Creel Limits - Yes this will tick some people off -

[gonefishing]

Well said Vonda !!!

I have seen the size of fish go down on some of the lakes that I fish here in LA. As far as I know we only have one lake in the state with less that a 50 fish limit and it is 25 there. And no size limit on any lake that I know of.

Were are our 3# fish at?

Sam W

[crappielimits]

I agree, they are probably selling the fish! Also you cannot have over the possesion limit in any state at home or RV. You cannot catch your limit before midnight and not leave the water before catching another limit! Someone has been misinformed! The problem is Lisc. prices go up, but less law enforcement on the water. The amount of hunters has drastically fallen in the last few years while fishermen has risen and still they focus more on deer and ducks. WHY?????????????

[gabowman]

I'll give my dad and his wife a couple messes of fish a year along with an older gentleman which is a buddy of mine I'll give a few messes. Other than that I dont give fish away. People dont seem near as appreciative any more and at today's fishing prices I'd just as soon put 'em back so they grow some more before I"ll give 'em away. I night fish and catch alot of fish at times but seldom carry many home. I usually fish alone, or with my son, but if anybody else goes we'll usually give 'em the keeper fish we catch if they want 'em. I try to cull all small fish unless they are suicides (hooks hung too deep) and wont keep more than the 4 of my family will eat a week. I pout up 5-10 messes a year for dinners in case fishing gets hard or bad weather/work/etc. keeps me from going. I dont mind other people's business and dont want them minding mine.People nowadays are crazy and I aint getting into legal limits or what-nots at a boat ramp or anywhere else with nobody. I'll just hope and trust the GW's do their jobs and do 'em well. Unfortunately I hardly ever see a game warden.

[ShilohRed]

I for one clean say 10 or 12 and that is penty. I enjoy fishing and eating them. but I for one do not care to clean 30 each trip even if i did catch that many each trip.
Just like at Sardis last spring, If a fish was not 12" it went back in.
Just like a Pickwick. A 9" fish even though its legal is going back.
Pete

[Cane Pole]

I agree, they are probably selling the fish! Also you cannot have over the possesion limit in any state at home or RV. You cannot catch your limit before midnight and not leave the water before catching another limit! Someone has been misinformed! The problem is Lisc. prices go up, but less law enforcement on the water. The amount of hunters has drastically fallen in the last few years while fishermen has risen and still they focus more on deer and ducks. WHY?????????????

It is easier to catch someone with 31 deer than someone with 31 fishes....:D

What I am saying is that it is easier to enforce big game limits, makes PETA look good, and gives the game cops more donut time.

[SpeckWick]

You think a guy catching multiple limits in a day is bad?
Here in Ohio, save one or two lakes, there is no size or creel limit at all, and it burns me up. They protect walleye, bass, trout, even trophy catfish, but crappie are fair game. I sent an email last year asking the DNR why this is so or if there is a way to petition to have it done. They basically said that if they imposed a size or creel limit, surveys showed that less people would buy liscenses and go fishing because they like to be able to keep what they catch. That is the Division of Natural Resources take on it...THEY COULDN'T MAKE ENOUGH MONEY FROM LISCENSE PURCHASES!!! Are you kidding me?! I for one would like to see a creel limit everywhere in Ohio and a minimum size limit on a select few lakes. Some of the lakes I fish are on the verge of being good big fish lakes, if only the state would try to preserve the borderline fish to allow them to grow. If we have a good spring as far as weather goes, the crappie take an absolute pounding during the spawn, and a lot of guys keep everything they catch. There aren't enough people that limit themselves as they should, and I fear that crappie fishing as a whole will suffer for it. I for one don't keep anything under 9", which here in Ohio is the minimum size on the lakes that do impose it. Usually I only keep 10-15 at the most unless I have someone with me who doesn't get out much and wants to keep a few, but even then 30 is too many. I could go on and on about this, but from reading the previous posts, I don't think I am alone with my opinion.

[kycreek]

Rarely do I ever catch a limit. I could count the times on one hand. Now back when I was a kid, going with dad it seems the fishing around here was better. But the Ohio river tribs. I fish now just don't cough up massive limits of crappie. We have our good days sure but hitting 2 or 3 creeks a day, fishing the honey holes seems to be the way to catch numbers. 1 or 2 keepers off this brushpile and move on to the next one. By the time I clean 30 fish I am glad to see the bottom of the bucket. Anymore than that is just being greedy. As long as I have a couple bags in the freezer 10 or 15 is plenty.

[Sandwich Maker]

In the area of Texas I live in, the quanity and quality has been much, much better since TPWD put size and number limits on crappie years ago. 25 fish, 10" minimum. Drought is our biggest problem with fish populations.

That being said, I have little trouble catching a limit most of the time. I carry a clicker/counter on my neck to keep up with how many fish I catch each trip. I enter it on a log that I keep each trip.

I clean enough fish to eat, and sometimes to give to some elderly folks who really enjoy a meal of crappie fillets. Over the limilt or multiple limits in one day? No way.

I see it mostly in the spawn, when people who can't find fish any other time try to stock the freezer with the "easy" fish. Best that I don't see them, I am good friends with the Game Warden, have him on speed dial. Where I live, it's tough if you get caught. In Scurry County, the JP has a minimum fine of $200 PER FISH for over limit or undersized fish. Several folks have paid fines of well over $1000. Stupidity can be expensive!!!

[beagle man]

I have a problem with people that do the double limit triple limit thing. alway's a few bad apples, I fish a lot I catch a limit more times than not I give fish away, elderly neighbours mostly. give a bunch away at the boat ramp,but I dont go back out and catch another limit and take home, in Mo. If you give a fish away it counts as your fish plus it count's on the daly creel of the person you gave it to. were suppose to get name and license no. of the person who get the fish. If I give fish away I just dont keep anymore that day..... cloudy and rainey here today. looks like snow comming. time to get the reels ready for later this week good fishing all

[skeetbum]

I catch lots of fish on some days, to the point of culling or setting personal minimum of 12". Yes, I catch several over 12 on some days. I'm no superman and don't do this all the time. A good spot is hard to leave when they're hittin hard and fast. I have kept over my limit on a couple of occasions, but it was a case of miscounting, not deliberate overkill. I'm with everyone out here that limits are imposed for a reason and we as sportsmen and women have responsibilities to protect our resources that we so enjoy. Thru the holidays some good friends asked if I could hook em up with a meal or two. Some of these people are local landowners and give me permission to hunt their land. Give and take. At no time will you find more than a limit of fish in the freezer, and I agree that those blatant enough to keep multi limits on a regular basis need a good strappin. Take their outdoors licenses for a year on the first go around, and 5 yrs on the second and so on. I can't even imagine taking a limit of fish and throwing them in a ditch cuz I was too lazy to clean em. Mrs., this was a great subject for a thread, I'm sure all of us out here on the site are pretty much on the same page.