Why so many small crappie at Clinton?

[Captain Dan]

Last evening I cleaned the only 2 keepers that I kept out of 26 total fish. They where skinny and the stomachs where empty, as if they are not eating enough to grow thick and long.
Are they over populated or not enough food available for them to grow like they where 8 years ago?
It seams like the decline of quality crappie started after wipers where introduced into Clinton.

[zeepo]

I have been fishing Clinton pretty hard lately and from all the schools of small shad I have seen in the lake it would be hard to believe its from lack of food. I measured a shad last night and it was 1.5 inches long which I would not think would be too big for a crappie to eat. This past year I agree that I caught more small fish than the previous 3 years but I also caught a lot more fish. I saw a lot more people fishing Clinton this year than past years, it got pounded this year in my opinion and there was always a line to get to the fish cleaning station. I think getting back to normal pool will help.


Zeepo

[LBM]

Last evening I cleaned the only 2 keepers that I kept out of 26 total fish. They where skinny and the stomachs where empty, as if they are not eating enough to grow thick and long.
Are they over populated or not enough food available for them to grow like they where 8 years ago?
It seams like the decline of quality crappie started after wipers where introduced into Clinton.

I don't know but it seems like ol fishyDan might be the cause here - going out there and vacuuming up all the legals every time he gets out there.

http://www.crappie.com/crappie/kansa...ml#post2761505

[Flint]

I also dont think its a lack of shad. Ive been to Perry, Clinton and Pamona in the last week and seen tons of shad at all three. Fishing was similar at all three lakes (tough) . The wind made it hard to fish shallow areas as well as the standard places. The fish are biting but real light with lots of little feller's.

[hair jig]

its not just clinton

[fishlessDan]

I don't know but it seems like ol fishyDan might be the cause here - going out there and vacuuming up all the legals every time he gets out there.

http://www.crappie.com/crappie/kansa...ml#post2761505

Haha LBM, the 15-20 I take out every 4-5 weeks isnt hurting the population any. I think most folks just arent patient enough this time of year. A saying we had back in the day was(its better to fish a bad spot good than fish a good spot bad!), the decent fish are there, it just takes longer for them to hit the jig with all the food in the water right now, ie, insects, shad worms, and with Clinton recently full a crap load more of all of them. Everyone needs to just slow down!

[springhillwantabe]

well put fd wonderful thing bout all those dinks most will get larger and when they are goin out of there 3 or 4 hundred a week during spawn we will be glad they are there??

[fishlessDan]

Haha springhillwtb, during the peak of the spawn, I bet they go out by the 1000's! But fortunatley most of us miss the peak of the spawn. I'm no biologits by any means but I'd bout bet all the major reservoirs hold 8-10,000 legal crappie at any given time through out the year. Craig will be able to tell us if thats a close guesstimate or not, but I'll bet ya cold one my guess is within a 1000 give or take

[skinner80]

The heat of summer is a hard time to get the large females of any species of fish other than catfish in my opinion. Look at the dates our state records were caught almost all spring and fall. Have always been told this time of year if you are in small fish you need to move to find bigger. This is the only time I would leave fish to find fish!

[zummy]

Funny that lakes that require larger sizes and less fish be taken still produce big fish. I don't know that I have ever pulled a fish under 10" out of my favorite lake.