Crappie growth rates.

[MOfishmgr]

The question was asked in another post about how old crappie are at various sizes. In general crappie in the southern half of the state grwo faster than up north. The grwoing season is close to a month longer and that makes a difference. Crappie growth can vary greatly depending up food availability, but we generally see good growing fish in the fall of their first year be about 4 inches long. By the end of the second year they are 7 inches and by age 3 they are 9 to 10 inches. A 12 fish is probaly 5 years old in most lakes and there are usually less than 10 percent of the crappie that are that old.

Crappie length limits began when we found that few crappie were living past age 3. This was surprise. We used to think you couldn't overfish crappie on a big lake. Well we found out that wasn't the case at Smithville when we had to put an emergency length limit on them in a few years after the lake opened because the crappie had been so overfished! Length and daily limits have allowed more crappie to grow to an older age and reach larger sizes. It's kind of the same thing that's being done with antler point restrictions on deer. The goal is to allow bucks to live longer and shift more harvest to does. This will reduce the deer herd some and allow bucks to reach larger size.

It does bring up an interesting thing we deal with when putting a value on wildlife. If a guy has killed his buck for the year and then kills another nice buck he often gets a hefty fine from the judge. But catch a double limit of 12-inch crappie and the fine will often be less. Even though it may take only 3 years to grow a nice buck while it takes 5 years to produce those big crappie. Which is more valuable? The biologist would say the fish but the judge often says the deer.

Keep the questions coming and I'll answer the ones I can. I'm not afraid to say I don't know though! I'll also try to start a new thread to keep from cluttering other topics. If you can post your questions in a new thread that will amke sure I see them too. Watch out for the wind and heat this weekend! Boating in hot windy weather can make your reaction times similar to someone who's had a few drinks, so watch out for the other guy too!

[Fishtaco]

First of all, let me say that I don't often get a chance to fish MO waters much, living in central Arkansas as I do.

Second, let me say, thank you for sharing your knowledge and your experience with us here at Crappie.com. I really enjoy reading your posts and learning what you have share.

I would like to know what you can share about temperature. I know that several folks use a thermometer to test the waters at differing levels. I don't know that they are looking for the thermocline or if they know something most of us don't.

I've read articles about crappie and temperature, and I realize that ph, clarity, oxygen, etc. have much to do with where crappie go, but I'm wondering if there is a particular temperature or range that crappie prefer?

Thanks in advance.

[DMW1960]

Mofishmgr, wow thanks! So a 9" crappie that is released in the early spring at Pomme or Truman could be maybe a 10" by fall of the same year. But as they get larger the growth rate per year really drops off. So my 13" mounted white and black crappies that came from Pomme de Terre were old farts!

[rlsiv]

EXCELLENT thread, Sir!
So - on Mark Twain, they obviously have a little bit shorter growth season each year, and (in my family) we have historically caught a LOT of fish at MTL, but nevery any fish of consistently large size (certainly not like at LOZ or Truman).

So why is there no length limit on M.Twain? It makes me kind of nuts to see a boatload of people all cleaning a limit of 9", 8", or even smaller fish there in the spring. We generally don't keep any less than 10" even if the fishing is slow. I really like Twain, its scenery, good marinas, good catfishing, etc AND its proximity (2.25hrs) from my house in St.Louis, but we'll drive 5+ hours each way to Truman because it consistently produces larger fish for us.

[beagle man]

so all y'all big fish guys looks like the little fish keeper me is keeping you in fish, YOUR WELCOME, GLAD TO HELP

[Jigging15]

Yet another great post. Talked to my folks today and they said Mike Bayless is still in charge of the lake in Windsor that they take care of. Need to get him on here to.

[olesilverside]

Even back 25 years ago the guys I used to work with talked about big slabs at toronto lake in Ks... how the he-- does a 1300 acre lake keep producing such large slabs year after year.??? they feeding them or something?

[beagle man]

Dead Missouri Fishermen Sinking To The Bottom

[olesilverside]

I think maybe when they built it, they hauled water up from Mississippi to fill it with...... dead jayhawks sounds better........ If they had trees in Kansas they would be sitting in them everywhere......

[rlsiv]

Hey OSS - I think at Toronto they buy Purina Crappie Chow with all the money they make from selling those expensive plastic whistles to the out-of-staters. :D