Opinions Wanted on Stunted Crappie at Nimrod Lake

Lake Nimrod has always been a crappie rich impoundment. Over the last 30 years or so the size of slabs have steadily decreased and now the lake is full of 8 to 9 inch small crappie. There are still plenty of large fish out there but you might have to catch 20+ small ones between good fish.
I was hoping that we could get into an "intelligent" discussion about why this is and what could be done to try to bring this lake back to the way it used to produce big slabs on a regular basis.
What are your opinions on length limits and other management tools. Personally, from small pond experience, I think that some of your daily limit should be required to be small crappie. I have personally seen crappie overcrowding ruin a good pond.

It is because of high reproduction ( crowding , Shallow lake and Gizzard Shad out grow Crappie real fast . Threadfin Shad can not survive in shallow lakes over winter . :twocents

Definitely understand about the gizzard shad. Other than during the shad hatches gizzard shad get too big for the crappie. I can't help but think that removing a large amount of the small crappie might be part of the answer.

It would help more by taking out all the big females possiable lowering the spawn . High water hurts here unlike most lakes that needs big spawns .

Hey Dave. Nimrod is still one of the best crappie lakes in the state. If I had to choose one lake to fish it would be nimrod.

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Originally Posted by jtresn01

Hey Dave. Nimrod is still one of the best crappie lakes in the state. If I had to choose one lake to fish it would be nimrod.

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You wish , old girl nothing like it once was . Several much better just not as many know about . :twocents Even more so after the last drawdown .

You should go fish Winona for awhile. Fish all day and maybe catch 20 fish. They will be good ones but 1 fish an hour is pretty tough. Lol

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I'm not taking nothing away from the crappie fishery here. It's still highly ranked in the nation as a top crappie producer. I was just wondering if there is anything that could even be done to help with the size ratio. Keeping the big spawning females is definitely a viable option to lowering the spawn.

I can only speak to what I have seen in my fishing this year. Since July it has gotten progressively worse for me. I hope it comes back around.

Chris

I've been fishing several other lakes this year and am amazed at the average size that these lakes produce! We've caught slabs pushing 2 3/4 lbs and lots of 1 1/2 to 2lb. Just makes me think why can't Nimrod be brought back to this type of fishing.

The age, the fertility, the forage available, the structure, the weather, water levels, fishing pressure, the over all fish population, all are contributing factors to how a impoundment produces a populous of fish. Slot limits and minimum length limits can have varying results some positive and some negative, it takes years to see the overall effect. Slots and minimum length limits can load a impoundment with certain year classes of fish, Based on the strength of spawn from prior spawns. On any impoundment over crowding of a species of a certain fish can be detrimental if the forage is not sufficient enough to support them. Fill Nimrod full of Hybrids and strippers and that over crowding would be solved quickly. Those things will eat any and everything they can get in their mouths. LOL! Joking about Hybrids and strippers, would not wish that issue on any body of water.

Filling the lake with strippers would be a bad idea. Feather boas and cheap perfume sales would peak. Colleges would be hurt since almost all strippers are college girls trying to get by. Not enough local colleges to provide that many strippers so many would have to drop out and relocate.

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I wrote an article on this topic. It was published in the last AGFC Arkansas Wildlife magazine. Nimrod was one of the lakes that I used as an example.

Sorry guys, it's overstocked...

Hey Dave, you know we fish the small lakes here close to work. We are catching some nice fish too, but we are not catching any limits. The other lakes your fishing, are you catching quantity as well as quality?

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Originally Posted by D10

I wrote an article on this topic. It was published in the last AGFC Arkansas Wildlife magazine. Nimrod was one of the lakes that I used as an example.

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And it was an excellent article, Matt. Explained very well why one method of managing doesn't work for all lakes. Depends on the lake.

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Originally Posted by ski trip

And it was an excellent article, Matt. Explained very well why one method of managing doesn't work for all lakes. Depends on the lake.

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Thanks Jerry! I think we are going to write more articles like this in the future, explaining various aspects of fisheries management.

Hey D10, I'm going to try to find that article. I would like to read it. We've already tried the 10" length limit and it didn't help the problem so they lifted it.

Had a conversation with Ronnie Capps about this very subject and he said, although not very practical, introducing a bunch of flathead catfish would sure help.

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Originally Posted by slabbandit

Hey D10, I'm going to try to find that article. I would like to read it. We've already tried the 10" length limit and it didn't help the problem so they lifted it.

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I will see if I can scan the article and post it

Just a thought but would a 10 foot drawdown and a partial fishkill every 10 years or so do any good on the overpopulation problem.

Drawdowns do help crappie populatuons that have tons of smaller fish and I believe that Nimrod is drawn down on a regular basis (correct CA?). The main issue, as CA pointed out is that there are great spawns on Nimrod almost every year. Management rotenone kills are almost imposible to do these days due to very strict requirements to use the chemical. This is why we don't do rotenone samples any more on our lakes. Basically to use the rotenone, the area has to be restricted to everyone besides the game and fish for several days and the agency applying the rotenone have to wear full tyvek suits and respirators while in the containmemt area. Also someone has to be on sight the whole time to ensure that no one enters the area while the kill in being conducted. Rotenone is only really effextive when the water Temps are really warm (August). You combine the strict label restrictions with the summer Arkansas Temps and you get a management tool that is dicontinued due to not being practical any more.

Was talking to a fellow local fisherman today and he thought that rotenone was illegal to use at all. Do they not make anything else to replace it yet?

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Originally Posted by slabbandit

Was talking to a fellow local fisherman today and he thought that rotenone was illegal to use at all. Do they not make anything else to replace it yet?

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They do not. It isn't illegal. It is just difficult to use now.

Here is a link to the AGFC Arkansas Wildlife Magazine. It is six issues a year (every other month). I really enjoy the content. It really has one good articles in it.

AGFC | Arkansas Wildlife Magazine

Here is the crappie article that I was talking about.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...dc73ce877f.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...f21385bba0.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...9a70afb574.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...8fe8073329.jpg

Great article Matt. Thanks for posting it.

Chris

Good read Matt! Thanks