Thread: short fish

I know I am in the minority on this one , but I'm perfectly fine with eating 10.5" crappie . We caught more crappie in the 3 lb range back in the 80s than we do now . But , maybe the average size of fish is bigger now. I would hate to see a trolling season , the lakes would be even crazier during this time . However, I would be the first one to pull my trolling racks off my boat, and get my jig pole out if they outlawed trolling. There would be a lot less folks fishing I think. Probably won't happen though . Would effect the money . I am thankful to live close to these great fisheries, and hope we don't start experiencing the carp problems other areas are having. I'm the meantime I'll keep burning up my fillet knives on 13" crappie.

the biggest problem i see is people keeping limits every day they go out most do and why do they always have to push the limit on rods why do you need four rods to catch fish these people are not doing it for fun they are doing to catch more than their buddy did and then you got these guides taking two,three even four people at a time out and each one takes out a limit you get several guides doing this every day in the spring when fish are trying to spawn and then ya wander why the fish are not big any more and why there is not as many wake up

Originally Posted by paul pace

the biggest problem i see is people keeping limits every day they go out most do and why do they always have to push the limit on rods why do you need four rods to catch fish these people are not doing it for fun they are doing to catch more than their buddy did and then you got these guides taking two,three even four people at a time out and each one takes out a limit you get several guides doing this every day in the spring when fish are trying to spawn and then ya wander why the fish are not big any more and why there is not as many wake up

Paul, do you do any trolling?

We are victims of our on success. If your old enough to have fished the big 4 back in the 80's and early 90's think back to how many spider riggers and crank pullers you saw on those lakes, not many. A few people mostly old timers pulled cranks and that's where I first learned about but didn't do it much. Riggers were older guys on small pontoon boats with cane poles,heavy weights and 10 black and Chartruse jigs on each line. This was they heyday of bass fishing which I was part of. You couldn't crappie fish for the bass boats screaming up and down the lake 7 days a week. On into the 90's a lot of us older guys got tired of that rat race and started crappie fishing in earnest. As popularity grew so did improvements in boats, motors, tecquniques, tackle and associated gear. All brought on by guys who tried and tested things that worked and it slowly but surely grew into what we have today. Yes you caught more bigger fish back then but they were ther because few were fishing for them. Now how many bass fishermen do you see during the week and how many crappie fishermen do you see. Just like this site everyone of us that has learned to enjoy this sport have introduced others to it. Thus it has grown and grown and will continue to grow. I venture to guess at some point it will out grow the popularity of bass fishing. So consequently fishing pressure has reduced the numbers of big fish to be taken. You can sit around on this forum and complain and surmise about pole limits, seasons, limit numbers and all that but it will get worse before it gets better. Right now I think we have one of the best game and fish depts in the country. They are keeping a close eye on what is going on if no other reason and I know it's not the only reason but tourism dollars have a big impact. If they didn't do the job as well as they do we wouldn't have a fisheries to be debating about. Enjoy what we have, don't worry about the other guy, do your part as you see fit and let the biologist do their job.

Originally Posted by Dutchman

I am thankful to live close to these great fisheries, and hope we don't start experiencing the carp problems other areas are having.

That’s what all of y’all better be worried about. I can tell you without a doubt they have ruined fishing in West Tn. Anything that the Mississippi River gets fed by or floods into has them.

They are all the way up the Tallahatchie to the lower lake. I’ve been told they are in the lower lake but I don’t know that for sure. All it will take is a fish crane to drop some or someone catching the little ones for bait and using them in the big lake and IT’S OVER! Kentucky lake is already ruined, they’re just now getting to Pickwick. It’ll be in bad shape in five more years. They’re in Reelfoot now and I’m sure it’ll start declining before long too.

They eat what shad eat. Imagine one carp will probably eat what 500 shad will eat. The fish at KY are poor as they can be.

When it happens (and I do mean when not if) you’ll be lucky to catch 10” fish.

I really don’t care either way about the length. I see positive and negative on both sides.

You better start pushing the biologist that everyone praises on what their plan is.



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I completely agree with most of what you have said about the carp. But what we have learned is that these carp prefer current. So, take Reelfoot as an example, I would suspect that this lake will survive due to the lack of consistent and heavy current. Also, they have put some good regulations in place in recent years that should see the quality rebound quite well.

Yes, KY and Barkley Lakes are ruined thus far. It's probably too late, but there is a push beginning so we will see where it goes.

Regardless, we have to work with and support our state biologists to keep our resources healthy and in tact for generations to come. Mississippi is a very special place for crappie fishing, and I'm very fortunate to enjoy a trip or 2 each year to this awesome fishery.

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no i do not troll nor push or pull cranks i only use 2 poles at any one time and i catch enough fish for my family like the others are saying it not just the fishing pressure but there are bad spawn years maybe the carp move in and like some say it us making crappie fishing so successful that more people are fishing for them now but if we do not start taking care of the crappie they will not be around long at least the big ones that is all i will say about this ya do what you want but i am doing for my kids

I did a big study of the Asian carp a while back on a catfish website. I have charts/links for where they were introduction in 1967, same for when they were moved to other locations to where they are now. The person that got me into this was a KY commercial fisherman and was booed off the site for his business.
Well past Pickwick with sights below Guntersville dam. Sightings on the big 4. Sightings past Kansas City. A boat pilot said he watch deck hands kick them off the boat after passing electric gates to keep them out of the great lakes.
Our biggest problem is no one wants them. They get in you boat and you throw them out. No, Save them for the trashcan, compost or animal feed.