• LiveScope is Changing Fishing in More Ways Than Just Tournaments! By Shane Johnson


    Hello, my name is Shane Johnson, from Madison, MS. I fish the Barnett Reservoir regularly. I’m a longtime member of the Magnolia Crappie Club, and I serve on the weigh-in committee. I get to see every fish we weigh at our tournaments.
    I’m a pro-staffer for ACC Crappie Stix and Freaky Franks. I’ve used the Garmin LiveScope for 100’s of hours. I’ve learned Crappie behavior from this time on the water. Finally, I’m not a professional writer, so bear with my writing.

    In today’s world, people not only are catching more fish (Crappie) with Livescope; they are catching more of the larger ones. We all get excited when we are catching fish, no doubt, that’s why we love the sport of crappie fishing so much.
    And man, when we catch big Crappie, we get thrilled. It is so gratifying to catch a mess of large Crappie, whether it be the heavy tug on the end of the line or seeing the thick large body and mouth coming out of the water.
    As fishermen, we are taking on more responsibility now that we are Live-Scope users. We see more and more of the huge slab Crappie caught at just about every lake we fish. As anglers, we must start practicing more and more “Catch and Release” to help preserve the resources.
    We can all make our own principles and protocols about what we should keep and what we should be releasing. While we’re waiting for evidence and data collected by our Fishery Biologists, we must use our individual conservation duty to protect our crappie resources. I know that preservation will allow great fishing for the years to come.
    There are numerous measures we can or should consider. Things to consider are: what size to keep, how many total fish to keep, how many two- pounds or over 14 inches, etc. As crappie enthusiasts, we must take on this responsibility ourselves and encourage others to do the same.

    Remember, every person has the privilege (not the Right) to fish according to the state laws, so we must lead by example. Proper management is the only way to preserve this great pastime of crappie fishing. If you like eating Crappie, nothing tastes better than the 10” to 12” fish. The flavor in the smaller fish is amazing.
    Some people enjoy showing off their catch on social media or just by texting pictures to friends. Showing your photos is your privilege; there’s nothing wrong with that. However, people could use the same tools (social-media and photographs) to show them being released. Some anglers are doing it already.
    Catch and Release is our duty to show other anglers and our younger generation that we are willing to help preserve our resources. The Bass guys showed us how it works. My partner and I return our Crappie over 2 pounds back to the lake after photographing them. It makes you feel good knowing you are part of the solution instead of the problem. Shane
    Comments 15 Comments
    1. SuperDave336's Avatar
      SuperDave336 -
      Good article. I agree and have noticed the same. Everyone has a camera now. Take a pic and release that fish.
    1. "G"'s Avatar
      "G" -
      Good read
    1. NIMROD's Avatar
      NIMROD -
      Not a professional writer ? Really ? Great read sir . I too think our concervation agentcies must act before overharvest of large fish .It takes years to replace the big ones and fishing pressure never been so great between Covid , social media and new high tech electronics .
    1. hdhntr's Avatar
      hdhntr -
      many of us have been returning the bigger fish we ketch of all species for years. havn't kept many bass at all except when in smaller lakes and ponds with way too many to help restore balance and eating those 12 to 14 inch bass and have shown good results. As for Crappie we ALL have our cell cameras and can take quick pic and then put em back. anything over 13 inches is my thing and even put back my wifes over two lb monster in our home lack for I just couldn't kill that one. We have a great blow up of it on our lake home wall with huge smile on wife's face. Eat the heck out of the 8 to 12 inchers for sure as there is over abundance of smaller crappie there and not many folks fish for them and supply many friends who don't fish at all. Your article is well written and timely. BTW I think because the top anglers all have LS and those they run with do, still don't think majority of those that fish for them have it and it may not be as big an issue as some think.
    1. Barnacle Bill's Avatar
      Barnacle Bill -
      Thanks for a great post.
    1. Special K's Avatar
      Special K -
      Amen & Amen.
    1. trypman1's Avatar
      trypman1 -
      I only keep a few to eat, throw back hundreds. I prefer 360 for finding fish. Great post.
    1. VBSB761's Avatar
      VBSB761 -
      "Release a breeder" has been a big movement in the Chesapeake Bay for striper for years. Unfortunately, not enough people listened and our fishery is now a shell of what it used to be. Glad to see the idea being circulated in the freshwater world.
    1. Nutbush's Avatar
      Nutbush -
      No one wants to "admit" that the invention of the Livescope was bad for fishing. Almost everyone deep down knows that it will hurt crappie fishing, yet we are buying them left and right. The crappie trails have/had a clause in there about no underwater cameras used in the tournaments, yet they turn their heads when the sponsorship money is being handed out by these companies. I applaud the guides that offer a discount for catch and release. They are the ones who have, in a way, acknowledged that Livescope can be detrimental to the crappie world. This is a great article! But, the reason i stopped bass fishing was because of the fact that the bass world frowned upon anyone keeping bass to eat.
    1. kycreek's Avatar
      kycreek -
      Great post... Everyone including myself want to catch those big ones. But they aren't near as good to eat as a 10" fish.
    1. deltarat's Avatar
      deltarat -
      I release 95% of what I catch without livescope. If I had one, maybe I could release more.
    1. Ketchn's Avatar
      Ketchn -
      I have seen a bit of the reduced limits movement lately here in Texas .
    1. STUMP HUNTER's Avatar
      STUMP HUNTER -
      Good read and nicely stated. This should be the way all crappie fishermen think.
    1. sharphook's Avatar
      sharphook -
      Hard to stomach the story while he is posing with the fish he tells us to release????
    1. sharphook's Avatar
      sharphook -
      So,Oklahoma game and fish stores mortality of crappie tournament fish deaths above 70 percent. So end all tournaments first!!!!!! Then come back for a big boy conversation. I worked for a state wildlife agency for 30 years in Law Enforcement, specialized in studies of casual affects of trophy and tournament mortality.
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