Just because there is a limit doesn't mean they want everyone to catch the limit which might explain the 3 pole limit. Kind of like when I went thru a red light and told the officer it was raining and I was going the speed limit and didn't want to slide. His response was "well, you didn't have to be going the speed limit, you could have been driving slower". Couldn't argue with him on that. Not sure if that correlates or not but it sounds good! If a fish shortage, the goal is certainly to do what can be done to decrease the outtake. Personally, I think the 12 inch rule needs to go higher. Very few fish I catch at Sardis are less than 12 inches. But 13 inches would make a big difference. There's not a shortage of catfish. Mixing apples and oranges on that debate. But there were some days I thought about catfishing because I couldn't catch a crappie!
LivetoFish
1990 Stratos 285 Pro 200 HP Merc
SpyderLok Rod Holders
Proud Member of Team Watch The Finger!!!
(662) 458-8925downsouth, canebreaker LIKED above post
Another question is. Is the crappie really in danger of over harvest or is this just a ploy to be able to catch the bigger trophy size crappie. I don't really cater to wanting to catch just big crappie as like some want to just catch the big trophy bass. This is the way that has been done to deer already with only being able to kill trophy deer to mount. What I am saying is little crappie taste just as good to me as the big ones and mother nature finds ways to protect herself most of the time.
Be safe and good luck fishing
I agree with you reese. They establish a limit that can be harvested based on the estimated number of people that fish a lake in a year. Then say if everyone fished the lake and limited every time then the fish population can stand a limit of "X". However you can catch that limit shud be fair game, as long as no more than the limit is kept. Poles shouldnt matter, method shouldn't matter. Amount of yoyo's shouldn't matter. The only thing that matters is the limit. And it should be STRICTLY enforced.
Why does a crappie have to be 12" to eat? I've ate many a fine dinners that included crappie that were shorter than 12". It's crazy. A 10" crappie is fine eating fish as long as it's thick enough. Give me the shoulders and I don't care about the length. Put a creel limit on it if you want to and be done with it. Let me decide what I eat and how I get it.
I'm with the guy above, 27458, I believe the pole limit is designed to reduce the number of people who take home the limit. It's a way to reduce the limit without reducing the limit. I wish they'd just put the limit where they want it and let us get there however we decide to get there. Probably too much to ask.
If they do not already, a limit should be made based on the assumption that everyone will catch it everytime they go out. And the fish popultion be sustained. And not limit poles/methods/etc.
So in a nutshell, there are only two new changes one is a 3 pole limit and the other is bumping Sardis back up to 12 inches correct?
Illinois has a 3 pole limit. Missouri actually has pole limits as well but spider riggers use the trotline regs to allow more poles by labeling their rods and not exceeding a 33 hook per man total. Won't be long before they take that away from us tho. This loophole is really dumb in my opinion but I too label my rods and take advantage and hope they never change.
canebreaker, BigRiverMarine LIKED above post
Also, I must say that I don't care what changes they make. 5 poles to 3, 20 fish to 15, or whatever else they come up with. The fish are there, and if I want them, I can get them. It will take a little longer, but I was always told that anything worth having was worth waiting for and worth working for. Like with their wonderful helmet rule, I'll go along to get along, and I'll wait for another straw to break my camel's back before I go up in arms.
If and I mean if- they ever over- populate and stunt. Its over.JMO.
Sounds like a simple fix to me, just like letting every team in the NFL inflate their balls to what ever they want. Who cares?? You aren't forced to play with THEIR balls anyway. (leave it alone) Just like, number of poles, number of hooks, etc. Who really cares....when you hit the limit, you HIT THE LIMIT. Quit!!
OK....who stole my Makers Mark?????? Dang it.....again. DD?????