Agree
In a recent survey conducted by CrappieNOW Magazine, the overwhelming majority of crappie anglers - including those who fish tournaments - said they believe tournament limits should be reduced from the standard seven-fish weigh-in limit, down to a five-fish weigh-in limit. Details here: Survey Results on Lowering Crappie Tournament Limits, by Richard Simms, Editor - Crappie Now
Do you agree??
Richard Simms
Editor, CrappieNOW
Agree
Yes.
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I support this idea, except that most tournaments allow more in the live well than is checked in. Magnolia crappie club is one. To my knowledge they don’t check live wells. I’ve seen contestants pull up and pick seven out of a full limit in the parking lot. If that issue is not addressed, the reduction is moot.
Do the math on what Williams wrote in the article:
Williams wrote, “Our tournament trail (the Magnolia Crappie Club) averaged 65 teams over our 2020 season. We fished ten regular-season tournaments and a two-day championship tournament. If we weighed five fish instead of seven fish, we would have saved 780 crappie over 12-inches long. Considering 80% or more are female crappie, that is tens of millions of eggs removed for our lakes that could have been saved.”
Imagine if those 65 teams all had 15 fish in their wells at the weigh in. Simply pulling out 5 instead of 7 wouldn’t change the potential harm to the fishery.
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SpeckledSlab thanked you for this post
Why not catch, weigh, and release if they are worrying about survival? No fish in the boat...
>>>-----------> Make It Count!!! <><
Also, while this would certainly be a start, it doesn’t even begin to address the issue of prefishing.
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Erin Brewer, SpeckledSlab LIKED above post
All the while guides are doing two trips per day and taking 4-6 LIMITS of fish out of your lake every day. Now you do the math.
Believe me, I’m with you. If I had to pick, I would end the guide business before the tournaments. But this is a tournament discussion. We can have the other if you want.
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Erin Brewer, Drtodd10 LIKED above post
Not a tournament fisherman or any interest in it. That being said, The supply of quality crappie is not inexhaustible. Anything to reduce fish in boats and mortality rates has to be a good thing. Just my
Bob
Is there really a need for this or is it just a percieved need? Is it a form of virtue signaling without any real impact on the fishery?
I'm waiting to hear from the biologists on the impact this will have on the population.
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DOFC thanked you for this post