Thread: Crappie Biology at Kentucky and Barkley lakes

I just spent thirty minutes typing my comment. I vented my feelings about this and when I was done I read it and felt better. I then deleted it. Sometimes it's better to say nothing. ?

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Thanks for the great info Paul and the job you do. We are all blessed to live and fish in a great state with excellent managerment of the resources. Thank you!

Thanks for taking your time to post this here. Very interesting.

I just wish the Army Corp of Engineers would change the curve a little more in favor of spawning activity, I by no means am an expert, but it seems if we changed the curve and raised the lake a little faster in the Spring compared to the current track it would provide more productive spawning areas for the crappie as much of the structure seems to be near the banks or near shore. I know we cant control the unforeseen weather patterns or the amount of rain and I heard the argument the Lakes are for Flood Control and Power Generation, although I believe a minor change in the lake level would favor a more productive spawn.

DEEPCOVER

You do point out another variable that affects the spawn; weather. Most certainly nice weather equates to more fishing pressure, but not always success. This past fall and winter is a great example. The weather for the most part has been mild, hence fishing pressure is up. And, success is up, cause there are fish to be caught, and they are hungry.

We are doing a KY Lake survey this year, which will give us a measure of fishing pressure that I can compare to other years. I don't have those number available yet, but I suspect they will be up, when compared to other survey years where the weather was more winter'ish.

Gary Garth, an outdoor writer, just recently wrote a great piece on the potential for this spring spawn. It can be found at https://t.co/1Rn86wPu0p. Just copy that link into a browser should bring it up. Bottom line is weather does affect the spawn.

redearhoosier

From my original post.

Using the past decade of creel data from Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley surveys, it is evident that the number of anglers utilizing 3 or more poles has increased. At Kentucky Lake the percentage of crappie anglers using 3 or more poles has increased from 17% to 64% in the past decade. We can estimate from this data, if 100% of the crappie anglers would have used 3 poles at KY Lake, crappie harvest might have increased to almost 147,000. This is a 15% increase to the actual harvest of 128,000 reported during the 2015 creel survey. If all anglers would have used > 5 poles, it is estimated that harvest would have increase by 36%. If all crappie anglers began using >5 poles, this would be the worst case scenario where all crappie anglers use the most efficient method. In this scenario, harvest might increase to an undesirable level. In addition, using the creel data, we can also estimate how a pole limit might affect the harvest of crappie. By implementing a 3 pole limit we estimated harvest would only be reduce slightly. The average reduction to harvest at both lakes is about 5%. Though, if overharvest was to become a concern, we feel pole limits might be better accepted by crappie anglers than a further reduction in creel limit from 20 down to 15 or even 10.

Let me first reiterate.. We are not considering pole limits, it is just something we monitor, and if, (IF) overharvest became a problem, then pole limits might be just as beneficial as reducing the limit from 20 down to 10. Please see the "IF" in that sentence. To many on here are reading this post and getting bent out of shape.

What we know, is the number of crappie anglers using 3 or more poles is increasing. We know that fishing with 5 or more poles is extremely efficient. And (IF) 100% of the crappie anglers began using 5 or more poles, then overharvest "might" become and issue. Again, just something we are keeping an eye on.

We try to manage proactively, and not re-actively.

Additionally, some ask, we have a limit, so what does it matter how many poles anglers use. The limits, at the time, were set based on the current population density and fishing trends (harvest success). But as fishing techniques (ability to fish more poles, fish finders, GPS, down and side scan, etc) allow anglers to become more effective, then harvest restrictions need to be re-examined periodically.

bandchaser and perchjerker108 and a few others that quoted the old saying that 10% of the anglers catch 90% of the fish.

Interesting. I can use the creel data to debunk that myth. So, from the KY Lake surveys....the data shows that actually 34% of the crappie anglers harvested 90% of the crappie. There you go. The data has proven the ole' saying to be a myth, and not the fact.

Bandchaser, Slabmaster, Crappiepappy, I agree with everything you've all said. Just feel if anything that will help fortify and help the crappie population and fishing in this state, I'm with you. Paul, just seemed your data suggested that with the lower the pole limit, the possibility of more catchable fish would increase for all fisherman. Will stay out of this for now, and see what happens in the future. Looking forward for the next report from Paul next year.