Interesting Article in this month's Mississippi Sportsman

They have an article on the initial thoughts concerning the radio tracking study they have been doing on Enid and Sardis. The article mentioned one concern of how many tagged fished ended up going out of the lake through the gate during draw down. The proposed solution by the article was to plant structure in the deep water out from the gate so the crappie would hold on that structure instead of moving close to the gate shaft and being sucked out to the lower lake.

Sorry that I can't link to the full article because it is not posted on the website yet.

I would love to get a look at that article. I'll keep an eye on their site

Don't think that would make any difference at all. It's all about the shad

The problem is with cold weather and the straight long channel slowly moving fish to the dam when water is being drawn. I honestly don't have an answer how to stop it


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2 inch net from dec1 to feb 28. Problem solved

They were on Enid yesterday running around. Looked like they were trying to locate tagged fish.

They were there the day before as well.

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Originally Posted by bird down

2 inch net from dec1 to feb 28. Problem solved

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This was more in my thought process also. The article talks of it happening in January when a cold snap hits. It says the fish seem to go into a stupor, like a thermal shock, and go deeper which causes them to be drawn along the bottom to the outflow. So it seems the fish might not have the ability to hold on structure short of the outflow.

Now maybe the structure would act as a current break which would allow them to hold near the outflow, but a net type idea sounds like a better plan.

Without the escape of the crappie each year the Big 4 would be just like any other lakes in the country , overpopulated and no need for limits or length restriction.
This natural process in part of what makes these lakes what they are.
Been fishing em for 35 years and they all go thru cycles!!

Yeah they been Going they those holes since they was built. Just follow the rules and all will be ok. Double tripping is the biggest problem we got I think........greed!

If it ain't broke don't fix it!!!

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Originally Posted by Rees Guide

Without the escape of the crappie each year the Big 4 would be just like any other lakes in the country , overpopulated and no need for limits or length restriction.
This natural process in part of what makes these lakes what they are.
Been fishing em for 35 years and they all go thru cycles!!

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The only thing that red flagged that view a little is that the concern was coming from the expert. The professor doing the study expressed concern. Of course he could just be concerned he lost his test subjects.

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Originally Posted by Rees Guide

Without the escape of the crappie each year the Big 4 would be just like any other lakes in the country , overpopulated and no need for limits or length restriction.
This natural process in part of what makes these lakes what they are.
Been fishing em for 35 years and they all go thru cycles!!

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So fishing 35 years ago when winter pool was higher was not any better than it is today? I have not been around that long but I have older friends that say the fishing used to be unreal.

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Originally Posted by bird down

So fishing 35 years ago when winter pool was higher was not any better than it is today? I have not been around that long but I have older friends that say the fishing used to be unreal.

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Ask them guys what they call the past 10 months on Sardis compared to 35 years ago. Just curious their response as I would call the last 10 months on Sardis unreal.

I can not speak for the fishing 35 years ago.But i'm sure it was great as have the last ten years.My only worry is pressure,we take fish year round now and i know for a fact that was not the case 35 years ago.But the lakes might can take it,guess we will see.

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Originally Posted by Rees Guide

Without the escape of the crappie each year the Big 4 would be just like any other lakes in the country , overpopulated and no need for limits or length restriction.
This natural process in part of what makes these lakes what they are.
Been fishing em for 35 years and they all go thru cycles!!

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It's not natural as the lakes are man made:)

How many fishermen were crappie fishing Sardis 35 years ago verses the number the last 10 years with the equipment we have today. I would venture to guess it really was fantastic for those folks that knew what they were doing. I really don't know what more we could ask for. If it got any better I couldn't stand it:Rofl:Rofl

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Originally Posted by KDAVID1

It's not natural as the lakes are man made:)

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It is as natural as these lakes can be for them, they are FLOOD control lakes and the go in cycles, have always and will always.

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Originally Posted by Big C

I can not speak for the fishing 35 years ago.But i'm sure it was great as have the last ten years.My only worry is pressure,we take fish year round now and i know for a fact that was not the case 35 years ago.But the lakes might can take it,guess we will see.

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I agree, WAY more year round pressure now but 20 years ago when the spawn was on the numbers came out and by the 100s by the same fisherman a day at times. I have seen stingers 10 feet long that couldnt hold another fish many a time and many a day years ago. Dont see that near as much now due to the price on the fines for over the limit, still happens but not near like it used to.
Time will tell and we will adjust.

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Originally Posted by Handicrappie

Ask them guys what they call the past 10 months on Sardis compared to 35 years ago. Just curious their response as I would call the last 10 months on Sardis unreal.

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I agree the fishing has been unreal. Not sure how many days I could have caught my limit of 50 in a half day with a cane pole though. Things are different now with crappie fishing becoming more popular every day and people coming from all over the country to have there chance at a 3 lber. 236 is not what it was 35 years ago at Sardis either. The lake has silted in quite a bit. A buddy of mine that works for the core told me that the watersheds were made to last 100 years. Not sure what they do after 100 years but it sounds like they knew they were going to silt in.

I think even WB could catch a limit the way it has been:)

Nets sound like a death trap if "current" IS the problem. Floaters instead of flow thru'ers. Maybe not? I only wish we had those problems over here to worry about. "Experts" don't always mean "He who walks with knowledge"........

Hope the radio/GPS studies give some SOLID data to help maintain or improve the MS lakes. Hope some of that EXPERT KNOWLEDGE makes it way EAST soon too

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Originally Posted by bird down

So fishing 35 years ago when winter pool was higher was not any better than it is today? I have not been around that long but I have older friends that say the fishing used to be unreal.

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That was probably before the gov decided they knew more than nature about how to manage the fish population.:deadhorse


FISH ON:fish

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Originally Posted by Handicrappie

Ask them guys what they call the past 10 months on Sardis compared to 35 years ago. Just curious their response as I would call the last 10 months on Sardis unreal.

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Handi, I agree that Sardis has been unreal (from our perspective) since last fall. I have relatives who live at Sardis and they/their friends say the crappie fishing was much better "back then". They talk of catching 50 crappie most anytime they wanted and bigger percentages of 2 pound plus fish. All of them fished with one pole back then, they say.

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Originally Posted by bird down

So fishing 35 years ago when winter pool was higher was not any better than it is today? I have not been around that long but I have older friends that say the fishing used to be unreal.

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You are mistaken about the winter pool being higher years ago, may not have been reached for whatever reason but it has not changed.
Rivergages.com - Historic Hydrograph For

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