Crappie Bite

[hillbillyfisher]

How is the crappie bite going up this weekend around the high point area. Looking for some tips.

[Dutch]

I've been fishing the other arm in Son's and Big Sac. I've yet to get my limit and the MDC guys said the lake is full of 101/2 +. I'd like to know where they are.

[hillbillyfisher]

I'm gonna try it under the lights maybe they'll move up a little of a night.

[line wetter]

Was there a couple weeks ago. caught crappie in 30 to 35 foot brushpiles in cedar ridge area. Going up Wednesday, will give a report.

In the high point area if you cross the lake from the ramp like you were heading to Aldrich the bluff on the right has several brushpiles in 20 to 25 feet of water that usually hold crappie this time of year.

[line wetter]

Ok, went Wednesday. Will have fresh crappie for supper tonight. Cedar Ridge area. Brushpiles 30 to 35 feet deep. Right in the brushpiles, have to pull jig over the limbs then got the bites on the fall. Nothing real big just good solid keepers. Water temp was 46. I do use a weed guard when having to fish right in the brushpile.

[Walcrabass]

OK, if the lake is full of 10+ inch Crappie then lets all BEG the Missouri Department of Conservation to increase the length limit to 11" for 2015. There is plenty of food in the lake and it is the perfect opportunity to increase the quality of the Crappie in Stockton. After all those 10+ inchers will be 11 by the time the bite is getting good and we will have more big fish for the next year.

Wallyboy

[lundone]

OK, if the lake is full of 10+ inch Crappie then lets all BEG the Missouri Department of Conservation to increase the length limit to 11" for 2015. There is plenty of food in the lake and it is the perfect opportunity to increase the quality of the Crappie in Stockton. After all those 10+ inchers will be 11 by the time the bite is getting good and we will have more big fish for the next year.

Wallyboy

While you are "Begging" MDC, ask them to raise the walleye length limit to 18. I also think raising the length on crappie to 11 is a fine idea. I rarely keep them under that length because of the smaller fillets. Neither will happen tho since MDC can't comprehend the fact that there will be just as many fish taken at the longer limits as there will at the shorter limits.

[Walcrabass]

Lundone,

I had heard that there was some concern that too many of the Walleye were dying before getting harvested at the 18" length limit. Don't know that this is accurate I just heard it that is all. In the case of the Crappie this would not be the case. I am all for quality fish concerning the Crappie and others as well. You are right in that we would then have a whole bunch of 11" fish and things would be better. Crappie are such a "eating type of fish" that increasing their size would be very beneficial. Many of us remember the 8" length limit on Crappie in years past. It makes me have nightmares.

If there is someone on the MDC that is reading this and has some good reasons as to why the length on the Crappie in Stockton should not be increased to 11" or even more please send that information to this site. We would all be grateful and hence from the information more educated.

Wally

[Dutch]

Good luck on that.

I tried for years to get them to take a look at deer populations in a certain area and revise the rules for that area. I got Stonewalled at every turn.

I also tried for 5 years to get them to look into the Bull Shoals white bass but kept being told that nothing was wrong with the population (they were sampling over by Theodosia instead of Forsyth).

[ten_scoach]

Merry Christmas everyone. I think there is a biological reason for the length limit. Pomme and lake ozark have a 9 in limit because there are so many crappie, numbers need to be controlled to prevent growth stunting and other overpopulation concerns. This is just a stab but I think length limits are set to prevent over population concerns. In richer more fertile waters up north like Iowa i believe there is no length or number limits for the same reason. This is what I have been told over the years. Again, merry christmas.