I've been in the office working and reading about Grenada, Enid,Sardis. What's the big deal about these lakes? I've only fished central and east side of la, and chicot. I want to know what they got that la don't.
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I've been in the office working and reading about Grenada, Enid,Sardis. What's the big deal about these lakes? I've only fished central and east side of la, and chicot. I want to know what they got that la don't.
Me, I don't know. :dono
Looks like me, you, and 28 others don't know ether lol.
they have some beautiful waters like ours...it's just in mississippi...and I am goin one day to fish with G.....
They are huge lakes ....all the run off into them comes from fertile farm land.....Low limits 15 per day and must be over 12 inches......all contribute to a trophy lake. These three lakes you mentioned as well as Arkabutla and Lake Washington are probably the most famous crappie lakes in the U.S. The world record white crappie was caught on Enid and that was back in 1957. Lake Washington is a completely disconnected oxbow lake off the Mississippi River......the other four lakes are all man made flood control lakes.
When these lakes are on, you can routinely catch 2.5lb and up fish. World record white came out of Enid weighing over 5lb.
I see
Only difference in those lakes and the lakes I fish is huge and limits, I guess
Grenada is the go to lake this year. Sardis and Enid are rebounding, Arkabutla should be good. It's funny , I was dreaming about going to Henderson, La. to fish the basin. Love it down there.
[QUOTE="G";3124003]They are huge lakes ....all the run off into them comes from fertile farm land.....Low limits 15 per day and must be over 12 inches......all contribute to a trophy lake. These three lakes you mentioned as well as Arkabutla and Lake Washington are probably the most famous crappie lakes in the U.S. The world record white crappie was caught on Enid and that was back in 1957. Lake Washington is a completely disconnected oxbow lake off the Mississippi River......the other four lakes are all man made flood control lakes.[/QUOTE.]
Now we have learned something, maybe someday I'll fish somewhere besides home in Alabama :ThumbsUp
Yes you are.....would have called you this year but my lakes Sardis and Enid were kinda off this year....low water......and a poor spawn class a couple years ago and any way....could catch fish but they were too short. Its coming back tho.....when it gets right I will give you a shout and and me and you and your son will go pull crankbaits.Quote:
Originally Posted by fishervet
I wish Louisiana would do something to protect some of our lakes. Where else can you go and keep 50 crappie of any size.
Its too early for this..... But you just made my day.Quote:
Originally Posted by "G"
Here we throw back what most anywhere in the nation keep, we throw back short fish that are pushing one pound or just over a lot of the time. I can't count the times I have heard the words, "Oh my God, that's the biggest crappie I have ever seen!"
Not to say there aren't other lakes in the country that are as good and I enjoy leaving here and going somewhere else for a change. Gonna be a fun year, come and check it out!
Exactly....what you have are good Fishery Managers!Quote:
Originally Posted by Rees Guide
The Big 3 were headed for disaster, like many other lakes, due to the increased pressure....this is what happens when lakes develop a "Name" and "following"....soon the whole Country is flocking to catch a Dream fish!
But unlike the rest of the Country, the Big 3 chose to enact regs to keep the lake healthy.
Many SOUTHERN lakes have proven that if you can get Crappie to 12 inches, their size will explode faster...they can eat larger and more food and put on size faster!
The Big 3 also realized they were at the mercy of WATER...if they have low or high water seasons, it will effect the spawns and concentrations of where Crappie are...with the added pressure, all these factors can destroy a fishery in a couple years!
Fish in the South grow Big and Fast...most SOUTHERN Crappie live LESS THAN 5 YEARS! This is why they are managed better than up North!
NORTHERN fish can live up to 15 years....they grow a lot slower and the growing season is half of in the South...Northern fish also do not have the High stress from heat or low oxygen contents of some of the Southern Lakes.
If the dag-gone Northern Fishery Managers, would get their heads out of their rears, we could have some Fantastic Fisheries in the North also....the 30 fish/day creel limits have helped, but the 9 inch size limit is a joke...we have MORE Crappie than comparable Southern lakes in the 6 to 9 inch range, and WAAAY LESS BIG FISH....the nine inch size limit, kills the 9-11 inch fish, and does not allow ALOT of fish to get into that 12 inch BIG FEEDER range so they can GROW!
IMHO, one of the best...and HARDEST to fish Crappie Lakes, in the US...is the BIG O in Florida. You definitely need a good guide...and if you find one, you will get the fish you are looking for!
While I tend to agree with Rees Guide and Intimidator for many of our states waters especially the most northern one, I doubt it would help our southern lakes and waters especially those that are south of I-10 or close to it. They tried for 20 years to grow larger bass in the Atchafalaya Basin by imposing a 14 inch limit on bass after hurricane Andrew destroyed the fishery. Well after 20 years of trying, most fishing trips would find anglers catching many fish but could only find maybe a few that make the minimum size limit. They finally came to understanding that Mother Nature and hurricanes were doing more damage to the population than the fisherman. So we settle with smaller fish but plenty of them. The same goes for slab crappie. There are very few places to catch 2 pound crappie south of I-10 as evidence of the posts on the forum.
I would think Poverty Point, D'Arbonne, maybe Cypress and Black Bayou Benton and other norther lakes might improve by having larger minimum size and reduced limits, but the only way you would know for sure is to do what they did in the Basin. Give it a good try and see what you get. If things improve stick with it, if the size stays the same them let 'er rip. It is known that some water are more fertile than others and will produce better quality fish. Not all of them pass muster and you just have to settle for what you have. Just my thoughts.
"gene"
To add to what PPG posted.
The Louisiana state crappie (6lbs.) record was caught in the westwego canal near New Orleans.
Also the second heaviest Bass Masters Classic winning stringers was caught south of Hwy 90 near Des Allemands.
IMO the biggest Sacs are in the MS. River. The problem is how to catch em legal.
seemed like I read something that a lady caught a white that was 3.84 for a record is that so?Quote:
Originally Posted by jig rig
I agree...it does take more to produce a good fishery than setting size and creel limits....most fantastic fisheries have fertile water, plenty of cover, and a huge self sustaining baitfish and forage base!Quote:
Originally Posted by PawPaw "gene"
People often ask why fertilized water is needed....most think it is for vegetation growth, and it is,...but they don't realize that it is probably the basic and most needed ingredient in the food chain. It supplies all the basic needs for algae growth and all the micro-organisms for the fry and small fish.
It's really interesting for me to learn about different waters...it's amazing that there is so much difference in a State.
My best friends brother lives in Slidell, I've been down there twice to fish Reds in the intercoastal...I love it down there!
Back in the 70's their was group of about 10 men use to make trips to Sardis. I never got to go but I saw some coolers of fish and heard some stories. I don't want to exaggerate because my memory is not that good.But to the best of my recollection the limit was fifty a day. And I am pretty sure it seems to me like they would catch nearly an entire limit of 2lb plus fish sometimes. Some guys still go and some of them are pretty experienced spider riggers and trollers and if conditions aren't right they may only catch a few fish in a three or four day trip.Course that's the worst of conditions but happens. Reservoirs are tricker than a natural lake due to the possibility of rapid changes to the water.
Course it's hard for me to describe to people how many fish use to be in the tailrace below Kentucky dam back in the late 70's,80's ,and 90's.I would tell you but people won't believe me if they did not see it firsthand.
JR, Linda and I fished that area of the Classic this week and came up with nothing. During the warm up a couple of weeks ago people were catching limits every day but the the front came through and the fish went away. We traveled at least 5 miles and only had 2 fish show up on the FF. I think the fish went back in Lac Des Allemands or where ever they go to find comfortable waters or feed. The temp was 51 degrees.
"gene"
I believe Larto, saline complex, montera complex, old river and deer park could easily grow fish like those lakes. I would think we'll I know the bar pits along the river have fine fish. I've seen tons of 2.5lb fish come from bar pits and lakes I fish. Heck I just bought my 1st set of digital scales after joining here, I thought 2.5lb fish was normal.
Looking back...I can remember before I moved to South Carolina and started fishing Southern Waters, I use to think that a 12 inch Crappie was HUGE...I had never really seen a Northern Crappie over that size. Our lakes are SMALL compared to Southern Fisheries and all of them are highly pressured...fish just couldn't get big!
But now after my experiences in the South, we have figure out how to build and hide cover, draw fish away from pressured bank fishing areas, and grow fish...and we're getting huge populations and starting to get size! After 10+ years of adding cover to our almost 2500 acre home lake, we are starting to see those 14 to 17+ inch fish showing up!
Heck, the sad thing is that I've seen more 3lb fish since I've talked to Josh, then in my whole life in Ohio!:)
I once heard from a hoop net fisherman who ran nets in the Mississippi and he said we would be amazed at the number and size of the crappie that he catches at certain times of the year. He said that on occasion they fill up the nets. I told him I'd like to see that.
"gene"
Well I'll be Paw Paw A boy that fishes hoopnets over here told me last March he had a basket full in one of his nets in one of the bayous off the main river. I was kinda thinking he was exaggerating but maybe he was telling the truth :eek:
I hear it all the time
I've also heard that years ago there was a couple guys around larto that would pull big nets and catch tons of big crappie and take them up north to sell. I think the eventually got caught, and I'm sure some still goes on and it's still produces big fish. Still can't see were those lakes are any better than what's in central la.
Hope this does not rub some the wrong way it's just a debate.
I don't see why it would. You've proved that there are plenty of big crappie here. We've seen where you have caught them over 3 lbs. just in the last couple of weeks where you're at, with no hype. They're here, we just don't make a big deal out of it, that's all.Quote:
Originally Posted by Andrews
Josh, I remember one such incident where they pulled over a pickup with a bed full to the top with crappie and they were off to sell them. It wasn't there first load either. The reason I remember that so well is that I couldn't imagine a pickup bed full of crappie. That was probably in the early 70's. After hearing that some fellow workers and I drove up there to fish. The river was up and Larto was red, we caught no fish.
"gene''
Maybe them rednecks just get excited!!!!!!!! I know that typing could be taking different than talking to someone and I don't want sound like smart butt.Quote:
Originally Posted by Tracker123
I think the la sportsman had some articles in the back. I think old retired game wardens would put small articles in the back about different things that happened while in the field, and larto complex was a big poaching place.Quote:
Originally Posted by PawPaw "gene"
A couple of Years ago, I was talking to Mike Wood, Head of Wildlife and Fisheries about those lakes in Mississippi. His answer was Miss. also has the largest Stocking program in the country. Hatchery raised fish have a black Tongue and spot between the eyes. The Fish released are about four inches. I found on U-Tube A Hatchery Release , They Know what they are doing.
I would love to see my lake stocked with perch instead of strippers
Yeh, but I betcha the poles make great fish habitat.Quote:
Originally Posted by Andrews
:Rofl:Rofl:RoflQuote:
Originally Posted by Micropterus salmoides
different.