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Thread: Kentucky Lake size suggestion?

  1. #1
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    Default Kentucky Lake size suggestion?


    This may be a topic covered before but I have yet to find it and my passion for crappie fishing is relentless. I'm doing my best to pass it along to my 3.5 yr old daughter. That being said, in my opinion it seems like the TN and Cumberland river system's crappie could benefit from a 11" length limit.

    As I sit in the middle of nowhere with the military, I have continuously watched every episode of the ACT and constantly wonder why TN/KY can't produce the size of fish that MS does. I know there are several factors to consider(asian carp, longer grow season, more food, etc) but it seems like the 12" length limit, specifically for Grenada, could be a big reason for the massive slabs.

    I just spent 18 months fishing the KS/OK lakes. None of the lakes I fished are known for being top crappie lakes. Out of we'll say 30 fish, 18-24 of those would be 11" or bigger fish. It seems like that number is reversed at KY Lake, with the majority being smaller fish. Maybe KY lake slabs are more educated so they don't fall for my shenanigans. Maybe the increased slab fisherman at KY lake pull more fish from the lake. I don't know.

    It seems like with the evolution of livescope, the crappie world has been changed completely. With much less skill or experience, a crappie fisherman can do fairly well with the technology nowadays. Me included. It blows my mind seeing a lake with 50 fish creel limit. Maybe I am crazy but I feel like that is a little much. I personally would rather catch fewer but larger fish. Sorta like the world of deer hunting, Fort Campbell produces monster deer by enforcing size and harvest restrictions.

    Maybe their is a biologist out there that can provide some science for me. Maybe letting crappie go to 11" in KY lake would overpopulate the lake too much. I truly hope the answer isn't license sales would suffer.

    My brother says nothing will change it but I don't believe that and I figure the conversation has to start somewhere.

  2. #2
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    On some lakes of over population,there are so many small crappie that none of them can grow big,
    culling out the small ones can help with that.
    On others, there's not enough to keep up the population or food source.
    It's a very complex issue for the DNR to deal with.
    And it changes from year to year.
    JC
    Likes GREENFISH, Cdbolton LIKED above post

  3. #3
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    Default size limit

    Quote Originally Posted by JCCLARK View Post
    On some lakes of over population,there are so many small crappie that none of them can grow big,
    culling out the small ones can help with that.
    On others, there's not enough to keep up the population or food source.
    It's a very c by increasing the omplex issue for the DNR to deal with.
    And it changes from year to year.
    I proposed this several years ago
    after fishing the Mississippi lakes. Give the crappie on Ky and Barkley another year to spawn by increasing the size limit to 11 or even 12 inches.

  4. #4
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    I couldn't agree more. It is very dynamic. I revert back to the Fort Campbell deer hunting. There for a while, it seemed like the regulations changed or were modified every year. From what I remember, it went from shoot a doe to get a buck tag, then that went away, then the antlers had to be a certain size. Regardless, the regulations changed every year because the targetted species changes every year. Conservation is on top of their game because the attractiveness of Fort Cambell deer hunting. I remember being parked next to a guy one morning that was from Florida.

    Is that something that could be implemented at KY lake? Every year they modify size and creel limits. As fisherman, yes the burden will be on us to take 30 seconds every year and see if there has been a change. Conservationists may have to make a slight sticker change at each boat ramp and slight number change in the regulation magazine that comes out every year.

  5. #5
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    Cutting the creel limit to 15 from 20 and raising the size limit to 11" would be GREAT!!!!!!
    2017 Ranger RT188C Shadow Grass Camo
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  6. #6
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    Attached is a pic of my livewell master. She is all about reuniting them with their friends in the livewell. And she even eats them, but mostly because of the ketchup.
    Attached Images Attached Images  

  7. #7
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    Beautiful kid, I fish the big 4 in MS a lot. And we catch a lot of big ones, Their is so many factors involved in raising super crappie, but I prefer the 10/11" fish for eating. Oh well. I think the growing season, length limit and available food is the answer.

  8. #8
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    I say leave it alone. Crappie are prolific spawners. There has been lots and lots of research conducted by fisheries biologists to place the size limits and creel limits where they are currently at.

    I say let the fisheries biologists do their jobs, it's what they've spent a lifetime studying and committed their life/career to....no need to try and make fisheries biologists make decisions simply based upon an angler's baseless ideas.
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  9. #9
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  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by JCCLARK View Post
    On some lakes of over population,there are so many small crappie that none of them can grow big,
    culling out the small ones can help with that.
    Have seen that firsthand, in several farm ponds, and in Taylorsville Lake about 10 years ago.

    Lots of fish to be caught, but gets old catching all those 7" and 8" sized crappie.

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