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Was at Basspro shops today and noticed a new/different kind of measuring device (kinds of pink in color) that you can drop the crappie into and it measures it and tells according to how long it is how old the fish is. 13inch fish said it was 7-8yrs old. How accurate is this? And I have never heard this mentioned before in dissusion by anyone. Anyone may reply please if you have any knowledge of length= yrs/age of fish. thanks
I saw an ad for it the other day and they said the unit was based on extensive research.
Is that the one with the needle hole built in for various lengths of fish for removing the air from blatters of fish pulled from deep water? Supposed to be opened up wider for large white (thick) crappie to fit into too. Seem it advertised on one of the crappie fishing shows I watched on Youtube.
I don't think it's possible to determine how old a fish is by how long it is. Far too many other variables involved, primarily how much forage is available.
Agreed. Another big factor is the lenght of cold water where the fish is; most southern fish simply grow much faster due to more forage and higher metabilisms? than northern fish sitting under 6-12" of ice 3- 4 months of the yr...read somewhere a 12" crappie in Minnisota is close to 8- 9 yrs old...
What they said on age factor , too many variables over the country.
It was developed by Capps and Coleman.
WAY too many variables involved to determine fish age by length. Growing season, forage, competition etc. can all play huge roles on the growth rate of fish. A 12" crappie in Ga may be 2-3 yrs old where a 12" fish up north could be 8 or 9.
Yep Ronnie developed it and talk a good bit about it at Grizzly Jig.Quote:
Originally Posted by prchjerker
I looked at one at our Coosa River crappie club meeting and it just seemed a little big and cumbersome to me!
Hey and thanks so much for asking about the B'n'M Crappie Saver !!!
The device has several nice bits of info that should be interesting to all crappie fishermen and women and at the same time accurately measure crappie that are from 9 inches to 16.5 inches in length. There will be no problems with the 12 inch fish "not nosing out" as with some of the other checkers which I have used.
The info included on this checker was taken in combination from my personal data as well as the creel data from the most popular tournament lakes which is available from DNR departments. The data was averaged according to length weight ratios and fish age. The weights which we used to log in were based on springtime (pre spawn) weights and so the given weights should be real close to perfect in the spring when fish are typically the most healthy. The weight will generally be a little less in the post spawn period.
In addition to giving the approximate weight and approximate age as relates to fish length the device also guides fishermen to deflate crappie air bladders without mistake. You would simply take the length of the fish and find the corresponding number on the Air Bladder Deflation Guide insert your 18 gauge hypo needle in that spot according to the instructions and the procedure is complete. The fish should be relieved of the pressure which will allow it to swim back down in the water column when released or vertical in your live well.
Any reports good or bad would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Good Fishn !!!
Ronnie Capps
Quote:
Originally Posted by tenncrappie
i read some where that a crappie life on average is 5 t0 6 years ?????
Hi and thanks for asking.
Yes the age/weight/length ratios which are indicated on the B'n'M Slabmaster Crappie Saver were averaged among several of the most well known healthy crappie lakes throughout the southeast. These fish ages were taken by the DNR Departments by counting the rings on the otolis of sample fish. Every DNR Department has a fisheries crew who are professional at acquiring this type data. Every lake has some differences especially in the older fish. It is standard for a healthy lake to grow a 10 inch crappie in 3 years time that will weigh near 15 oz. You can get the specific data for your lake and compare it. I simply took an average of all the crappie tour lakes data which I have personally accumulated over many years of travel and did the best at providing the crappie fisherman with some idea of the biology of the fish which is providing so much fun for all of us to enjoy and protect. Those ages and weights are approximate but very accurate. The length is exactly accurate and the Air Bladder Deflation Guide is exactly accurate. I hope you could enjoy taking advantage of my hard efforts in providing such a device and would hope it would create interest in the knowledge of crappie biology for the future of fishing.
Thanks,
Good Fishn !!!!
Ronnie Capps
Actually, seems to be a handy device, and will agree the bladder "deflation" set up could save many crappies caught from deeper waters, as opposed to having to keep them, since fish rapidly "decompressed" can`t adjust fast enough to suvive; kind of the "bends" that divers suffer, in reverse. Will have to check them out, sir..
Thanks for considering the Crappie Saver !! It has a huge amount of effort in it for providing useful data to the fisherman and also a lifesaving guide unlike no other. It has taken us over 2 years to make it available and many more years of data collection to make it as accurate as possible.
Thanks,
Good Fishn !!!
Ronnie Capps
It is crazy expensive to boot, its twice the amount of money as the regular frabil crappie measurer
Great !!
Sounds like the frabil is the one for you.
Good Fishn !
Ronnie Capps
Ronnie, great product for sure, I think that most people outside of fish biology don't really realize how long it takes a crappie to grow and the lifespan of a crappie. Most people think they are very rapid growing fish, and when they catch small ones , I hear them refered to as dinks or stunted, when in fact these are just juvenile fish that haven't had the chance to grow. I know a lot of research has gone into these units and the information is factly correct, even at a higher cost the info and quality are far better than Frabils and as it says you won't have to buy another. Now if I can just catch 7 that won't fit into it!!!! :-)
Man thanks so much for the thumbs up !! If you could get 7 that would not fit in this checker in one day, you will surely be at the top of this great sport for sure. I hope you get there !!
Good Fishn!!
Ronnie Capps
I got one for Christmas and you don't have any problems getting them in there. The length to weight ratio is a little off by the fish that I have checked here on Tennessee River. It makes a good conversation piece when I pull it out (a little pink though). All in all a good piece off tackle to add to the boat.
Just want to say I sincerely thank you for the report. The weights could be off by a tiny bit but still it will give you some idea of the fish you are dealing with.Thanks Thanks Thanks !!!
Good Fishn !!
Ronnie Capps
I agree with you completely.Quote:
Originally Posted by TN Hillbilly
Hey there,
Just to make myself a little more clear regarding the B'n'M Slabmaster Crappie Saver or "checker" and to answer your questions.......... Yes, There is certainly a defined way to gather exact age data from fish in any given lake or even your pond. It is by use of the otolith or (ear bone) in all bony fish. This data is then correlated with the length of the fish in the particular lake of concern. What I actually did was to gather age/length/weight ratio data from prespawn/spawn fish on all those popular tournament lakes and then I averaged it. This is the best that could be done for approximately estimating the age and weights as relates to length. Hope you enjoy using it. It will be surprisingly accurate for prespawn/spawning black and white crappie.
To give you some idea of how much data could be learned from an otolith....... I remember looking at salmon otoliths and it was easy to tell the age of the fish by counting rings similar to that of the growth rings in a cross section of timber. There was also evidence of the switch from saltwater to freshwater and the huge switch in water temperature when the fish traveled or migrated to spawning areas in the inland rivers. What an awesome record of life ! I have a degree in Wildlife & Fisheries Biology from Murray State University and had many days of interesting learning looking at my favorite game fish as well. To learn more about crappie age data go to your local DNR and request the data and they will be glad to provide what they have collected. If I could help in any other way just hit me up. If you like crappie fishing your a friend of mine.
Thanks,
Good Fishn !!
Ronnie Capps