Quillback

In the video, the guy mentions an increase in crappie guides on those lakes. What he was saying is that the crappie harvest has increased due to other factors also, including FFS. Those crappie in those lakes get hammered when they are in the bushes spawning, then get hammered again by techniques like spider rigging and trolling crankbaits when they are done spawning. The guides filled limits before FFS came out. No doubt FFS can make people more efficient in harvesting fish, but in the case of those crappie lakes, it's too many people harvesting too many fish.

Did you see anyone else out on the river? @Ham

I watched a fishing show several years ago where they were fishing for them during their spawn. They mentioned how old they can get which surprised me. It would be a shame to kill one.

The prediction today is for 45 for a high with a breeze out of the south. The snow is going to get spanked.

Lake Fork has a slot limit, the Elites were on it last year, so the argument that the big boys won't come if there is a slot limit is not a good one. What kind of surprised me is that director of the Bama trail, said that they had a 20-25% mortality rate. That's still pretty darned high.

Yep, there's a lack of info for sure as far as methodology. I'm not defending it, basically something that I saw that might be of interest to some. I'm one of those "messengers". 😀

Just got back in the house from clearing the walkway and driveway with the lift and throw manual snowblower. I'm guessing 6-8 inches here. A few days ago they were saying maybe 2 inches at the most. HA!

It's pretty, but I will be happy to see it gone.

This study is interesting not because of FFS but because of tournament mortality. Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Director says bass slot limit based on scientific data Here's an excerpt: "When we got the preliminary results of that study, it was pretty evident that tournament mortality was extreme up and down the Coosa," said Chuck Sykes, Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Director. "The data is showing it is tournament mortality. It is not recreational fishermen mortality," he said. The study showed that tournament anglers seek large, fast-growing, female fish, which leads to the highest rates of tournament mortality among those groups. 45% of bass weighed in during tournaments died before or after the weigh-in. The mortality rate was estimated to be higher during hotter weather.

Those lakes get hammered, I have not been down there for a while now, but if they saw the increase in fishing pressure like we saw here during and after Covid, then I can see why they are going to drop the number of crappie that can be kept. I'm sure they want that out of town money coming it too. Those NW Mississippi crappie lakes are the crown jewels of their freshwater fisheries. People go down there to catch and keep as many crappie as they can, myself included. Those lakes kick out hundreds of thousands of crappie every year, they are flat out crappie factories, but you don't want to push them beyond the breaking point.

I like hearing about a good jig bite.

Look here - these guys stole our "Fest" labeling for a fishing event. Should we pool our money for a class action lawsuit? 😀

I remember that, if I recall correctly, they had had that chimp for years, raising it from a baby to adult. Treated it like a human. One day it snapped and just about killed the owner, really tore him up.

Just a dusting of snow here. Cold however and I am already tired of it. Supposed to get a bit more snow tomorrow night, the weather guessers seem to be having trouble putting together a solid forecast as far as snow totals. looks to be 1-3".

You don't want to monkey around with chimps.

They'd for sure question your sanity. But there was one on the loose in MO. Deputies rescue pink tutu-wearing subject from Missouri highway

Just got my copy yesterday. So far some interesting history. Not far from Cape Fair is a pretty high bluff on the James arm called Virgin Bluff. Dutch and I would speculate why it was named as it was, and I told him (jokingly) I bet in the old days they threw a virgin off as a sacrifice to the gods. Well I wasn't far off, legend has it an Indian gal named "Moon Beam" threw herself off the bluff when she was forbidden to marry a conquistador.

I did buy a couple of wireless thermometers yesterday, one for outside and one for the garage.

I hear thunder... My neighbor flies a drone around every once in a while, sure would be fun to shoot it down, but that would create a few problems.

It wasn't too bad out there, but that's with a late start.

Waited for it to warm up a bit and launched around 0930. Found one good bank that was holding some fish and found a lot of banks that were not holding fish. Best bait was the Ned rig, fished on steep timbered banks or rocky banks. Ned fish were in the 10-20 FOW range Caught a couple on the 3.3 swimbait. And one crankbait fish, but that was my best fish of the day a 3 1/4 Lb. largemouth. 14 total bass, all smallies except for the one LM and a meanmouth. 3 were keepers. WT 52

Good to see you back Dock! Nice fish!

I did fish on Beaver today, several firsts for 2025, of course you can get a lot of firsts your first time out. 😃 First fish of the year, first smallmouth, and first swimbait fish: First hybrid, a lot of spotted bass in this one, but olive colored. First keeper smallie (16.5 inches), on a Ned rig, but not first Ned fish of the year: And to wrap it up, first largemouth of the year and first crankbait fish.

Nice, I did not fish last year for bream, I mean bluegill. Have to get out for them this year.

Won't be too much longer and the spawning run will begin. If I was a determined walleye fisherman and had the time, I'd go and try and get some creek chubs out of the local creek.