Just a thought about Crappie

[wrwest]

While I was at work yesterday talking to some of the other fisherman. We were having this debate.

Most people who fish will keep almost all of the crappie that they catch. Example look at some of the post on this sight and you will see large quantities of crappie on stringers or in ice chest. Same is true for the blue gills. Also most people will keep the trout that they catch,

On the other hand, the bass guys will release most of the fish that catch. Even none bass guys will release their bass.

My question is, Is it possible that lake can get over populated with bass? They are not harvested the way other game fish are. What do bass eat, trout, blue gills and out beloved crappie.

[whackmaster]

lets not forget they also eat bass ! Bluegill and crappie are prolific breeders and generally you need to remove some to keep numbers in check....you also need bass to help keep them in balance.IMO

[FisherMike]

Besides that,,, even the bass fishermen know that LM bass suck as food.
They taste bad too.
That's just my opinion.

[catch fillet]

Very true in that carppie will over run a lake do to their extremly fast growth.

[Darryl Morris]

Conservation fishing or as most call it catch and release has it's place I'm sure but just like everything else it has it's con's too. Most that do CaR do it for the possibility of growing a really big bass as much as for population. However, in my experience, if we worked as hard to make habitat and were able to keep our waters at an appropriate level during the spawn growth and population wouldn't be a problem. The bass, bream and crappie all compete for the same real estate to spawn in, so if they have more territory they'll do it more. Another down side to it is on many occasions I will catch a bass and it will have half a plastic worm hanging out its rectum or when trying to fillet the skinny, poor critter find a rubber tube or lizard in its stomach that it can't pass.