Thread: How many is too many kept?

From April to June I can get a limit most days weather permitting. Like someone said I don't like cleaning that many . I throw most back and I don't see many people catching limits as slab said. Also I fish a 100 acre lake and keep a limit every time and it's still over populated so I don't think you can over fish most lakes. I think you can over fish one spot if you fish it too often. Just my opinion doesn't mean any more than anyone else.

I'm a firm believer that the crappie population in any lake can be adversely affected by over-harvest. I've seen it time & time again where a lake, which use to consistently produce 1-2 pound crappie now only produces fish less than half that size and quite a bit less frequently to boot. Since there is no limit or slot on crappie here, the "bucket brigade" goes into any area producing and over a few short weeks, decimate the population. It takes many years for crappie to grow to a decent size up here, due mainly to the long winters.

So over harvesting, here anyway, is a problem. Which is why I tend to post my successful trips here, instead of a local fishing forum. It's unfortunate that a selfish few ruin it for the many. I'm a firm believer in "selective harvest" (In'Fisherman concept). And I have no problem with folks taking just enough for a meal or two. It's the bucket brigades that I'm opposed to. JMO!

the "bucket brigade" goes into any area producing and over a few short weeks, decimate the population.

That's the other side of the coin where I live. I fully support DEC enforcement of all rules and regs, but unfortunately the agency is underfunded and the officers are spread very thin (unlike PA where one pops up if you sneeze). One of the premier crappie lakes I fish has anglers bringing out large buckets of crappie (well over 50) of all sizes, including other species. It doesn't happen all the time, but who knows how often? The employees who rent the boats can not enforce DEC law because boat renters think they are entitled to keep whatever they catch and could be belligerent.

Unlike lakes in warmer climates that have a longer growing season, eventually larger fish will become scarce because schoolies are easy to load the boat with and fish swim together of the same size creating opportunity.

Not an easy problem to correct where I live: on the one hand lack of enforcement do to underfunding/ on the other, fishing regs that don't fit. Forgive me for quoting this, but its' so applicable to NYS:

After all the studies and facts are compiled the biggest deciding facters are and will always be, what is most popular with the voters. Not what's best for the wildlife.

One political factor that strongly affects DEC laws are the animal right groups that would prefer a no kill law for any wild life. Even though fishing and hunting fees bring in a massive amount of state revenue, wild life regs are usually not a priority when it comes to making promises pols won't keep - they know who has the deep pockets they can rely on. Seen it time and time again!

Ya think common sense would set in with the bucket fishermen, but common sense seems to be in short supply anymore. Of course those are the guys that probably complain the most when they go out and cant catch anytng anymore.

I only keep what I can eat, everything else goes back. And my wife doesnt really like fish (yet) so there really isnt reason to keep that many. Last time I kept anything was a trip last month to Wisconsin......and it was only 9 Bluegill. Everything else was CPR.

What I also don't understand is keeping a large bunch of summer, warm water crappie which taste like crap!

Originally Posted by SpoonminnNY so us and port bay

Unfortunately there are blanket rules that cover allthey're not supposed to sell crappiers in NYS. At one time I asked the head DEC office (in writing) how they arrived at the 25 crappie, 10" size limit. The response was vague and non-scientific or, in other words, not supported by shock surveys or angler surveys across the state.
My local private lake has thousands of stunted crappie and no survey has been done there. Very few anglers catch or keep crappie in that lake, so for the life of me I can't see the state limit being of any value. And there are many lakes and ponds like it.

Oh, I almost forgot. The text letter sent from the head office stated that groups of Asian anglers upstate had at one time a commercial enterprise, selling caught crappie to restaurants. Funny though but I've never seen an Asian fishing for crappie in my 60 years of life!

Here in upstate ny, so us and port bays...since the state size limit to 9" and creel limit of 25 fish, it took a while but the crappie fishing has improved 100%. I wasn't too happy at first because 8-8 1/2" fish made decent filets and now the 9" were harder to find. Jump ahead now I've caught many 11- 141/2" fish. Caught my limit several times but now I choose not to anymore, usually 10 then stop.
Years before there were many fishermen that would keep way too many and many sold fish daily, now they're not supposed to sell crappie. I believe that the crappie fishing is better now because of the regulation. There maybe some areas that need variations of regulations though I can only speak for places I fish ie sodus, port bays, barge canal system, black lake

Just as most have said I get up to around 10 and that is my mark. When I first started I often dreamed of catching that golden limit. When my skills got honed in I kept my limit on more than one occasion. That got old and put me where I am now. Once I knew I could go out and catch enough for the meal at hand stocking up the freezer had little appeal to me. Nowadays the only time I keep a limit is when I am taking someone out who does not get to go all that often.

Ima good fisherman, but I don't brag abut how good I am.:rolleyes: