Previously hooked crappie

I am working on a project to help us in keeping our crappie fishery. One of the questions that I have come up with is, "HOW MANY CRAPPIE SHOW SIGNS OF BEING HOOKED BEFORE I CAUGHT THEM". This will help in the stat's that I need for the next step.

If a few of you would collect the following information and post it to the POLL, it will help.

The next time you go fishing, check the first 10 crappie and determine if they had previously been hooked. Keep the results and vote on the poll.

Please just keep this to the poll info only.

I assure you it will be worth everyone's participation.

Chuck

What about the ones that die after being caught?

I used to be a bass fisherman, and back then I often noticed that bass had scars around their mouths from previous hooksets. I can't remember the last time I caught a crappie that showed signs of being previously caught.

^^^ exactly. I cant recall either. And what about all the ones guthooked fishing with minnows.

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Originally Posted by Crappielover

I used to be a bass fisherman, and back then I often noticed that bass had scars around their mouths from previous hooksets. I can't remember the last time I caught a crappie that showed signs of being previously caught.

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That has been my experience. Very, very few crappie that I have caught show signs of being previously caught.

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Originally Posted by huntinslabs

^^^ exactly. I cant recall either. And what about all the ones guthooked fishing with minnows.

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Mainly wanting to get an idea of crappie that had signs of being previously hooked and released and hooked again.

You guys should try to find some of the research done on Lake Weiss. They wondered too, and tagged crappie caught and released around 2000. Many of these tagged crappie were caught the next year. I used to be a member when I fished tournaments. Back then got a lot of there info, but don't have it now. Crappie released have a greater survival rate than others as they are easier to remove the hook with limited handling. The scars are typically from the slime coat being disturbed and parasites getting to the area. I have caught crappie with scars present, but very limited. I have caught them with torn lower jaws too. Also caught many with injured or missing eyes. Though, the most important thing to realize is the amount of eggs crappie lay compared to other fish. They lay between 17,000 and 21,000 eggs at the time with a 10% survival rate you are throwing back a fish that could produce around 2000 crappie the first year. Next year, someone catches and filets it or you get 2000 more. In 2 years the first hatch of 2000 or so is laying millions of eggs.

I can't take the poll. The answer I would give isn't an option. But I can say that out of all the fish I have caught in the past 5 years, I can only remember just a handful...Maybe 4 or 5!!!!

This is a link to their site. I just thought of them when reading this poll.
http://www.weisslakeimprovementassociation.org

Viewed this website. Very interesting. The Association has a broad based view on the health of the Weiss Lake Area. Looks like they have their act together. They have a strong focus on the crappie fishery.

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Originally Posted by crappielimits

This is a link to their site. I just thought of them when reading this poll.


http://www.weisslakeimprovementassociation.org

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