Release more crappie with eggs!

[Ham]

Like ive said a million times you are all wrong. My family and I fish the same few spots every year since 1977 keep all the legal fish and guess what? They are still there. Just as many. Just as big.

A body of water can stand a certain amount of harvest to be sure. I do not believe that Table Rock or any other place would fish the same if every angler kept every fish he legally was allowed to keep.

How many fish would it add up to be if Mr Babbler and his clients kept all their legal limits every time out. A very large pile indeed. And those fish with their future spawns are gone. Or Capt Don? Or any of the other very knowledgable guides and anglers that spend 100's of days on the water.

Small sample error to say your family does this and the lake is fine so the behavior is without potential for harm.

[Ham]

Lots of very interesting thoughts come to mind looking through this thread.

In regards to crappie management, what I have read is that they are very difficult to manage. Crappie have a lot of natural predation from other fish and animals. So even without the impacts from man, their populations numbers are going to wax and wane. Add in that they have widely varying success at spawning, their are good years and poor years at every lake that has crappie.

Not every lake is equal in crappie production and some lakes also don't fish very easy for crappie. It may be that lots of the Table Rock crappie roam offshore and suspend and are not easily targeted. The lack of good spawning locations may very well hinder recruitment. Could artificial habitat be added?

10 inch minimum seems about right. 10 fish limit ought to be plenty. 15 is more than plenty. Anything more than 15 just seems excessive to me.

Bull has been super tough for crappie this year. I hope next year will be better.

[Old plug]

Chief and Dave------- I know more than the average about how septic systems work But it would be interesting if Terriman or some expert could really post on here exactly how septic system work and what happens to the affleunts after they enter the ground. Here on LOZ there is a push to sewer systems. Morgan County serwer district has done has done seversl hundered on the west side of the gravois. On the other side. The Miller County sewers district just started on installing sewers to 1600 homes. I have had them myself on the west side going on 2 yrs now. It is really the only answer. Treatment plants must be state of the art as well and return water is 100 precent bacteria free. In other words it is sterile.

I think the lower part of TR is suffering from affuents because of all the post i see on here about moss. There was a discussion about it and there were post saying it was from people fertalizing their yards. Maybe in part but you really need to have some expert some expert on here post about Quafers and how they work with ground water. This water quality is a nation wide issue.

[Ham]

Thanks Ham, that's helpful

Sorry Man, I was just having a little fun. I'm sorry if it didn't come across that way.

[mjk86]

There is a ton of truth in this. I guess I live in a blissful ignorance telling myself that ALL the fish I release survived. Part of me knows that this is not true, but I'm happy that I don't know how many actually die.

Yup, Just because they swim away we think that they are good to go. Put any land animal through the sort of trauma that a fish goes through and see how many survive. Not to even mention the amount of plastic that fish eat from all the lures. Ever lose a dropshot worm or crawdad plastic to a snag but get your hook back? That bait falls to the bottom and has a good chance at getting swallowed. I once dropped a senko in the water at a boat ramp and watch a little bass come up, eat it and swim off. They swallow it, and it probably dies. "blissful ignorance" Perfectly stated.

[mjk86]

A body of water can stand a certain amount of harvest to be sure. I do not believe that Table Rock or any other place would fish the same if every angler kept every fish he legally was allowed to keep.

How many fish would it add up to be if Mr Babbler and his clients kept all their legal limits every time out. A very large pile indeed. And those fish with their future spawns are gone. Or Capt Don? Or any of the other very knowledgable guides and anglers that spend 100's of days on the water.

Small sample error to say your family does this and the lake is fine so the behavior is without potential for harm.

I agree 100%....this is the point that i have been trying to make for a while now....I dont fish the lake 300 days a year, and keep all the fish i catch. I fish the lake 4-7 days a year, pretty sure babler puts a few more hours on the ol drink than me.

[J-Doc]

Maybe we should start a thread about crappie on Table Rock! Oh wait, never mind.

Bahahahahahahahaha!!!!!

That's what I was about to say.

Man.....talk about a freight train derailment.

Passionate opinions always stir up a big ole mess of hornets. In the end, no one wins and bitter lines are drawn. Once this train finally stops (been going for days now) there will be bitterness on both sides.

I will add this for thought. It won't change anyone's opinions. Especially some that are deeply rooted into catch and release. As they see it, it's the only way to go. Period. End of discussion. No other solution. Mind made up and locked tighter than Bruce Jenners new......well.

So you that deer hunt, are you going to find a way to temporarily catch a deer, take a picture and then release it?

Do you think releasing the deer will help the overall quality and population?

Or do you argue with the scientific practices taught in college about game management and selective harvest? And how selective harvest produces better quality and health in the population by preventing over population and starvation due to struggling food sources and competition for food amount the deer population in a given area?

One could easily apply the same practices and mindset to ANY fish species. Being pretty speckled unicorns or pretty bedazzled green fish. ;-)

I'm a bass angler. I practice catch and release.

Mainly because bass taste well.....not so good and because I want to practice game management. But the smaller spots below 12", I've been considering cooking because beaver has a regulation that allows it and science and sampling has proven they have stunted growth rates so they are engcouraging "mean old meat fisherman" to take some home. For scientific and purposeful practice to better the fishery.

Selective game harvest.

It's a balance between catch and release and slective management. It works for everyone's advantage and best for the fishery. It's why people are allowed a limit of fish per species. And how the numbers per angler were already determined by scientists and biologists.

Chew on that.

Now....

I'm a bass angler.

I catch and release.

I also keep crappie over 12" and never limit (not that good yet)

I also target stripers (best tasting fish around)

I will be releasing all walleye going forward and pound for pound, they are better fighters than bass any day of the week.

I also keep every white bass I catch. Those suckers are the eating machines that stripers get accused of being. They eat far more than stripers and are found in massive schools.

My right.

My opinion.

I feel I'm helping the game population.

Selective harvest.

And I'll be fishing Table Rock more often.

To see what all the fuss is about. Lol!

[3outfishing]

They should start stocking Stripers in the Rock. Stripers could help the enconomy right along with the bass, walleye and crappie. They will eat the large shad that barely any other fish can eat.

[Bird Watcher]

Sorry Man, I was just having a little fun. I'm sorry if it didn't come across that way.

It's all good. I can tell your a good guy, or at least you play one on the internet. Cheers.

[dtrs5kprs]

I agree 100%....this is the point that i have been trying to make for a while now....I dont fish the lake 300 days a year, and keep all the fish i catch. I fish the lake 4-7 days a year, pretty sure babler puts a few more hours on the ol drink than me.

I think you completely misunderstood Ham's last sentence.