Heard the Game & Fish just finished their winter survey on the COE lakes. Told to be the worst numbers they have ever gotten. Talk about some restrictions on poles and limits. Also mentioned a possible crappie season. Don't forget I said grapevine.
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Heard the Game & Fish just finished their winter survey on the COE lakes. Told to be the worst numbers they have ever gotten. Talk about some restrictions on poles and limits. Also mentioned a possible crappie season. Don't forget I said grapevine.
2014 for me was way down at Sardis and Enid so I believe that is what was going to happen. I have pointed out on here many times the meat fishing mindset of Crappie fisherman was going to hurt the numbers. Limit at Sardis needs to go back to 12. The limit needs to be like 10 with 20 per boat at the COE lakes. People come to those lakes to fish, not fill their freezer. Crappie fishing is becoming like Bass Fishing was at the first explosion of it. You have to start practicing Catch and Release and get the limits down to sustainable range. There are way more people Crappie fishing than ever before.
What did they expect when they lowered the length limit.
Only real answer is everyone stay away from Sardis and I'll do some hands on from March thru May. And provide a more thorough detailed analysis of the situation. Stay tuned!
There are other problems as well, but I won't elaborate on them.
I bet most of the folks that "Fill the Freezer" have 3 year old fillets in their freezers. Most guys just want the pics and don't give a hoot about putting em back. They think it makes em look like great fishermen to show em off Over and Over again. JMHO
Perhaps if fishing wasn't such a costly hobby more would be willing to toss a few back. Drive 75 miles, gas, cost boat, insurance, etc. etc. and it gets a little hard mentally to throw them back. Plus most don't have every day to fish to begin with and today might be good tomorrow skunked. I think this leads to most fishermen being selfish. Simple as that. Its an ego thing also. And I'm in that same category so I'm not calling the kettle black. Personally, IF I was retired and could fish all the time and near a lake, I might not keep but a few for dinner. I've always said its way cheaper to buy fish, steak or whatever than to fish for them. And I know you can't buy crappie.
Lots of guys travel all over the country crappie fishing with their 60k truck pulling their 80k boat, and staying in 100.00+ a night motel rooms. I seriously doubt they need to "Fill the Freezer"!!!Quote:
Originally Posted by 27458
The Real working guys can't go enough to do the damage to the fisheries that I was referring to. Like I've always said, "If you need em, Eat em", but lots of guys show off their fish all year long. They don't NEED em that bad.
I hope the game and fish do whatever they need to, to keep these lakes producing great fishing trips. I love to crappie fish anyway possible and love catching even more. However, my family doesn't let fish go to waste, last year I cooked just under 80lb's of fillets and yesterday I checked and I've got one 2lb package left that I caught last August. Thanks Mississippi Game and Fish for doing a great job managing crappie.
If you need em, eat em!!!!! You are the exception, NOT the rule, even tho most will state the same as you about how many they Need.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mac Daddy
Frankly I fish to eat fish, if I wanted to catch and release then I would bass fish, dont like to eat them. With that said I rotate fish in the freezer and just about empty it by the end of spring, keep most of mine during the summer months now.
I dont have a problem with the regs but it does sound like someone needs to sit in on a meeting in Jackson, will call Tuesday and find out when the next one is.
Hesh up Gewber. We threw back tons of fish this weekend, PLUS, we used the ones we kept to help someone that couldn't go catch their own. That's different IMO.Quote:
Originally Posted by Rees Guide
Here's a question. In AR they raise tons of trout to stock the rivers. Why nothing like that for crappie lakes? I would think the primary purpose is solely economic to draw people in to spend $$$.
I agree, I dont waste any, always someone older or that cant go that will enjoy them.Quote:
Originally Posted by BigRiverMarine
I checked and I've got one 2lb package left that I caught last August.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mac Daddy
I'll keep my catch in the freezer for up to 6 months for a family fish fry. I'd be afraid of fish keep in a freezer for 18 months.
My freezer is void of crappie. Whether or not MS FISH AND GAME makes changes it seems like the problem is fixing itself to some degree. In 2013 crankin season at Sardis the ramps were very busy as the fishing was very good. On the trips in 2014 we went on, there very few rigs on the lake during crankin season and very few crappie in my box anyways. Jmho
I've eaten fish from the freezer that were four years old. It's all in how you handle and and freeze them from the moment they come off the hook.Quote:
Originally Posted by canebreaker
I keep all my fish, but my freezer is never real full. I give most of mine to people that are not able to fish are do not have a boat. I probably keep 20% of what I catch. This not only applies to fishing I try to share with the needy in all aspects of life and I receive the blessing in helping out.
Maybe I don't understand what your saying. But the August I'm referencing was 5 months ago. Fish don't last 18 mos at our house. However, we vacuum seal ours now and they say they last longer that way but I couldn't say never kept any for even a year that I recall. Even though they may not taste as fresh I don't think they could possibly spoil or be harmful to eat 18 mos or even longer if frozen. Just my opinion though.Quote:
Originally Posted by canebreaker
They raise crappie and also release then in various lakes. That information is public. If you wanted to know more D10 is with the game and fish and he can hook you up with all that info.Quote:
Originally Posted by 27458
Really does not matter if you use them, give them away to deserving folks or waste them. If that many keep coming out of those lakes to where the harvestable population decreases due to the shear number of people fishing for them, they won't be there. Fish are a shared resource. There has to be a number that is a sustainable harvest. Once that is established, the formula needs to include the increase of Crappie fishing pressure throughout the year. So if 5 times as many people are fishing at these lakes than there was 5 years ago, the limits need to take that into account and be 4 or 5 times less than the number was then.
I know I am stepping on some toes, but history has shown again and again these resources of Fish and Game are not unlimited. AS more and more people Bass Fish, or Deer Hunt, or Duck Hunt there had to be awareness by the sportsman and then alot of hard work to get those populations back up. Adjustments in attitude were part of that success in each of those cases. I think Crappie Fishing is at that juncture now.
If I caught them in August they would be 5 months old. If I caught them last August they would be 18 months old. Just my old time schooling.
I can't remember if there was a limit when we were kids. Better bring a few blocks of ice and covers from home to cover the wash tubs cause no one sold ice. I do remember a 100 per day limit, no size. A 50 per day, no size.
That Sounds just about right there. 10 and 20. I would SO LOVE for them to do that on Barnett. say 20 and 40 with a 10" min. Makes me Sick seeing so many 7-9" fish being kept on Barnett but the boat load.Quote:
Originally Posted by BulldogBruce
limit is 15 state wide in TN and there is a 10" limit on size.
I eat all the fish I put in the freezer each year. I knew after the spawn was over last year we were in for a down turn this next year. The 12 inch slot did not help Grenada or Enid, they had bad years there last year according to the locals I know. We had many people coming to Sardis to catch a mess of fish from Enid and Sardis. Limits were carried out of Sardis in record numbers last year and the year before that. Maybe we will have a very high water spring and the fish will have a good spawn and we can return to those thrilling days of yesteryear.
One solution, which is never gonna happen, is that MDWFP presses the COE to maintain higher water levels in the spring to improve the spawning habitat...say 3 ft. or more higher. Low water levels in the spring have been death to these lakes in recent years....they are being seined because these fish have nowhere to go and are hemmed in. Jmho.
Well DH we know that's not going to happen. The COE will be the first to tell you that the Big 4 weren't built for recreation.
Spoke with Mr GJ at Enid the other day. He said although all the locals want to blame the out of staters for loading up the freezers, the problem lies with locals coming in on 4 wheelers and catching double, triple plus limits in one day. I'm sure this isn't just 4 wheelers but probably includes guys coming in from areas around the lakes that don't have to go back out of a boat ramp.
With that being said there aren't enough officers to patrol this kind of behavior. We have to help law enforcement catch these guys as I don't consider them Sportsmen. I want to make sure my kids and Grandkids are able to enjoy this great sport for years to come.
I do have a few questions to help me understand how we can possibly resolve this issue short and long term.
1. How many eggs does an average female crappie lay?
2. How many of those make it to year one, two and three?
3. How many years does it take for a crappie to reach 12 inches?
4. Are other major lakes in MS such as Washington, Ross Barnett and Pickwick experiencing this same problem?
5. What about the major lakes in surrounding states such as LA, AR,TN and aAL?
The answer to this problem could be closer than we think.
Thanks in advance for your answers. BTW, I primarily fish Grenada and Enid and 2014 was a bad year as far as the numbers go but I did catch some good quality fish.
I dont think the spawn on nader last yr was as bad a folks want to believe, i was catching bigggg spawing crappie befor the water level jumped up, after the jump, i moved in shallow and wasnt catching the quality or quanity of fish as before the jump. I descided to go back out to where i had caught them befor the water jumped and was rite back on big fish and big numbers, i thing the fish had already bedded up and when the water jumped the fish just held tight to their beds, the fish up shallow were not nearly as big as the fish i caught. When i first started catching them the water i was in was 3 to 4 ft deep, when i went back to them the water was 7 to 8 ft deep. They were in the exact same spots, just more water over their heads, and they were just as mean.
Sardis numbers are due to going from 10" to 12". Made for couple bad years and when the fish population and size caught up made for a good couple years especially with the 11" put in place. Sardis has had good spawns since the year of the drought. It's pressure that's it. I say 2 poles each with 1 bait each. 12" size. 8 fish per angler. That will feed a family of 4. That's a good daily limit for supper. If people want more fish take your whole family and enjoy the day together that's what fishing is about not all these tournaments and 20-60k boats so people can look pretty with check in there hand. It has become commercialized. And that brings pressure money money money. Everybody wants it and something has to suffer.
I know nothing of these bad years and good years...I have been fishing and hunting sardis for over 25 years (never crappie fished until last spring) IM HOOKED! I had three trips to sardis last spring late march, early april....first trip caught 24 with three people in the boat and I thought that was AWESOME! next two trips 2 people caught 9 and the next trip with 3 people caught 12. If i can have that much success I will be very very happy with that. I know those are not limits but to me those trips were AWESOME!
Seems to me what I felt like were great trips are not so good numbers to majority out there.....do those numbers sound like "tough" days for spring sardis for the majority of people? or are those good days? just curious as I have no clue what most would consider a good or bad day in march and april on sardis numbers wise
You can't measure a Good Day by how many you catch. It's about having a good time. If you had a good time (and it sounds like you did), it was a Good Day!!! [emoji4]Quote:
Originally Posted by tigerinfielder3
I personally would not want to clean a limit every time. I like throwing 20 filets in the freezer, or if i'm real low, I will keep a limit (when I can get on em). there are supermarkets, so no one is going to starve not keeping 20 fish per trip. Ive seen some coolers overflowing with fish. No need to keep 50 fish, thats just a gamehog in my opinion.
If we are so concerned about these numbers, set your own limit. Only bring in 8 fish, take pics of the others and release them and post a thread. I will applaud you. Don't wait for game and fish to make rules to fix things. If Fisherman A is keeping a limit of 20 and you keep 8 fish, that is 28 instead of 40 fish coming out that day. If that happens 100 times, thats 1600 extra fish that don't get harvested. I will volunteer to start this. Will post pics of my stringer leaving the lake and fish that get released. Lot of talk always goes on around here. Take steps to protect your fishery.
Well said MO
I agree...thats why i said I thought it was awesome and we were several fish short of a limit every time, that being said.....on a good year during the spring spawn when the hot is bite do a lot of people typically limit out? I ask because so many people are complaining about the quality of fishing and I thought it was great....just wondering as i am a newbie to sardis crappie fishing...(after spending many years with a camp just a couple miles from hurricane landing I wonder what has taken me so long to start at these crappie!)Quote:
Originally Posted by BigRiverMarine
Crappie will reproduce multiply very quickly but it does make me sick to see how many people break the law. Bottom line if you can't be satisfied with a limit of crappie you are just plain greedy. I just wish there were more wardens to check at the boat launches during Spring. I also wish there were known spawning areas on each lake that were no fishing zones during Srping. That would at least ensure a good hatch would happen.
I like the idea of no fishing zones during spawn.
In the spring, during the spawn, with good conditions and a hot bite, many individuals DO limit out. Not everyone, by and stretch of the imagination, but limits are not rare in a good year.....Quote:
Originally Posted by tigerinfielder3
In about 50 trips to Grenada and Enid last year, my partner and I limited 3 times. Much more common was a 10-20 fish day (for two of us). I dont remember getting skunked last year, but I do remember a couple of 1 or 2 fish days......
I don't know who would complain about quality of fish at Sardis the last 2 years. I have fished sardis for about 15 years now and the last 2 have been the best by far in that span.
Your rationale doesn't hold water. A female caught with eggs during spawn or in the fall/summer or whenever is one less female to lay eggs. What ensures a good hatch is to put water in the darn lakes.Quote:
Originally Posted by macpappy
Yep a dead female crappie is a dead crappie no matter when she's caught. BEEN FISHING GRENADA FOR OVER 30 YEARS, GOOD YEARS AND BAD YEARS, ITS A CYCLE. We ask for change and we got it at Sardis a couple of years ago, whether or not it effected the slowness at Sardis now or not but it could have. (I say we cause the sportsman that spoke out were listened to, the ones of us that didnt speak out have no need to fuss, kinda like an election.)
Lake pressure is low when the fishing aint good, nature of the beast and gonna be hi when the fishing is good.
As far as wardens at the ramps, well most law breakers aint coming back to no ramps, some by not many!!!