Wappapello: Past/Present Compare

[crappierascal]

I did a quick forum search to see if this has come up since I moved to TX from SEMO. I am surprised that it hasn't, at least I didn't locate it if it has.


All of you guys/gals that fished Wapp before the length limit was implemented; have you noticed any change, for better or worse, in quality after the past couple of years?

Opinions?

[Speck]

I did a quick forum search to see if this has come up since I moved to TX from SEMO. I am surprised that it hasn't, at least I didn't locate it if it has.


All of you guys/gals that fished Wapp before the length limit was implemented; have you noticed any change, for better or worse, in quality after the past couple of years?

Opinions?

I think its getting better Russ, slowly but surely. We did see some guys out there this weekend that weren't culling very much. They either were into some good fish or hadn't heard about the length limit. I feel it was the latter.

[14smoke]

Ive only been fishin it for a couple of years so I dont have an answer for you but how can those people not see those length limit signs. Those things are everywhere. I saw one in a bathroom stall last year at a gas station lol

[talltimber]

[QUOTE=14smoke;733086]Ive only been fishin it for a couple of years so I dont have an answer for you but how can those people not see those length limit signs. Those things are everywhere. I saw one in a bathroom stall last year at a gas station lol[/QUOTE

:D :D :D :D Good one!

[longshot]

This is my 9th year to fish wappapello. YUP...it has made a LOT of difference....in how much crappie is in my freezer:D...Used to be able to eat all the crappie I wanted and give some away to people that wanted it....now I dont even get to eat all I want.

I dont think it has made a difference that is really significant......about 1/2" longer fish average in length difference in my opinion.... It is supposed to take three years to see a difference. It was three years March first this year. Now the question is is that attributable to the length limit or other factors?

In the years before the length limit an average 30 fish limit was @ 15 "average wappapello fish" of @8" and about 5 in the 1.25#-1.75" range....and the other 10 fish in the 3/4-1.25# range. This was in January to spawn. This is what I saw OVER and OVER and OVER....before the size limit.

There were good days with 20 good fish and bad days with very few good ones.....but the above limit was a decent days limit.......it was VERY uncommon not to bring home a limit of crappie.....of some size....

Now we get @ 1 keeper in anywhere from 6-10 fish. I have been averaging about 10-15 keepers a day since the size limit(Jan-spawn). Which I just consider myself an average fisherman.

In my opinion LAST YEARS high water and LACK OF HEAVY HARVEST during the SPAWN will help out the next couple years of fishing more than anything!!!!!

thanks
longshot

[crappierascal]

well... we have one saying yes and one saying no...need some more opinions? I hope my wife and i can make it back for our spring vacation (tentatively scheduled) and fish wapp. as well. Let yall know how we do if we make it up!

[rrluke]

i know nothing about that lake , but i read in iowa at lake rathbun that there is no limit to how many fish you can take home , i do not think there is a length limit there either, their study is that it matters not how many fish are taken , but what does matter is whether the spawns in the previous years were good, they have agreements with the core of engineers to control the water level of the lake during the the spawn as to be advantageous for a good crappie spawn. if this is the case and i believe it is, why does'nt m.d.c. take advantage of this and work with whoever controls water level.

[talltimber]

They do manage the water level, for flood control. I would be surprised if there was a coe lake anywhere that would actually manage for fish. It's just not what they are about.

[22Footer]

All I can say is that the weights coming in from the tournaments are proving to be getting heavier. The winners of a ten fish tournament had 12.22 I believe. And second and third were each in the 11 pound range. The 15 fish tournament had 15lbs 7oz to win. With 15lbs 3oz for second. 14 pounds took third. Big fish was 1lb 12oz. There was a 2lb plus weighed in and it took the $758 prize home. Small fish are plentiful and a lot of the fisherman struggle with finding big fish. I believe that holds true with any lake. Look at some of the national tournament results from across the country. These are held on big crappie lakes, and not all of the weights reflect that. There is no replacement for time on the water, and trying different methods to catch them.