Selective Harvesting

[Scott17b]

Just wondering if fishermen have been practicing selective harvesting? Or do you keep all you catch up to the state law limits? Be truthfull please!

[bentpole]

I use to like to run the numbers up. But now I don't like cleaning that many:D,I'm lucky & get to fish alot.Now,because we don't like to freeze them I just keep what we will eat that night or the next. I also keep & clean a mess every now & then for some older people that lives close to me.Some days I'll go by my self & not keep a fish.

[PawPaw Gene]

I haven't caught a limit in years. I usually keep all keepers in sac-au-lait and bream. A normal fishing trip might include 10 to 20 sac-a-lait, 12 to 40 bream, with a stray bass or two thrown in for good measure. I have a lot of trips with a lot less than that and only a few with a lot more. We only eat fresh fish, none go in the freezer.
"gene"

[REDBOAT]

My usual targert is about a dozen Crappie. Once I get that much then I don't keep any more.. Sometimes though, I keep more. Just depends.

[slabbandit]

I will keep a limit of 20 if I can catch that many but I normally don't catch a full limit. I throw back most of them under 9" or so unless I have to keep them to make a meal.We eat a lot of crappie and do a few family fish frys also.
I always wondered what impact it has on the crappie population to take out the big females before they have a chance to lay their eggs.

[TreednNC]

Not generally. Generally dont have that problem though. Our limit is 8"/20fish. We generally dont keep anything under 10" so that knocks out a lot of our fish anyway.

[Slipped Cork]

I alway's keep all keeper's.I love to give them to family and friend's and freeze a bunch also.I learned how to freeze them and it really help's on the taste.When I fillet them I put them in a bag of empty water and never rinse them I just add water to the bag and freeze.It sound's like it's a little nasty but when I thaw I rince very well.I never had a complaint at the annual church fish fry as most people never eat crappie,bluehill or catfish.That's as honest as I can be.

[SkeeterJeff]

Indiana does not have a size limit, but does have a daily limit of 25 and a posession limit of 50 per person. Last year we kept 9" and above, but this year we have bumped it to 10". By the way, we have never caught a 25 fish limit.

Jeff

[CrappiePappy]

Just wondering if fishermen have been practicing selective harvesting? Or do you keep all you catch up to the state law limits? Be truthfull please!

all of the above :D

I've kept as few as 2, as many as 30 (lake limit), and have returned a lot of "keeper" fish (on different occasions).

There is one lake, that I plan to fish, that has no size limit now. The Crappie are not growing like they should, and are becoming stunted, not getting over the 8" range in any numbers. The creel limit has also been changed, from 15/person/day to the statewide limit of 30/person/day. The "selective" harvest here, is to take out a high percentage of these smaller fish, so that the remaining fish have less competition for the resources ... and grow larger. The lake HAS produced 16" fish, just not in any numbers. The hope is for a reduced number of the slower growing fish, to allow the survivors to grow to these sizes +/- ... and I intend to help make that happen :p

... cp

[Slipped Cork]

I fully agree with you pappy.The state biologist know alot more than I do.That is why most lake's have a seperate creel limit to reduce overharvest.I usually catch a few limit's each year and they for the mostpart do an excellent job.A big reservoir and a few people trying to make a difference will never work.Keep what you want and return the rest.