If I really want to eat some crappie and I know for sure that I'll clean them when I get home....I'll keep a few. 95% of the time I catch and release during the spawn.
To much time on my hands and was doing some thinking.
During the spawn do you catch and release or do you keep your limit.
I have never gave it much thought till now and was wondering what you guys thought was the right thing to do.
If I really want to eat some crappie and I know for sure that I'll clean them when I get home....I'll keep a few. 95% of the time I catch and release during the spawn.
depends on the status of the freezer. My thoughts are changing as I see the pressure put on different fisheries. Catch and release worked very well with the pressure increase on the largemouth. Slot limits have also worked very well for the Redfish and Snook, whose numbers were in serious trouble before these were in place. Commercial netters did the initial damage there, so bad that it was years before brood stock was replenished. I don't want to see us in trouble before we pay attention. You wouldn't shoot a deer if you wouldn't make use of it, this is no different. Can't grow big fish from small fish genetics. I know I'm in the minority on this but had to speak my peace.
Creativity is just intelligence fooling around
I keep a few to eat and release the rest.
I never keep a limit any way catch and release durning the spawn. The bank fisherman hammer the fish and keep ever thing.
I'll agree, but also think why not? It's their time off year, plenty of bank fishers don't have access to fish all the time without a boat. I don't mind them keeping their quotas, crappie are prolific and can rebuild quickly with proper spawning habitat. HABITAT, it's the key to the whole cycle. Dwindling populations are the result of loss of habitat, directly or indirectly good structure will offset almost anything. Size of harvestable fish is another thing completely. Genetics has NOTHING to with size, remember Mother Nature plays a numbers game to ensure survival. For most of us with man made waters, crappies have captivated and utilized impoundments for their success and growth, allowing those slabs to prosper. Habitat and food supply produce big crappies, not pitching a 15" fish back to procreate. 8"-12" fish are the best fish for production of numbers.
All lakes raise a foot when I step in the boat
Here in Ohio, on Lake Erie, there is no limit on crappie & bluegills. Some of the inland lakes have limits accordingly. Michigan our neighbor state has a limit of 25 for panfish. When fishing the inlets of Lake Erie we try & keep so many for the table , & release the rest. Sometimes those big girls are oozing out eggs. Those will go back on my boat. I'm retired & can fish at will ,& don't have to have large numbers , & don't want to keep a lot of any type of fish for cleaning.
I never catch a limit but the one's I do catch, I usually keep because I love to eat them as much as catch them. I'm not hurting the population.....
"Insanity is inherited, you get it from your kids."
Mike Epperson
A fish Biologist once told me a number of panfish that needed to be taken out per acre, I dont remember the exact number but it was around 300 or 400 per acre, he told me that was to keep the population in check so they would grow bigger, with that being said we throw back females with eggs and most fish over 12" on the lake I fish there seems to be numerous fish 8 to 9" for table fare.