Length Limit on Wapp. opinion

[longshot]

I just wanted to hear everyones opinion on the 9" length limit on Wapp.

We fish flats casting two jigs under a float 99% of the time.

Last year we were keeping track of the 9"+ crappie. On the normal days we had about 10% 9"+. During good days we had a better average than that, but 10% was the norm. Two guys catching 150-200 fish total with 15-20 keepers a day was average.

An average day of 150-200 here was the size breakdown.
10% 9+"
50% 8-9" LOTS of them were 8.5-8.999999"..LOL
40% less than 8"

I know a lot of other guys that flat fish using floats and jigs at Wapp. and that seems to be the norm of the fisherman I know. There are some that are better and some that do worse....that just seems to be the norm of the fisherman I talk to.

Now....We used to keep fish that were @ 8" and above. We had all the fish we could eat. Personally I would rather eat smaller fish, but enjoy catching the larger ones. Now, we do not usually catch enough to make more than one meal. I used to give fish to a lot of people and when I gave them away it was the larger ones. When we finished cleaning fish after a days fishing I took the small fillets and gave the other guys the large ones....that WAS just the size I like.

I Have been to the lake only a couple times this year so far BUT we had the SAME 10% keeper rate.....with LOTS of fish from 8.5-8.99999" again????? Shouldnt those fish we caught last year that were in that range be 9+ inches now???? I will have a better idea when we get a chance to fish more this year I guess.....

How do all of you guys feel about the length limit????

thanks
longshot

[semocrappie]

Just wanted to say Hi and I'm new to the Forum. I've been fishing wappapello at least once a week since January. Fishing at night with minnows and up until the real cold snap we had in Feb had a 90% 9"+ rate. I was only catching 10-15 per night but getting to keep most of them. In the past few weeks my catch has increased to 20-30 fish a night but my keeper ratio has dropped well below 10%. I guess they are moving to different areas, since I don't have a boat I'm limited to where I fish. Just so you will know, a nights fishing is only about 3 hours due to the cold.

[Pirogue]

longshot,
I don't know if the 9" limit is going to improve the overall size of the fish or not...but I do know it's going to take longer than one year to determine it !!
I also have figured out that I catch better quality fish out deeper on the flats,by slow trolling jig,verses what I catch shallower under a float.
I will say that I've caught VERY few black crappie over 9" in the last few years....but caught 4 or 5 keeper blacks Tuesday?
Time will tell,I guess.

Pirogue

[Speck]

I agree with Pirogue. The new length limit hasn't had time to show improvement. I think given enough time, we'll see bigger fish. IMHO. Speck

[Hillbilly Dan]

I agree with longshot the crappie that were real close to 9 inches last year which by far is the majority of the crappie, should be at 9 inches or better this year. Im not a fishing bioligist but It would seem to me that those crappie that were real close to 9 inches last year would be there this year.

[Kit Papermouth]

The change to 9" on Clinton Lake Illinois in the 90's took a couple years before seeing any real improvement. Seemed like they stunted for a couple and then the next thing you know they were pushin' 10+.
Give it a couple years. If it doesn't improve. Band together and find out from the local biologist what their take is on it.

[caseydrew]

In time it will pay off unless they are overpopulated, which I doubt w/ a lake that size. A 9" crappie isn't very big and a lake w/ as much forage as Wappapello shouldn't have any problem growing bigger than that if they can just get old enough.

[Pirogue]

Give it 2 more years...if there's not a noticable improvement,I'll be the first to sign a petition to have the 9" limit removed.
I had my doubts when they did it on Kinkaid in IL....it took about 3 years,but the third year,limits were the norm for me there.

P

[mpkmak]

I lived here when they put the 10 limit no size about 30 years ago. They only had it 2 years but the fall of the second year for me the crappie were larger. As much pressure as Wappapello gets and no size limit people were keeping everything small as a bean. Of course those people when asked about it would always say people eat beans. My thoughts are another couple of years and there will be improvement.

[beagle man]

this is what I have found to be true. big fish dont hang to close to the small shcools of fish ever notice when you catch one small most of the school is small. same size fish hang out in the school, till they get so big the biggest of the big roam alone. some where in the middle is a school of 11 to 12 look in the deep water. big bait catches big fish. (what daddy always said)