Crappie Age and keeping big fish

[lhumphre]

So I know a lot of people may be against keeping big fish (say 13 inches and up) especially females..And many articles I have read say the age limit of crappie is usually around 7 years but may be more..Is it not the best case scenario to keep some larger fish as their life span is almost complete and may just die and float to the bottom for catfish chum? As well as release more 10-12 inch fish who have many years of spawning left? Just curious....

[BamaMan]

This time of year if you don't keep it someone else will!!! I keep a few for the freezer to start out with. Then I will let some go that have not spawned out. I don't know if it helps or not. To me keeping the males may do more harm because they stay and guard the nest and protect the eggs and baby crappie. At least thats what I have been told. I have also heard that only one or two baby crappie from each female that spawns makes it to adult size. I don't know for sure just been told this over the years. I say keep what you need and release the rest.
Good luck!!!

[jimeisaac]

What the experts say:

Panfish | Where the Slabs Are | 1

Cleaning the Catch | The Simple & Continuing Sense In Selective Harvest | 1

I like the idea of catching a big fish multiple times...

[Eager Beaver]

On my home lake I was releasing the bigger fish and keeping the ones around 10 inches. A game warden stopped and check me one time and asked if I hadn't found any big fish. I told him that I was letting the bigger fish go and keeping the smaller fish. He said that was wrong that they wanted us to keep the bigger fish and let the smaller ones go. He said there were so many big fish in the lake that they had to be thinned out some so the smaller ones had a chance to grow. So I keep a lot of the bigger fish now and release the smaller ones. EB

[Bobfish11]

there is no doubt that just plain commonsense works the best when it comes to catch and release..i think what the fisheries have failed to acknowledge, is the extreme pressure our lakes are under these days..no matter what day of the week you go, there will be many people fishing..it used to be the pressure was only on weekends, now its everyday..they need to decrease the limits. Not sure i buy what that game warden is saying..i guess its a matter of do you want to catch trophy fish or just numbers..

[NIMROD]

It is almost impossiable to fish Crappie out of a lake. They are so prolific spawners. But they can be stunted by over population. If the fishing pressure gets to great, you may see fewer slabs though.

[beagle man]

keep the big ones, I understand the big old crappie dont spawn a strong and healthy brood, and the young strong ones do. I use to throw all the big ones back now I don't

[GCD]

What the experts say:


I like the idea of catching a big fish multiple times...

So do I!!!

Another thing to consider is that pollutants (Dioxin, PCB's, and Mercury... just to name a few) are cumulative and really add up as a fish gets older... do you really want to be eating that suff, let alone feeding it to your wife and children?

[fish4crappie]

So do I!!!

Another thing to consider is that pollutants (Dioxin, PCB's, and Mercury... just to name a few) are cumulative and really add up as a fish gets older... do you really want to be eating that suff, let alone feeding it to your children?

That is a great point.... pretty sad though we even have to consider that.

[Cane Pole]

I ain't dead yet from eating big crappies from Ky Lake over the past LXX years.

Waters are lots cleaner now than they were a hundred years ago.