Thread: Does anyone throw their big Crappie back?

Nope , not when boats all around me keeping them . Most have livescope and putting the hurt on them . I just keep a limit and release the rest. We will see a day when regulations change when pressure gets too great .

I do at times throw them back. Other times they take a trip home to the skillet. 14" fish here are TARP ( Tennessee Angler Recognition Program) Fish. I throw those back.

I throw all back unless I have company that want to eat fish, or mom wants some. I've learned long ago not to keep more than one or two packages in the freezer. I've seen too much get freezer burned and wasted over the years. But that's just me. Keep all you're gonna eat is what I say, as long as you're following rules no-one should complain.

Originally Posted by Slab

I throw all back unless I have company that want to eat fish, or mom wants some. I've learned long ago not to keep more than one or two packages in the freezer. I've seen too much get freezer burned and wasted over the years. But that's just me. Keep all you're gonna eat is what I say, as long as you're following rules no-one should complain.

Vacumn seal a few but most of mine go to friends and neighbors that love them . I have buddies I have taken fishing that have grumbled cause I told them it was a catch and release only day . They had plenty in freezer and I knew it .

Interesting, I just read an “ask the biologist” thread on the Missouri section of the forum that suggests you might as well keep the large fish as they are at a point of declining, at least as far as Missouri waters go. Interesting read.

Originally Posted by Lockjaw

Interesting, I just read an “ask the biologist” thread on the Missouri section of the forum that suggests you might as well keep the large fish as they are at a point of declining, at least as far as Missouri waters go. Interesting read.

Some places a 15'' fish is really old . Places like Mississippi big 4 lakes it may not be . Either way it is a personal choice . My home lake has a slower growth rate from what biologists say so does it help to release the really old fish ? If fishing pressure continues to grow maybe a lower limit or slots may help some lakes . Some flood control lakes get overpopulated with yearly floods .

Originally Posted by Slab

I throw all back unless I have company that want to eat fish, or mom wants some. I've learned long ago not to keep more than one or two packages in the freezer. I've seen too much get freezer burned and wasted over the years. But that's just me. Keep all you're gonna eat is what I say, as long as you're following rules no-one should complain.

Same here

I haven’t kept a crappie since about 2016. The neighbors wanted a fish fry and asked if I would supply the fish. I did and told them to enjoy as that would be the last I would bring home. Being strictly an UL angler using 2# test line…and sometimes 1.5# test line….crappie give me all the fun I want. Caught about 2 thousand crappie a year before my recent move to Arkansas. Still getting house setup so fishing will have to wait a while. I’ve had days where all fish were 12-14 inches…get into the black nose and get them in the 14-15 inch range…they all go back. I realize I’m not the norm when it comes to crappie fisherman….very few go after crappie and catch and release. Up until about 2015 I would have plenty of crappie filets in the freezer but just got to where I didn’t want to clean fish anymore.

Regards


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