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I guided crappie fishermen on KY Lake for a decade. We all created our own hotspots. Here's some insights:
Not one guide I knew ever placed anything along the banks. All were more than a cast length from the bank, so the weekend anglers couldn't stumble upon them.
I have more to say, but after a few words, I have all kinds of trouble typing and I can't paste anything. Maybe an administrator can help me?
When I put out piles, I could care less who fishes it and from where they fish from. It is there as a "fish attractor". The more fish that come around the more I can catch them when I go there. I expect others to hit my piles and I couldn't be any more happier knowing "I" helped others catch fish.
Have a nice day all you nice fishermen!!!
Okay.
Just bustin' your chops....AND TRYING TO MAKE FISHERMEN THINK!Quote:
Originally Posted by Ron Kruger
With all the pressure our waters are facing, we have to take it upon ourselves to do as much a we can to keep our fisheries healthy, AND PRODUCTIVE FOR US!:)
Good Fishing To All!
Like intimidator said keep fisheries healthy. I would like to know my 7 grandchildren and 7 Great grandchildren have fish to catch and eat. I am just learning myself about all the ways to help my lake.
You have Major Crappie Lakes in the South...why do they have creel and size limits?? If not, with the pressure those lakes face, and people just going to poach Big Fish, they would wipe out the big fish population within a couple years...Great Fisheries have to be managed.
Most TVA lakes, Southern Reservoirs, etc, have plenty of Natural Cover....for now! When that cover degrades, what will happen??...who is going to replace cover in a 70,000 acre lake?
Just like our Barren Lakes in Ohio, fishermen will be required to let them die or take care of them...Our home lake was on a serious decline, we saved it, but that's a 2200 acre lake and it took a bunch of us locals, 8 years working together, to fix it.
You guys need to start talking, before you face what we did!
I can understand as a guide needing to have places to produce fish. It keeps you in business to be able to put your clitents on the fish. Adding structure to the lake to help its overall health and improve the fishery is good for your continued success as a guide. A lake having produced numbers of large fish can only mean your services will be more in demand and worth a higher premium.
Wasn't trying to be mean. Please don't take it that way. I was merely stating that putting out brush helps the fish and fishermen alike. Everyone can find piles in a boat if they have the right equipment.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ron Kruger
Guides are a little different as that is their livelihood. They need spots to let people catch fish they PAY for. I see guides all the time fishing with clients. I simply take note where they are, wait for another time when they aren't there and use my SI to find the piles they fish. Easy to do and the guide doesn't even know.
I know guides spend time to put the piles out but if any guide thinks his piles will not be touched or found is either not that smart or is defiant to realize that he does not own the lake and that everyone can fish the lake at any time.
This is why I put out piles next to the bank, deep, around other structure to compliment it or wherever I think a good spot to fish will be. I may have to fish from the bank one day so I am glad to put piles out for EVERYONE.
Thank you for trying to share information Mr. Kruger.
"America's Friendliest Crappie Fishing Community." Right!
:donoQuote:
Originally Posted by Ron Kruger
"America's Friendliest Crappie Fishing Community" means EVERYONE not just guides. We "weekend anglers" like to fish also. Sorry!
Ron was trying to give advice and good advice. If you had not jumped the gun you might have seen that. He said he put out cover he just wants it harder to find. There's nothing wrong with that. I have to question someone's morals that would go behind a guides back and fish his cover.if you find it by chance that is one thing but to do it on purpose is a little dirty just my view. Thanks Ron for what you were trying to do don't let a couple of guys give you the wrong idea about c.d.c most of us are Friendly.
I'm sorry....Let's start over!Quote:
Originally Posted by Ron Kruger
Hi Ron, Welcome....
Please don't take this personal, but I'm confused about your opening post and statements, could you please clarify??
So are you saying for a decade, as a Guide, you just made Honey Holes on KY lake....And all the other Guides did the same also??
So all of these people just set out fish attractors so they could go catch Big fish, and limit every day??
And All Guides didn't want anyone else to use the cover they put in, so they always had plenty of fish for themselves??
Did You or any of the other Guides ever do anything for the lake, so it could replenish itself, and stay a healthy Crappie fishery?? It would be beneficial for us to hear what you guys did to Help the Crappie Population there, so we might be able to use it at our lakes!
I know as a Guide, that you were way more responsible than how your post sounded, so please, since your typing has improved, tell us about what all you did do to help KY lake??
Just so we have a communication point for this thread, this is how I feel on the subject...again, this is just MHO.....
MOST recreational "Weekend Bank fishermen", or "Fishing Families", etc, don't realize what it takes to get Big Crappie. They think they just appear, and mistakenly think that they can keep catching Big Crappie and it will always be like that...they don't realize that a Crappie hatches from an egg and that maybe only 1% gets to legal size. They don't understand or think about, all that a fish has to go through OR NEEDS to get to SLAB SIZE.
They don't realize that setting up honey holes congregates the fish to be caught and makes it easier to catch fish, but, it puts even more pressure on the fishery, because less people are catching more fish in a cycle....Guides and regular fishermen should understand this, and know about conservation, so they can do their part to help keep the fishery stable...this is why State's have put Creel and size limits on the BIG NAME Crappie lakes...because normal people left "to there own" would over harvest and destroy the Fishery. Now, because of over harvest, stunting, wild population swings in the Crappie populations, State's have brought those Creel and Size limits to other lakes/etc, to help stabilize populations in other "Regular" lakes.
If True fishermen do their part by adding things to benefit the entire fishery ecosystem, from the bottom up, they can make the fishery even better and more productive and counteract some of the BAD that goes on at our lakes!
But, this is just my opinion!
Good Fishing To All!
Sorry about that Intimidater I just didn't want people ganging up on him. We are not on here to fight and he is new to the site. I did not we to make anyone mad just didn't like what I was seeing.
:bangheadQuote:
Originally Posted by lowe175
No one was "ganging up" on "the new guy". We have opinions and comments to make as well.
I never "jumped any gun". I read what he posted and responded based on his post. He felt he was "sharing" information (from a guides point of view that is). I even posted again to tell him I was not trying to be mean. Others have opinions as well. I too can share my opinion and information with the entire fishing community. That's why I come to this site. I give as much information as I know to help EVERYONE catch fish and have fun. That is what this site is all about. Sorry if you don't see it that way. I was not mean or derogatory to him in any way. He had his comment and I had mine just like you have yours.
As for your comment about "fishing a guides spot"......I had to laugh out loud. Do you really believe that any given spot on a lake "BELONGS" to any one person? You really need to wake up and understand that public waters are just that. PUBLIC. If I see someone fishing a spot that I have not fished before, you can bet your bottom dollar that I will try that location at some point. I even put out piles and see people fishing them when I go to the lake. It does not bother me. Did they see me fishing it at some point? Who cares!?! The spot is working for EVERYONE. I'm happy.
As for being "dirty", (wow, didn't know you'd go there...) I know for a fact EVERYONE (and yes, including you, you just may not realize it consciously) has fished a spot they saw someone at before so don't say you never have. Everyone sees people fishing and have gone to the same spots over and over again. Do you seriously think that spot has never been fished before or never will again by anyone but the person who put the pile there? As for me...I guess I'll just continue to be a "dirty" old crappie fisherman!!!
You should either know what your talking about before you say something or just leave it alone. It will save you embarrassment in the long run. Just sayin'
Ron, I guess you are suppose to put a big flashing neon sign that says "fish here" over every spot you make ! LOLQuote:
Originally Posted by Ron Kruger
Always remember this is the internet and some people take the words you type completely WRONG. Put your cover where YOU want, thats what I do. I also try to make it as hard to find as I can. This is a friendly place, you did sorta get jumped on for no reason, You plainly stated you put out cover, how some took off on tangents from that I don't know.
Welcome to the site !
I and many others here on this site are "weekend anglers". Ron's words from his post. Enough said.
Still don't understand what set yall off. Guess I am just as wrong as he is, if I put cover out I don't want you to find it either. If you do find it, that's fine. But i'm not going to make it easy. If I want to fish the same cover everybody else is, I won't waste time putting in cover, will fish whats already there. Not wanting to argue with you, just don't think Ron deserved some of the statements he got. We can agree to disagree and lets go fishin sometime.Quote:
Originally Posted by kickingback
Joe
We all hide, or try to hide cover, for different reasons....at our home lake, we had to try and hide cover the best we could because our lake had been stripped of many fish (for several different reasons) and we were trying to bring the fishery back and make it even stronger and better.Quote:
Originally Posted by jusanothajoe
A fisherman that puts in a honey hole and fishes it on weekends, once a month, or whatever, is different from someone who puts in cover and fishes it every day and expects to continually limit off these areas. When someone makes a point that ALL the people he knows is doing the same thing, it raises questions about how can this be sustained with the added normal fishing pressure??
Everyone that puts in cover takes the chance on being "Found Out" and having "The Lake's Cover" fished.
Guys at our home lake have gone as far, as to never fished the cover that was meant for the lake, just so we don't tip people off...I know that sounds stupid or selfish, but that cover was not meant as a Honey Hole for anyone, it was meant to produce and raise fish that would spread into the entire lake.
If only 1 point of mine gets across to the guys on here, it is to add a little bit of cover for the entire lifecycle of our favorite fish....to keep things healthy for all of you, they need dense cover close to spawning areas for fry, tight cover for small fish, and larger cover for slabs...but if you are lucky enough to have a lake that already has all of this...ENJOY it, while you can!
As long as he is fishing by the regulations and creel limits of the state he is in, he is doing NOTHING wrong. I have not seen a limit on the number of days a week you can fish in any state regulations. We all have opinions, we all feel strongly about some of them. BUT, we can all state our opinions in a respectful way. If you want to keep less than the daily creel limit, by all means do so, but don't look down on others that are abiding by the law.
After reading this thread I am left wondering where are the mods that are so quick to edit posts
The very first reply to the OP was insulting demeaning, and all but called him a first class #$$........That mistake probably ran him off for good and my have cost us some valuable information from a seasoned fisherman
You sir where not just busting his chops....... you consider yourself the authority when it comes to fisheries and in your hast to be the first to slam him you failed to actually read his post...........
I know it's public water and I make my own cover and no I don't care if someone is fishing it but I don't make my living off of my spots like a guide does. Let's be honest most weekend fisherman don't make brush piles the guys that fish for crappie a lot do and no I don't fish a spot just because I see someone fishing there. Not saying that other people don't fish were do I just don't feel right about that. Finding fish is my favorite part of fishing. I fish new spots every time I go. I'm sorry if I made you mad but Ron was trying to help people with where to put you brush piles . I'm glad there are guides on the site most of them have a lot of knowledge and will help you out. Like I said I'm sorry if I made you or anyone mad that was not my intention.
OK, I'll spell it out for those that cannot or will not put themselves in other peoples shoes.
I do not think the first post to the thread starter was that bad after reading what the thread starter wrote. It was a simple response to his post about how to place structure "away from weekend anglers". I thought the original post was not structured toward the ENTIRE fishing community like these forums are supposed to be. I found his post as a suggestion for guides or ways to hide piles from others which in my mind is selfish. That is how I viewed it. I was not "set off", mad or negative toward him but I did point out my opinion. He didn't like it and replied with "right!". Not a good response from a newbie in my opinion. If he is here to help people he should read and reply and respond to clarify. He has not. Only others like you have chimed in. He has a mind. Let him speak it.
As I said, I consider myself a weekend angler and not guide (pro). I want to share knowledge here with others and help them share with others as well. I will not be selfish and devise ways to thwart off fishing by others in this small world we live in. I want to help others and I will by stating my opinion. If you don't like it, that is your prerogative. Say it. But mind you, if you are rude to me I will be be as politely to the point with you in return.
We can debate these differences in opinions here with respect to others or we can be negative and make the conversation crumble like it has. It is up to you.
Have a nice day all you nice fishermen!
The first couple of posts dang sure didn't say this :welcome
If you find him wanting to keep his "honey holes" to himself as being selfish. you are in the minority by a long shot.
Part of the problem may be what you "read" into his post. He likley will not answer or be back for that matter.
As far as someone being rude..........................
Guys I'm sure if he was allowed to finish. He had plans to share with everyone, where he put these crappie beds. And open a lot of eyes to where to look for them. But he was not given the time. Now I'm sure no harm was meant on both sides. But I for one would love to hear the rests of his story.
And I agree most of the beds we put out for Bass years ago. And crappie were and still used these. Were where the bank beaters only would not find them in 20 years. I have found deeper stuff holds more fish then shallow anyway. Shoot of its in 30ft of water, shallow fish will use it the same as deep fish. As they will suspend over that structure and move up and down. But not move from that spot.
But on different waters fish will stay shallow all year long. Years back loaded the boat with slab crappie in Jan water was less then 4ft deep. Spinner bait for bass and slabs were eating it up. Stupid me never have went back to that spot and crappie fished it. But will next week.
Thats one 3 cents and I'm sticking to it.
Pete
I'm sorry, did he ask to be welcomed or did he suggest to us on how to hide our piles from weekend anglers? I must have missed something...Quote:
Originally Posted by jusanothajoe
It's not selfish if it were his piles. Like I stated, he was suggesting to OTHERS on how guides set out heir piles to make sure others can't fish them. That came off to me as selfish in this community forum. Again, sorry if you can't or won't see it from others shoes.
We all have our opinions and it should be respected. I am not being rude if I am making a point that you don't understand. If you have ever had to fish from the bank maybe you would understand. I don't expect you to, but don't call me rude because I speak my mind. Debate me. Don't call me names.
As for him answering back, He is a grown man. That's his choice.
I am officially done from this thread. People want to keep it going. Go for it. I'll go somewhere else where it is more pleasant. See ya!:notworthy
I think you may have. Let the guy finish. I think you'll find he wasn't trying to teach you how to hide your spots, but instead think about where you might find spots that guys who spend everyday on the water put out and why they put them there.Quote:
Originally Posted by kickingback
I don't how familiar yall are with ky lake but it don't really need brush put in it to sustain the fishery. But it doesnt hurt surely. If the water gets right on it there is enough buck willas to hide every crappie and bass in the whole lake.
I also have some troube posting and can't past but I found a trick that corrects that. Once in the box where you are typing or pasting a post if you look up to the top left corner you will see a button that looks like a A/A which when moused over will say "switch editor". Click that and it corrects the problem. It must be a glitch that only effects certain computers.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ron Kruger
I hope you post the rest of your thoughts because as someone that is fairly new to crappie fishing I can certainly benefit all the information I can get ahold of or that someone is nice enough to share. Personally I didn't take your post as anything other than trying to be helpful. Especially since it all sounded as it was in the past tense I took it as someone who used to guide and simply wanted to give some help to where maybe we might look to find some places to fish. I can't speak for anyone else but that is how I interpreted it.
It boils down to that if you add cover at all it beats NOTHING; I will be the very 1st to admit that NO, I at least DID NOT do all that work "out of the `goodness of my heart` anymore than a chicken farmers who raises chickens strictly because he happens to `like` chickens...there is a fillet knife in my plans somewhere.
I want to help educate fishermen about the benefit of cover and the need for more than just "Hot Spots" or "Honey Holes"....it burns me when "Professional Commercial Fishermen" who should know and understand the fishery better than anyone, only wants to show someone how to hide cover for there own personal use, with no apparent benefit to the fishery....In regards to the OP, he could have answered a few questions and then we wouldn't be speculating...he is posting fine now, but since it became uncomfortable BUT CIVIL, he has decided not to clarify....this leads me to believe that his only intention in putting out cover was to benefit himself!
So why would I have a Problem with that?
A Professional Commercial fishes alot more than most of us...because that is their job! They can go out several times a day with several different customers and take limits each time...some States cap this, some don't. Normally they are fishing on Public Lakes and they take more than their share...some States regulate this, some do not!
Take a lake that has 100 million Crappie, say half are female (some are young fish, some old, etc)...say that half successfully spawn, is that 25 million spawn...each lays 20,000 eggs....most reports say survival of eggs to legal adults is 1% OR LESS...so that leaves 25,000,000 x 200 eggs surviving per fish...this equals fish A YEAR surviving to legal size to be caught, etc. so now you have your original 100 mil plus 50 mil more a year in replacements
Take 1 commercial Fisherman, who fishes 200 times a year (I fished 227 times 1 year here in Ohio), say he only has 1 customer a day, and catches a limit of 30 a day...That is 6000 fish....but he actually catches 90 a day to keep those largest 30, and of those other 60 they have a 20% mortality, which is 12 more a day, which is another 2400...now you're up to 8400 fish for 1 guy....and this is a low ball number!
If you have 100 fishermen (Commercial Fishermen, etc, guys who fish and keep alot) that's 840,000 fish taken out in 1 year....How many lakes only have 100 fishermen....1000 fishermen can take 8,400,000 a year....and it goes up from there....What if Commercials, Retirees, etc take more....we all need to give back.
THIS IS ONLY AN EXAMPLE TO ILLUSTRATE WHAT CAN HAPPEN IF WE DO NOT HELP OUR LAKES....if we continue to take, WILL ALL THE PRESSURE, ETC, our lake will be running in DEFICITS.
Everyone will say my numbers are off or wrong to validate their way of thinking, if my Math is off, all I can say was it is early....but I did not include any other mortality of adult fish...such as birds, animals, pollution, weather, draw-downs, heat/lack of oxygen, poaching, etc!
MY POINT IS...if you can take/make the time to add cover to build yourself a Honey Hole...put some cover out for the fish also, don't fish it, and just let it work it's magic and help the fishery!
[QUOTE=Slow Retrieve;2894863]
I hope you post the rest of your thoughts because as someone that is fairly new to crappie fishing I can certainly benefit all the information I can get ahold of or that someone is nice enough to share.
For those trying to learn....Crappie have a high mortality during catch and release....some things to remember!
1. Make sure your hands ARE WET, when you handle them...their Slime Coat IS THEIR ONLY PROTECTION from disease, bacteris, pollution,etc.
2. DO NOT lift them by the lip into a horizontal position, if you hold them by the lip let them dangle, or support them under the belly and release pressure from the jaw if you want a horizontal picture...make sure your hands are wet. A fish with a broken, dislocated, or hyperextended jaw is dead.
3. Up to 60% of fish put into the livewell do not survive if you release them later...livewells, should have plenty of oxygen, fresh water, stress reducers, etc. Putting a fish on a stringer or in a basket is ALMOST certain death.
4. Crappie have one of the highest Mortality rates if they are gut or gill hooked...use common sense...a micro Bream hook is not appropriate for a Crappie. Crappie NORMALLY only feed Small in Winter....That's when you use ice gear, micro hooks, etc....a Crappie in Winter is surviving on ZooPlankton since they are one of the few fish that can see these Micro Critters.
When the water gets into the 40's the Crappie start eating again....I use #1 sickle (Jig) hooks even during the Winter until about 50 degree SURFACE TEMPS in the Spring( In Ohio)...then the rest of the year I use a 1/0 Sickle (Jig) hook.
You don't have to use 1/2 inch or Smaller baits....before Spawns, during Spawns, just after Spawns, in Summer at Night, CRAPPIE WILL EAT BIG....I use 4.8 inch FAT swimbaits to Catch SLABS...even 9 and 10 inch Crappie hit them (More times than I like :))
My Normal Crappie swimbait is 3 inches!
And People will tell you that IT IS LEGAL to catch a limit every day out (PLUS EXTRAS THAT YOU THROW BACK, ETC) and take them home or give them away...Just because some things are legal, does not mean they ARE RIGHT...some things you need to use COMMON SENSE with....Sometimes you just need to be a good friend to Mother Nature!
Just because all of the two posts above is your opinion, doesn't make it right. Just makes it your opinion. If someone is following the law, they are doing nothing wrong.
(In my opinion) :biggrin
But at least now I am educated !
You all have to help and report posts (just have to hit the little triangle with the exclamation mark in it, its below every post). Just posting this does not send a message to mods. There are tons of posts on here and I know for fact I don't read but a fraction of them. Help us help you. Thanks for listening, now I'll go ahead and read the rest of this thread.Quote:
Originally Posted by midcarolina
We're done here. I'm tempted to delete more posts, and I'm tempted to delete the entire thread. This thread has me embarrassed for claiming ""America's Friendliest Crappie Fishing Community" and that does not make me happy. Your points can still be made, and will be much better received, if it's done in a friendly way. Once threads go sour, everyone gets defensive, AND THEN THIS HAPPENS. I'm closing it cause it does not reflect the true friendliness of the site, but I'm leaving it here as an example of how not to welcome newbies.