Release more crappie with eggs!

[mjk86]

Any such group of people would likely lack both the intelligence and numbers to do any real harm. So carry on, wayward sons.

Also...doesnt this kind of prove the point that ive been making? Your exactly right....an asshole like me and my asshole family coming down for a week and cleaning 30 spots a year "lack both the intelligence and numbers to do any real harm" Guys like you and the guides that fish 200-300 days a year on TR and can catch limits when you want can do real harm, which is why you C/R if I fished TR that much id prolly keep enough meat to eat and toss the rest back, its what I do on bodies of water i fish twice a week. I dont have the skills nor the time to do much damage to the table rock bass population.

[Iclass]

It would not have a thing to do with my ethics, yours, or anyone else's except the angler making the choice. That angler still has to make a choice about each fish caught.

Not a whole lot of subsistence level fishing going on in this country, especially by folks making trips to other states to fish. That would be the only thing that could eliminate the existence of that choice.

I agree not many people, if any, travel to other states for subsistence level fishing. But if you don't believe there's not a lot of that happening, you might wanna take a ride on Hwy 65 from Pine Bluff, AR to Greenville, MS. It may not happen much in your area or TR, but I see 100s most times I drive through the delta. I know you didn't mean harm in your words, I just hate blanket statements. Hunting and fishing put meat on the table for me when I was in college and just out getting started. I went to bed many times hungry because I didn't catch any. Was I unethical for keeping every legal fish I caught back then? I'm sorry if you can't understand you, me, and Al Linder live in a very different world than many, and have the luxury of choosing "higher" ethical standards. Sective harvest isn't for everyone everywhere.

[dtrs5kprs]

Also...doesnt this kind of prove the point that ive been making? Your exactly right....an asshole like me and my asshole family coming down for a week and cleaning 30 spots a year "lack both the intelligence and numbers to do any real harm" Guys like you and the guides that fish 200-300 days a year on TR and can catch limits when you want can do real harm, which is why you C/R if I fished TR that much id prolly keep enough meat to eat and toss the rest back, its what I do on bodies of water i fish twice a week. I dont have the skills nor the time to do much damage to the table rock bass population.

Interesting you respect your local bodies of water more than one you just visit occasionally. Sort of points to the fact that you understand the potential harm that can be done to a fishery.

Kind of like the "drive it like you stole it" rental car mentality I guess. I treat the fish in every lake the same, and try to respect the resource as if it were my own.

[dtrs5kprs]

I agree not many people, if any, travel to other states for subsistence level fishing. But if you don't believe there's not a lot of that happening, you might wanna take a ride on Hwy 65 from Pine Bluff, AR to Greenville, MS. It may not happen much in your area or TR, but I see 100s most times I drive through the delta. I know you didn't mean harm in your words, I just hate blanket statements. Hunting and fishing put meat on the table for me when I was in college and just out getting started. I went to bed many times hungry because I didn't catch any. Was I unethical for keeping every legal fish I caught back then? I'm sorry if you can't understand you, me, and Al Linder live in a very different world than many, and have the luxury of choosing "higher" ethical standards. Sective harvest isn't for everyone everywhere.

No doubt some folks fish and hunt to eat. That is a separate deal entirely. I've known some folks who lived that way and they were great people. This is more about recreational fishermen.

The selective harvest is really the crux of the crappie question (and others). Regulations are unlikely to change, so it falls on individual anglers to protect the resource. There are some very good anglers on this forum who keep every legal crappie they catch. All it really takes is some moderation, maybe keep 8 instead of a full limit, release a few that clearly have egss, etc. Small measures can have great impact when you are playing the long game.

[mjk86]

Interesting you respect your local bodies of water more than one you just visit occasionally. Sort of points to the fact that you understand the potential harm that can be done to a fishery.

Kind of like the "drive it like you stole it" rental car mentality I guess. I treat the fish in every lake the same, and try to respect the resource as if it were my own.

I respect both bodies of water the same actually. Practice reading my post a bit more, I thought it was plain english, but ill restate that If I fished table rock as much as I fish at home id take a few and put a few back. Trust me I understand the harm that can be done to a fishery...but there are lots of fisheries that are treated WAYYYY worse that table rock yet still pump out good numbers of good fish. Fishing guides and locals on the lake and probably even you have killed more bass by accident than I have on purpose.

[mjk86]

No doubt some folks fish and hunt to eat. That is a separate deal entirely. I've known some folks who lived that way and they were great people. This is more about recreational fishermen.

The selective harvest is really the crux of the crappie question (and others). Regulations are unlikely to change, so it falls on individual anglers to protect the resource. There are some very good anglers on this forum who keep every legal crappie they catch. All it really takes is some moderation, maybe keep 8 instead of a full limit, release a few that clearly have egss, etc. Small measures can have great impact when you are playing the long game.

Or even keep a few bass instead the crappie right? Selectively of course. Maybe just keep 2 or 3 legal bass instead of 15 crappie.

[dtrs5kprs]

Or even keep a few bass instead the crappie right? Selectively of course. Maybe just keep 2 or 3 legal bass instead of 15 crappie.

I don't keep any fish, but yes, keeping a couple of bass instead of a limit, or one bass and a few crappie is the general idea.

[dtrs5kprs]

I respect both bodies of water the same actually. Practice reading my post a bit more, I thought it was plain english, but ill restate that If I fished table rock as much as I fish at home id take a few and put a few back. Trust me I understand the harm that can be done to a fishery...but there are lots of fisheries that are treated WAYYYY worse that table rock yet still pump out good numbers of good fish. Fishing guides and locals on the lake and probably even you have killed more bass by accident than I have on purpose.

I read it well enough. It clearly shows you choose to treat one fishery differently based on how often you are able to fish there.

[mjk86]

I don't keep any fish, but yes, keeping a couple of bass instead of a limit, or one bass and a few crappie is the general idea.

I read it well enough. It clearly shows you choose to treat one fishery differently based on how often you are able to fish there.

Correct.

[dtrs5kprs]

Correct.

Which is like the rental car thing. You don't care how you treat it because you don't view it as yours.