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I pose a question to everyone. Im interested to here input. While fishing the other day i wondered... With the advance of depth/fish finders being able to distinctly show all fishermen even the slightest cover under water in great detail, wonder if its hurting the fish population? I believe yes! Those who didnt fair well on the water in the past are now cleaning house, due to these technological advances. So are new size limits needed? I believe yes. So whats your 2 cents?
I believe the dnr will most likely impose slot limits, within the next few years. For example, 9 to 11 inch crappie would be allowed to be harvested and the rest must be catch and release. ??? Or even during certain months the size restrictions change or daily limits. Im not saying thats what it needs to be thats just an example. Any thoughts?
While agree in general, please keep in mind that likely any new size slots probabily won`t be state wide, as with the current 9" size limits. And that there will ALWAYS be the dubious FEW whom feel "I paid my $19 bucks, and I`ll (but don`t anyone else) keep whatever I WANT to...". Many factors affect crappie and other species` populations. Several lakes just seem to churn out masses of smaller fish out, with few "keepers', while others have fewer but generally bigger fish. most vary from the more of the former to fewer of the latter. To have a great crappie fishery, a proportional amount of them must survive at least 6 yrs in Ohio waters to get 11", and of their #`s the older any fish gets, the fewer of it`s year class are still among them; most just don`t naturally live into their 8th or 9th yr. Still, a good idea...
I have seen more dead crappie floating around of late than I care to. Everyone of them had issues with their mouth, and I think they were hook induced. Catch and release may not be all that people think it is... I sure don't know percentages, etc., but I have seen a lot of dead crappie lately which appear to have been caught and released. Several bass as well, but more crappie than bass this past week to be sure. I have no answers, just injecting this as a factor into the discussion.Quote:
Originally Posted by Scott17b
Fish finders, aka side and downside imaging are great tools for fishing. They find the fish and the structure. However, it is up to the fishermen, to catch the fish. To figure, how they will bite and what to use. Some fishermen buy the hi-tech ff, can't figure out how to use them, and then put them up for sale. Do they work, yes. Do I have a ff, yes. Hi-tech, no. Can't afford them right now. In fact, in spring and fall, I really don't need one. I can look at a bank, with laydowns and pretty much figure if there will be crappie or bass there. I don't believe new size limits are needed right now. They were just changed this past year. We need to give them a chance to work and evaluate them.
Bassky
I agree, seen lots of floating crappie at RF and EF this past weekend. The crappie that swallows it and is below 9 inches is probably going to die unless you cut your hook or jig.Quote:
Originally Posted by Lou
You are so correct!!! Not many crappie last more then a month or so being top mouthed hooked, hook them in the paper side and its the kiss of death. How many healthy 10+ crappie do you catch that show signs of being hooked year before??? I dont recall ever catching any. Here is a thought on this subject, how many fish would be saved if ODNR just had a 30 fish limit with no size limit? The mortality of hooked and released crappie would be lower. For the record, I keep crappie that are 10in and up so Im not a guy that keeps anything in the boat but I know alot of crappie lakes that guys would keep 8in crappie and leave with 30 instead of hooking n releasing them adding to mortality rate.Quote:
Originally Posted by Lou
Higher size limits aren't the answer. CC has had a 9" size limit for years--and the fishing is still tough for most people. Cowan doesn't have a size limit, and there are so many crappie below 9" that it's ridiculous--but it's not the fishing pressure that causes it.
It's a complex equation that differs in each lake. Forage is primary, particularly the timing (i.e., right size forage coming on at just the right time for crappie feeding) and recruitment critical (i.e., flood control lakes can have really bad years). Cover is important, but mostly to fisherman as it concentrates the fish. For crappie, it's primarily important when they're small and subject to predation. Anyway, I don't think a higher size limit will do the trick. Habitat and environment are far more important.
I don't really think the advance in electronics (especially if you're talking SI/DI) is really going to make that much difference to Joe average. Yeah it will make a pretty picture but if a person was really all that interested in learning a lake, the type of electronics won't matter that much one way or another. I purchased an HDS unit this year and my wife asked if will help me catch more fish, I told her probably not but I'll look better trying. I like my little Garmin e-trex way better than the lowrance GPS, at least so far I do. I still have some learning to do though.
Electronics have come along way but it takes desire to scan large sections of a lake looking for structure. Some of my spots I fish now, I found with an old flasher 20 or 25 years ago. I didn't know exactly what was that I had found but it really didn't matter what it was. I just knew something was there and it held fish.
It's probably easier to just plant some of your own condos than to hunt for someone elses.
I think the most important thing is as you gain expierence you have to excersise some self control. Last year I actually did notice quite a few fish with hook hole from previously being caught.
Will all the fish survive? No of course not, but I believe a good percentage will.
I do think size and quantity limits help a lake. Just go fish some of the southern lakes that have size limits and quantity limits. It's not just the longer growing season that helps these lakes.
I personnaly feel these lakes could use huge amounts of cover added to them to improve the fishing. With the very limited amount of useage I have with my SI it became clear that huge portions of these lakes are simply devoid of any cover. I think that is why any cover becomes so important.
I did probably catch a 1000 eight inchers out of EF last year and I would assume most of those survived after they were returned. I do know i used to keep any fish that I didn't think would make it if returned before the limits were in place.
wouldnt be fair to shore fisherman, this idea smells!
I'd be more in favor of dropping the 9in size limit & just making it a so many per person......its a shame to gill hook an 8 3/4in crappie and have to throw it back knowing its gonna die any how..... FISHEDOUT makes some good points.....I also agree with whom ever said leave it alone and give it time to see if our current system is gonna work........I think magazines, forums and the web do more to make people more proficient crappie fisherman than SI or structure scan does.......
Alot of good points! I understand the dead crappie floating just this weekend i saw 3 crappie at two different lakes over 13 1/2 inches each dead floating! After inspection looked to me they were all hooked deep in the throat.
Im sure the dnr is monitoring all the species and size limits on our waters. I just wanted to put this out there for discussion.
The guys filling coolers dont have $800+ electronics(beards maybe...LOL). Lower the bag limits, do away with the size limits.
I know it would stir all kinds of heck, but 10-15 crappie a day is a reasonable harvest. If your gonna have a fish fry, go a couple extra times, no sense in draining the lake in one day.
The slot limit would be the perfect senario(along with a lowered bag limit), but i consider that unlikely at best for crappie/panfish, at least in this region. All the ideas above only work with enforcement.
Alot more dead crappie this year than i remember, spawning rigors/ick have killed all that ive found.
HB
I recall hearing people saying that the Crappie really looked emaciated last fall.... Just a bad year for forage I guess, that or the heat was so bad that they hunted less?Quote:
Originally Posted by fished-out
Exactly, and I would suggest that that is responsible fishing. If it's going to die anyway, you ought to be able to keep it. There are always those who would cheat, they would do additional harm to the fish after catching it to justify keeping a fish that should have been released, but if not that, they will do something else to keep fish they ought not regardless of the regulations.Quote:
Originally Posted by AEFISHING
Enforcement is not even the answer, the real answer is to bring back personal integrity, and values... I know that's all politically incorrect, but it's morally correct and necessary for an orderly society. Policing must begin with one's self to really be effective! It has been a bad spawn year, I always thought Ick was just a tropical fish issue, thanks for that information, it's good to know cold water fish get it too.Quote:
Originally Posted by Hillbilly910
Dead on! I had SSI last year and did nothing to speak of, read and read over the winter, and now I am catching some fish, should improve every year for some time I'm sure too. I have all new gear, and a lot of it high end, but what makes the difference is experience, I get that largely from others, reading their articles and posts. While my new stuff grows old I think it will be catching more as I mature as a fisherman. It's not the toys, it's the experience behind them IME!Quote:
Originally Posted by jeepguyjames
I agree with that. I think the only people who can afford all these new fangled contraptions is a bunch of old farts who don't have a life:eek: or maybe some lucky young guys with a rich wifeThumbs Up. If your bithday falls after 1980 you are the latter.RoflQuote:
Originally Posted by jeepguyjames
No comment James please:D
ok pa-paw I will be good......:DQuote:
Originally Posted by crappiemax
also, the guys at odnr dont do a good job at enforcing the law. ive seen jerks get away with 5"-6" crappie. hate to see THEM get caught.
and it is hard enough to catch 8"-9" inch fish around here, so what are WE gonna do when they say our fish have to be 14"?
i have always thought it would be a good idea to allow 1 or maybe 2 fish under the size limit just to keep fish that look like they are goin to die from being put back. for every species of fish. like at pymatuning lets say instead of 6 walleye at 15 inches 5 at 15 inches and 1 under. just an idea although i doubt it will ever happen
good suggestion also...Quote:
Originally Posted by wisheniwasfishen
I would laugh if someone showed that they were keeping a 5-6 inch dink. And truely its better for the lakes if they take the ones that are not breeders and likely to be bass fodder.Quote:
Originally Posted by jonny177
The one reason I heard for not allowing this is to keep people from intentionally injurng fish just to help fill their limit.Quote:
Originally Posted by wisheniwasfishen
I don't know if it really matters much as far as size limits are concerned. Here in Michigan there are no size limits on crappie and there are plenty of good to slab size crappies around the state. Sure there are a few lakes that have an unusually large number of dinks, but in general, it is not to difficult to catch 9 inch crappies in just about every lake that has crappies in it. We do have a 25 fish limit, which I believe helps as much, or more, then a size limit. As far as the electronics go, they are only as good as the guy using it. I have never used electronics of any sort. Not even a motor. I am, and have always been a canoe/kayak fisherman and am pretty confident that I can match most anglers fish for fish. Of course I use lake maps, and local information, but that is it, so I don't know that the electronics matters a whole lot for the most part.
Interesting point to be made here; the best breeders are NOT the biggest fish in the population, because they're also the oldest fish, coming to end of life cycle, and not the most successful at it (kinda like old guys like me and Yates :) ). Sorry Larry, I just said it before the whipper-snappers could.....Quote:
Originally Posted by das speck hunter
you forgot C-MAX......you, Yates & C-max......sounds like the cast for a cialis commerical Rofl.........Quote:
Originally Posted by fished-out
Cialis?.....I'd get alot more use out of a new fishing rod
RoflQuote:
Originally Posted by crappiemax
that would not of been as funny to me 5 years ago.lmffao!!!that is hilariousQuote:
Originally Posted by crappiemax
cialis hell more like geritol!!!!or potassium or calcium or testosterone pills!!!Quote:
Originally Posted by jeepguyjames
I will dot your eye...Quote:
Originally Posted by Tbone72
Quote:
Originally Posted by jeepguyjames
:p.......hey dont dot T-BONES eye, he may call 241-kids on you and report you for child abuse.....Quote:
Originally Posted by Yates
now that funnyQuote:
Originally Posted by jeepguyjames