Bg Crappie

[Just Jiggin]

Do you think more crappie over the 1 lb range die to natural cause's or by the anglers cleaning them..

[LSL Angler]

That is a very good question and a hot topic at times on here to let that big one go to spawn again or to clean and eat it.

[Tmason]

fishing mortality is really high in the 3 year old fish that finally make it to desirable size (10"ers or so). average lifespan of crappie is 3-4 years old...due to fishing mortality. some lakes grow em faster, so the 1lbers will be the ones on the cleaning board on the fast growing lakes. That is a tough question to answer, but most crappie die by the knife..in lakes that get significant fishing pressure...in lakes that do not get the pressure and become stunted...the crappie never get to a pound anyway

[MOfishmgr]

Fast growing crappie rarely live beyond 5 years. Probably due to angling, but even stunted crappie top out at 8 to 10 years old. The faster a fish grows the shorter it's life. If it's 14 inches, I always tell folks to eat it. It probably doesn't have a year left in it anyway. There are the odd exceptions to this observation and they will reach 15+ inches. Never caught one on rod and reel in MO, but I have caught them electrofishing. I've caught 3 of them in 26 years. Two of them died from the stress.

[Just Jiggin]

Thanks a lot of the info..I had always thought the bigger crappie would die to natural cause's...

[Little Skeeter]

You mean eating it is not a natural cause? We are predators as mammals right? I know what you mean though.

[keeferfish]

You mean eating it is not a natural cause?

Seems natural to me but the crappie may have another opinion.

[Route U]

Good info, but I will always release that toad back to the water.......even if I catch it late in the year, it might have one more spawn left in it. From what I understand, the larger fish are more prolific spawners (produce more eggs), correct?

U

[MOfishmgr]

Not necessarily. Crappie growing well rarely live past age 5. So if it's 13 inches or longer it has very little time left. Fish in their last years will produce fewer eggs per pound than those middle-aged 10 inchers. I always tell folks to hook and cook the big ones and don't feel guilty about it.

[vic n]

Not necessarily. Crappie growing well rarely live past age 5. So if it's 13 inches or longer it has very little time left. Fish in their last years will produce fewer eggs per pound than those middle-aged 10 inchers. I always tell folks to hook and cook the big ones and don't feel guilty about it.

Well this just made me curious about something.....women are limited as to the number of eggs they have, and that number may be determined at birth (?). So if humans have a finite number, is that true of other species?