Calling all MI Crappie Fishermen & Women

[cstyle]

I've begun to really enjoy the sport of crappie fishing and have recently started to make sure I don't overfish any spot. It's kinda funny when you think about it because I can recall telling people they were crazy for putting big fish back in the lake and now I can see people telling me the same thing. I went fishing on Belleville lake Wednesday and was putting back some 5-7" fish and a guy told me I was crazy and I should have given him the fish. I kept 4 fish ranging from 8-10". I did let one go that was about 11.5" and all eyes turned towards me as if I committed a sin. I told them all I wanted was 4 fish...you know enough for dinner...and I wanted to get rid of my last minnow. They said I should have given it to them or got rid of one of my smaller fish. It didn't bother me at all and I thought it was kinda funny.

What crazy stories has anyone had that would like to share them? Also what is your favorite way to fish for these lovely papermouths and what bodies of water? I'm willing to explore new territory this year and wouldn't mind getting a few pointers from those fishing around this great state of Michigan.

BTW San Antonio lost by 31 and it didn't look pretty either.

[rockinmichigan]

Hey cstyle, where in SE Michigan are you? I live about two miles north of the border, and so a lot of fishing between Monroe and some in Luna Pier, MI. I haven't have much luck personally with crappie, but did have quite a bit night fishing the couple times I've gone out at Luna Pier. Caught 9 or 10 white bass, a couple sheephead, and a dink of a channel catfish the size of my index finger. Personally, I don't have a problem with people doing catch and release, or catching only a personal goal no matter how low I think it might be, but I do think catch and release is over-rated. But I'm not going to entitle that as my opinion, which that is all it is. I like to keep going, if I'm catching some fish I want to catch more, that much more to put in the freezer. I do have my limits too though. A buddy of mine has been known to keep dinks from time to time, no matter the species, including largemouths. I don't and won't report, but he knows I'm not like that. If I have some nice slabs of bluegills or whatever, and if I get one that's only about 4" and he swallowed the hook and he ends up dying on me, I may keep him but only because he's a goner or is about to die. Know what I mean? I don't make it a regular habit, because I want some of those little ones to get big, mainly because you never know if that little guy might be someone's state record.