Nimrod Lake report

I talked to the fisheries biologist for our district today . Mr Frank Leone and asked a few questions reguarding our fishery . I asked first about the Shad and was told we have only larger Gizzard Shad as I thought . The Threadfins which are smaller are not here because they have nowhere to avoid the cold in this shallow lake .The Gizzard Shad get too large for small Crappie very quickly . With high recuitment (spawns) of Crappie ,they have slow growth because of crowding and at times limited food supply . He said he would be net sampling here later but felt the increased limit should help with crowding. But we have a problem with huge spawns almost every year on this lake . Hope to check back after his sampling and get some data to post .

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Originally Posted by NIMROD

I talked to the fisheries biologist for our district today . Mr Frank Leone and asked a few questions reguarding our fishery . I asked first about the Shad and was told we have only larger Gizzard Shad as I thought . The Threadfins which are smaller are not here because they have nowhere to avoid the cold in this shallow lake .The Gizzard Shad get too large for small Crappie very quickly . With high recuitment (spawns) of Crappie ,they have slow growth because of crowding and at times limited food supply . He said he would be net sampling here later but felt the increased limit should help with crowding. But we have a problem with huge spawns almost every year on this lake . Hope to check back after his sampling and get some data to post .

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I'm not a biologist nor expert of any form or fashion, but just an "off the cuff" possible solution to the overcrowding issue: I actually have 2 possibilities but both would be difficult to enforce/police:

1. A 1 for 1 limit rule: Must take 1 fish under 10" for every fish you take over 10"
-OR-
2. No catch and release rule: If you're keeping fish, you cannot cull fish or release them once caught regardless of length.

Like I said both of these are just off the cuff with very little to no thought put into them. Both may be horrible ideas. I know this past weekend if option #2 were in force, I would have spent more time in the truck driving to and from the lake than I would have spent in the boat and on the water fishing. I would have left the lake with a ratio of about 22 short fish and 8 decent to nice fish ! Action was hot on the short fish bite !!

If No. 2 was in effect, I would just go to another lake. No problem to catch 30 short fish in less time it takes to drive over there and launch. But that's just me. I usually don't keep fish less than 10 inches. Again, that's just me.

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Originally Posted by ski trip

If No. 2 was in effect, I would just go to another lake. No problem to catch 30 short fish in less time it takes to drive over there and launch. But that's just me. I usually don't keep fish less than 10 inches. Again, that's just me.

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I refuse to keep small fish but that is just me . Rather keep nothing at all than keep small ones .:fish More power to the ones who want to fry up limits of small ones unless it hurts a lake . But here it actually should help the fishery .:twocents

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Originally Posted by NIMROD

I refuse to keep small fish but that is just me . Rather keep nothing at all than keep small ones .:fish

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Under Minners and Jigs No. 2, you wouldn't have a choice. If you caught it, you keep it! That's why I would just go to another lake if I wanted to keep fish, like for a fish fry. Now, if Frank Leone said the only way to get Nimrod back in line was for everyone to keep short fish for a time, I wouldn't mind doing my part.

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Originally Posted by ski trip

Under Minners and Jigs No. 2, you wouldn't have a choice. If you caught it, you keep it! That's why I would just go to another lake if I wanted to keep fish, like for a fish fry. Now, if Frank Leone said the only way to get Nimrod back in line was for everyone to keep short fish for a time, I wouldn't mind doing my part.

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Guess I would just remove my hooks or just the barbs to shake them off before bringing them in .:Rofl

You could just feel the thump and not react with a crushing hook set. Just kinda shake em off.

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Originally Posted by blueducklane

You could just feel the thump and not react with a crushing hook set. Just kinda shake em off.

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Would not work too well with rig I fish cause if you let them they will swallow a Umbrella tube with hook inside .They will eat the soft tube often just like a minnow if your too slow setting the hook . Have some take the jig too deep sometimes when they are feeding aggressively !. No tipping minnows or nibbles , just a jig. :biggrin

Don't worry guts I will keep all the small ones. They taste just like crappie.

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Originally Posted by shawnh

Don't worry guts I will keep all the small ones. They taste just like crappie.

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Hope you fish better than you spell bud .:Rofl