Whats Up With All The Dead Crappie

[Ranger520vx]

Just wondering if anyone knows what is going on

[fishinwrench]

Culling? Crappie don't do as well as bass in a livewell for several hours. I noticed alot of dead crappie on a certain arm of LO immediately after a crappie tournament and assumed that was the cause since they were all about the same size (about 10 1/2").

[shockley32]

I've noticed it the last couple of days. Way too many floating to have been culled or hooked deep. There were one or two fish per cove with several out on the main lake. They were floating on both sides if the lake - up the Pomme and Lindley.

Brad

[Justin Spencer]

In graduate school I did a lot of research on crappie to see if they were a viable species for the aquaculture food market. They are so prone to handling stress that we had to knock them out and then add slime coat enhancers to their water after handling or they would develop bacterial and fungal infections within a week and die. I would say if it's only a few per cove, and not hundreds that it most likely from simple catch and release practices since they are being fished heavily right now. If possible use hemostats on those shorts while they are still in the water. If you do have to remove them from the water make sure your hands are wet so you don't damage their slime coat. Even good handling will still result in higher mortality in crappie than in other species.

If it was a water quality problem I think you would see big numbers of dead in certain areas, not small numbers in many different areas.

[Wayne SW/MO]

I suspect there is a lot to what Justin says. I noticed a couple went belly up the last trip my son and I had and we were dropping them from gunwale level of a bass boat, maybe a foot at the most. Then there are those that feel they should throw a small fish as far as they can.

[lost at pomme]

fished Pomme Friday, Sat and sunday saw mor floating crappie sat and sunday don't know but most were better than 9 in. So don't know reason but water temp poss had a effect and poss stess. If find out please posgt

[Ranger520vx]

Don't think its culling way to many also anyone know what they were spraying the lake for last week . Seen spray plane spraying in the wheatland campground area. Fished tournament Sunday caught slot of bass had Probly 15 keepers biggest around 3 1/2 few on square Bill most on plastics in less than 4ft of water.

[MOPanfisher]

Well I'm not sure what you saw, but I can gurantee there was no spray plane spraying wheatland park last week or any other week.

[Ranger520vx]

Just what I was told ny 2 friends of mine that live in that area

[Ranger520vx]

Said the plane was buzzing low over the water in the cove south of Thunderbird and appeared that there was something coming out of the back of the plane so I was just curious