilled from a river. Just doesn't seem like the same situation for us as the river lakes. I do think the AGFC has tried to figure out how to improve our lake situation. Just hard to compete with mother nature. She's been at it a long time.
I think most of the lakes south and especially the delta waters are alot more fertile. Better for the small baitfish and other food sources at the bottom of the food chain. From what I've read alot of these made made lakes were good at first, then the minerals were used up. No rivers to replenish. Give me some brown or green water anytime over clear.
Small lakes have to be managed. You need the right amount of bass, crappie, catfish, ect.to keep a lake in balance. If you do not have enough bait fish (minnows, shad and such) then the bass and catfish will eat the crappie and bream and what ever else they can find. Lakes like Norfork have a very,very large population of shad and every thing eats shad.It takes a lot of time and money to manage a lake, and the AGFC will manage best the ones that the politicians push them to for their county. Of course this is just my opinion.
if they would spend the money they spent on an imaginary peckerwood they could fix all the small lakes.
Lake Charles is a mystery lake to me...something seems to be missing...evidently there is not enough natural predation on the little crappie...and of course fishermen do not keep the dinks, not even as big as an eating size bream...is a fish kill a possible solution?? also what has changed the color of Charles, used to be a lot clearer...accidently witnessed a weighin for a bass tournament on Charles in April...I was really surprised at the number and size of the bass (big and heavy)...a few years ago there were 10 inch bass everywhere...So much potential going to waste...
that's right you are.Quote:
Originally Posted by RCC