Culling / Catch and release

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03-09-2013, 10:33 AM
JigginPoleJoe

Culling / Catch and release

MAYBE folks won't get their feelings hurt and rage out in this one...

How do y'all feel about culling?

There is an ole'... Well, lets just say this guy that fishes Conway's cove in the fall, Clyde I believe is his name.
It seems every time I ask "What's Happenin ?" His reply is "Oh I've had my limit for some time, I'm just hogging now!"
I assume he is culling?

When fishing deeper water I use a 1/8th oz jig head, if you catch a 6" crappie quite often that big ole hook is right through the eye ball. When I catch a fish and it appears to be injured ill keep it. No matter the size it goes against my limit.

I hate to see a waste..
03-09-2013, 10:50 AM
Buckrub

Small crappie have always tasted just like crappie to me.

Plus, I REALLY like corn meal.

I hold 'em up and see right off if I can get any fillet meat off of it. If the answer is "Yes", then it goes in the livewell. If the answer is "no", it goes back in the lake. Apparently there is an unlimited supply in every lake on Earth, best I can tell. I see tons of Hogs come out of Lake Whatever every day on here and yet there are always more the next day, next month, etc. Sort of like South Carolina deer!! :)

But I'm not necessarily against culling, if big ones is what you want.
03-09-2013, 10:53 AM
luvpt

The females are slap full of eggs right now. It makes sense to cull all the very large females to #1) keep their "big fish" DNA in the gene pool; #2) renew the resourse. There is no point whatsoever right now to keep a big sow unless you just have to have it mounted. The "eaters" make better fillets anyway..... Do our sport a favor and release those big mammas after you've had the thrill of catchin' em and then be able to keep this resourse renewed for both us and our children on down the trail.
03-09-2013, 11:07 AM
Buckrub

Hmmmmm.

Weirdest thought just went through my head..........I wonder if wimmin fish ever go through menopause and don't have any more eggs?
03-09-2013, 12:16 PM
Gomer Snerd

Quote:

Originally Posted by Buckrub

Hmmmmm.

Weirdest thought just went through my head..........I wonder if wimmin fish ever go through menopause and don't have any more eggs?

Why do you think they call it minnow pause?
03-09-2013, 12:34 PM
jackie53

Where we fish most of the time the limit on crappie is 20 per person not boat no length limit"don't need to be).If fish by myself (hardly ever) we keep 19 "if we can catch 19" in the livewell or cooler over 10" in case we hook one deep.Then cull one from the livewell or cooler(alive) still have 19 and one to go.Have worked with our local Green Jeans not to mention the former head of game and fish fishes with us or in the same area.If they ever catch ya over you are marked and they will check ya every time.The Game and fish folks work hard trying to manage our fisheries the least I can do is Honor their LIMITS.We have great crappie fishing if you don,t believe look at the top crappie fisheries in the nation arkansas is only 2nd to our brothers across the mississippi.The reason Mississippi has great hunting and fishing you read their forums they Work AT IT and take care of their fish and wildlife.
03-09-2013, 01:39 PM
Buckrub

I always wondered how they'd check for bream. I mean........I can't imagine them counting to 50 on a hot day.......

And besides, the crappie limit should be 30 with a 10" minimum statewide. NO REASON for the 20/30 deal.
03-09-2013, 01:47 PM
jackie53

We have had them (green jeans) get in my boat and check our fish "count" one time on Dardanelle in the mouth of piney bay!!! Have had them pull their boat over a shoal(get out of their boat and pull with waders on) and count our fish(take them out of the livewell) and count to see if we had over the limit which we did not!!!!
03-09-2013, 01:48 PM
jackie53

20/30/50 deal
03-09-2013, 03:17 PM
rtark

I have no problem with catch and release. I usually only keep enough (10-12) for a couple meals for my wife and me then I catch and release the rest of the day. If one gets hooked deep I will release him in hot grease. And, I do like to take a picture of those big fat sows and turn them back in the water, its a pretty site to see.
03-09-2013, 03:47 PM
Slabyanker

One day last year I caught 44 and only put 22 in the live well. I try to keep them about 10"s and up. Normally don't catch enough to have to cull anyways. And like Rtark said, if one is hooked badly I keep it. I would like to have to have the problem of culling 10" fish though. As long as the fish are lively when their culled I don't see anything wrong with it.
03-09-2013, 03:50 PM
jackie53

Norfork 10 in min length and limit of 15 crappie!!!!
03-09-2013, 03:50 PM
olduckhunter

there's nothing better than the eggs out of bass, bream and crappie.
03-09-2013, 03:54 PM
jackie53

there's nothing better than the eggs out of bass, bream and crappie with pieces of bacon mixed in!!!!
03-09-2013, 05:28 PM
boots

Quote:

Originally Posted by rtark

i have no problem with catch and release. I usually only keep enough (10-12) for a couple meals for my wife and me then i catch and release the rest of the day. If one gets hooked deep i will release him in hot grease. And, i do like to take a picture of those big fat sows and turn them back in the water, its a pretty site to see.

x2
03-09-2013, 10:03 PM
Conwayslabber

I wish I could have the problem of catching enough fish to cull. I usually end up with under my limit cause I throw them back as I go. If I can't fillet it and get a decent portion of meat, its going back in the water. No sense in adding more stress to the fish, especially when all I got is an ice chest.
03-09-2013, 10:04 PM
hoxiedog

I was told growing up that you had to keep crappie thined out or they would overpopulate any body of water...and I've seen lakes with heavy fishing pressure produce a lot of big crappie...besides culling a wounded crappie is not wasted...turtles and other critters love it...just look at Lake Charles, if it wasn't for all that fishing pressure we would not have those 7 and 8 inch slabs...
03-09-2013, 11:25 PM
Cmj

Culling / Catch and release

I always start out keeping anything over 10" in case I have a slow day. If it turns out to be a good bite, I get real selective on what I keep and leave if/when I get a limit.

C.J.
03-10-2013, 06:46 AM
jackie53

We fish because we love to fish.with the price of gas,lure's,equipment.I am all about catch and release did it for 20 or more years bass fishing and guided trout fishing.Crappie fishing We feel like we can keep a few to eat release the rest and be able to take some home to feed our family and get something from the adventure of crappie fishing.Bream fishing and catfishing the same way you can take these fish out and not hurt the population.Thats our two cents for what it is worth!!!!
03-10-2013, 07:58 AM
NIMROD

Quote:

Originally Posted by jackie53

Norfork 10 in min length and limit of 15 crappie!!!!

Bullshoals too!
03-10-2013, 08:04 AM
NIMROD

During cold weather we stop at 19 and cull if we catch a good one sometimes. When it gets hot we use an ice chest and then culling is not possiable. Culling not needed near as much when you set a minimum even when there is not one where you fish. If it were not for giving family and friends fish and fish fries for the gang , I could get by keeping 3 or 4 Crappie most times if any.
03-10-2013, 08:14 AM
NIMROD

Quote:

Originally Posted by Buckrub

I always wondered how they'd check for bream. I mean........I can't imagine them counting to 50 on a hot day.......

And besides, the crappie limit should be 30 with a 10" minimum statewide. NO REASON for the 20/30 deal.

There are reasons for that, some places have more fish , less pressure. Why do we need more than 20? I usually can dress a limit and have a fish fry for the camp (4 to 10 ) folks usually. If the commission took time to adjust limits for every lake it would be a pain just to write the book. Some lakes really need a 10'' length where others don't. They tried it on Nimrod Lake and then shelfed the idea. They did'nt do much to enforce and it did not work . We are one of the few lakes that produce too many small Crappie most year classes.
03-10-2013, 08:29 AM
jackie53

Bull shoals and Norfork have had length limits(Crappie 10"- limit of 15)(kentucky and smallmouth bass) before other lakes in Arkansas.Bull shoals started the fish cover project back in ti late 70's early 80's by some local bass clubs and the Game and fish.Awsome fishery!!! Should have been on the list for some of the best crappie fishing lakes. Unreal walleye,Smallmouth,kentucky,spotted bass,not to mention the largemouth fishing that the BASS Elite found out last spring and returnng this spring. Home of several state records!!!
03-10-2013, 08:32 AM
NIMROD

Quote:

Originally Posted by jackie53

Bull shoals and Norfork have had length limits(Crappie 10"- limit of 15)(kentucky and smallmouth bass) before other lakes in Arkansas.Bull shoals started the fish cover project back in ti late 70's early 80's by some local bass clubs and the Game and fish.Awsome fishery!!! Should have been on the list for some of the best crappie fishing lakes. Unreal walleye,Smallmouth,kentucky,spotted bass,not to mention the largemouth fishing that the BASS Elite found out last spring and returnng this spring. Home of several state records!!!

I thought that was same fish?
03-10-2013, 08:37 AM
jackie53

kentucky,spotted bass.Yes it is.Miss placed the comma!!!! and I believe a 7 lber out of bull is still the current state record.Nothing to catch a 4 lber up their just another( spotted bass/Kentucky).
03-10-2013, 01:18 PM
Cmj

Culling / Catch and release

They just did a study on lake Conway to see if a 9" minimum length limit would be beneficial. I think this has something to do with the decline of mature fish(3.5-6yr) since the draw-down, if I read the report right? Im not sure how this will help, there doesnt really seem to be a shortage of small(or large) fish in Conway. Either way, I dont think I will ever take a fish out of the livewell once I put him in, except to filet him! If he doesn't meet my standards, I throw him back unless he is hooked bad.

C.J.
03-10-2013, 02:08 PM
BigRiverMarine

Culling / Catch and release

Quote:

Originally Posted by luvpt

The females are slap full of eggs right now. It makes sense to cull all the very large females to #1) keep their "big fish" DNA in the gene pool; #2) renew the resourse. There is no point whatsoever right now to keep a big sow unless you just have to have it mounted. The "eaters" make better fillets anyway..... Do our sport a favor and release those big mammas after you've had the thrill of catchin' em and then be able to keep this resourse renewed for both us and our children on down the trail.

X2. Threw ALL of our fish back yesterday, big and small. Didn't need em, so why kill em!!! If you need em, eat em, but if ya don't, why NOT chunk em back? JMHO

Big River Marine
Bill Burnett
870-635-0202

We sell XPRESS, EXCEL, and ALWELD Boats. Yamaha, Suzuki, Evinrude, Mud Buddy, and Tohatsu/Nissan Engines.
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Member, Tri-State Crappie Anglers
03-10-2013, 03:12 PM
dblevens

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gomer Snerd

Why do you think they call it minnow pause?

OMG I gotta go pee.
03-10-2013, 04:22 PM
JeremyDale

Culling / Catch and release

As long as the fish I put back in the water will survive I'll continue to cull. If I get on fish that good I'm not leaving cause I hit 20 ill catch and release and if its big enough ill toss it in the live well and pardon a smaller fish.