KY Lake Big Sandy

Honestly, expected a few folks to reply to this thread implying "you just suck at crappie fishing"...which is probably true LOL. I love Crappie.com, but rarely post anything. I'm somewhat relieved to hear others have also been catching some smaller fish on KY Lake, and find everyone's opinions interesting. Thanks for replying. Hope spring brings bigger fish for all!

Every time I look at 1970's and 1980's pictures of my Granddads with with Slabs covering picknick tables - I think, crappie fishing is not supposed to be this dang complex!!!

Some folks are just not happy unless they have 40 dead fish to show off with for the day. To me, the real fun is the thump of a slab, sure, I like to eat them too, but I don't mind throwing some back either. I've had really fun days catching 100 and keeping 10-15. I know a couple guys that are retired, fish every day, and keep every legal fish they boat, they give them away, or sell them. Carp ain't the only problem.

Ima waiting for warm weather so I can go seine the lake. I will give you young pups a month head start before I head out.

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Originally Posted by Cane Pole

Ima waiting for warm weather so I can go seine the lake. I will give you young pups a month head start before I head out.

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Not worried about you mr.tom,Brenda is the one I'm worried about l,I've saw her in action before[emoji6]

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Crappie size on Kentucky Lake is down, has been now for 3 years, TWRA documents it in their creel studies.
Would releasing spawning fish in the spring help, yes, and no. Yes, more crappie, increase the size of crappie, no.
The crappie size in the Mississippi oxbow lakes is because of much greater numbers of bait fish, the food supply is greater.
Thats why the Asian carp is such a big factor, they have the same food source as our bait / food fish for our crappie.

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Originally Posted by Lane47

Crappie size on Kentucky Lake is down, has been now for 3 years, TWRA documents it in their creel studies.
Would releasing spawning fish in the spring help, yes, and no. Yes, more crappie, increase the size of crappie, no.
The crappie size in the Mississippi oxbow lakes is because of much greater numbers of bait fish, the food supply is greater.
Thats why the Asian carp is such a big factor, they have the same food source as our bait / food fish for our crappie.

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Only thing they said about size at the twra meeting was missing year classes,from what i remember.Missing year classes are from bad spawns and that's why that size isn't plentiful.I caught some good ones today,but didn't catch many.Think I had one throw back today.

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The missing year explanation was their reason for a higher than normal number of less than 10" fish, v/s agreeing or placing any blame on the Asian carp.
We are in prespawn, soon to be spawn, % of keepers out of total caught will be better. I'm referring to the other 10 months, or for me, 8 months, as I don't fish much in January or February.

The quality and quantity of crappies have declined since the 1990s. Places where we used to catch quality fish are now void of fish.

Lots of factors are involved in my opinion. Weather, such as droughts and floods, technology creating a greater pressure, invasive species including mussels and Asian carp all play a hand in the Ky Lake eco.

Another thing that has changed things here are the power boats and jet skis. The are changing the shape of the shorelines. Some of the places we use to fish are not accessible because of sand dams from the waves.

I have to change my tactics a lot. I now catch fish where I never use to catch them. Not the quality fish they used be.

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Originally Posted by Lane47

The missing year explanation was their reason for a higher than normal number of less than 10" fish, v/s agreeing or placing any blame on the Asian carp.
We are in prespawn, soon to be spawn, % of keepers out of total caught will be better. I'm referring to the other 10 months, or for me, 8 months, as I don't fish much in January or February.

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Missing year classes.Missing was causing a shortage of fish 10.75-13.75inchs.I even stood up and said that's what I was seeing during the meeting while everyone else complained.I even talked to the biologist one on one before I left and he said by the creel data that's what I should be seeing,others wouldn't agree though.I guess I must be the lucky one,I haven't caught alot of short fish in the last couple years.Usually if I'm catching 8in fish I move and that may be the reason.Some of the biggest fish I've caught all year came in June and Aug,if you fish in the summer that's when there usually at there smallest weight.Everyone knows sooner than later the asian carp are gonna be problems but don't think at the moment it's the carp,or at least not yet.Another thing is the lake clearing, in the last eight years of fishing I can tell the difference in the water clarity.Ive always heard a dirty dingy lake are where the big crappie live,don't know if it's true or not just what the pros say.

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I'll try to explain what TWRA told me, not in the meeting, but on the phone. Crappie grow from spawn (birth) to keeper size (10" to 12") in 4 years on average, and normal growth rate. If the spawn is say, 30% less this year, then in 4 years, we will have 30% fewer fish to catch. This was the only explanation TWRA provided.
i think, and many agree, that the growth rate is also down, lower. It's taking crappie 5 or 6 years to grow to keeper size, due to less food in the eco system. This also adds a 3rd factor, mortality rate, each year after birth, a % of crappie die.
So now we have 3 reasons for fewer keeper fish, plus 2 other popular explanations.
1. Fewer were born in past spawns
2. Amount of bait / food is less
3. Greater mortality if it takes 5 or 6 years to grow to 10"-12"
4. Water is clearer (if anyone has evidence of this, please provide)
5. Increased fishing pressure (I think this is true, I fish 10 months now v/s 2 in past)

I also think Asian carp is a factor today, and will become a bigger factor. I see more carp, and less bait fish, than in past years.