A good read

[bluball]

How Fast Do Crappie Grow? by Steve McCadams - Crappie Now

Some northern lakes or farm ponds a 3-year-old crappie may be only 9-inches long. But this white crappie author Steve McCadams caught in Tennessee’s Kentucky Lake is likely 4 or 5 years old. How Fast Do Crappie Grow? by Steve McCadams Answers to many questions on fish management can often be...

crappienow.com

 

[TheLBLman]

Interesting.
If I read correctly, on average, a 10-inch white crappie from KY Lake is 3 yrs old.
But a 3-yr-old white crappie from Sardis Lake, MS (not really all that far away) goes 12 inches!

But north of the Mason-Dixon line, a 3-yr-old white crappie is only 9 inches long.

Wonder if 3-yr-old white crappie from Pickwick average a larger size than KY Lake?

 

[mike243]

We aint blessed with many large crappies on the east end, think biggest I have caught was 16 1/4" and had spawned out. most are in the 10-13" range.

 

[WTM]

Interesting.
If I read correctly, on average, a 10-inch white crappie from KY Lake is 3 yrs old.
But a 3-yr-old white crappie from Sardis Lake, MS (not really all that far away) goes 12 inches!

But north of the Mason-Dixon line, a 3-yr-old white crappie is only 9 inches long.

Wonder if 3-yr-old white crappie from Pickwick average a larger size than KY Lake?

they may be somewhat once you get past around sulfur creek north, it leaves the 3400 heat day line. but i dont know if they average them all together.

you may be interested in this as well, also paul rister's crappie telemetry study is a serious read for anyone fishing ky lake.

Crappie biology on KY and Barkley (long read)

as i said in another thread, i remember reading this and would post it(actually paste and post). its from Paul Rister, retired west Ky fisheries biologist. he has some other good articles, white crappie vs black crappie, what happened to our grass, etc. enjoy: “It seems with the mild winter...

www.tndeer.com

 

[tellico4x4]

When living in MN I caught a 5# something bass in a tournament & won big fish. DNR guy at weigh in said it was probably 10 yrs old as they only put on 1/2 pound a year up there.

 

[Spurhunter]

I am very concerned about the future of crappie fishing at Sardis. These guides are hauling out 30 a day. Every single day. The boat ramps are full 12 months out of the year. People think it's insanity to throw back a keeper crappie. There are 3 guys in my fishing group that fish 3-5 days a week year round. All 3 catch the limit 99% of the time. They are bringing a limit home every time. I caught the limit Thursday and didn't keep a fish. They were ready to check me into the nervous hospital. Apparently you can't just fish for fun when you don't need the fish. I don't know how the fishery can survive. I just hope the fisheries guys are keeping an eye on it.

 

[spoonie]

I am very concerned about the future of crappie fishing at Sardis. These guides are hauling out 30 a day. Every single day. The boat ramps are full 12 months out of the year. People think it's insanity to throw back a keeper crappie. There are 3 guys in my fishing group that fish 3-5 days a week year round. All 3 catch the limit 99% of the time. They are bringing a limit home every time. I caught the limit Thursday and didn't keep a fish. They were ready to check me into the nervous hospital. Apparently you can't just fish for fun when you don't need the fish. I don't know how the fishery can survive. I just hope the fisheries guys are keeping an eye on it.

I'm all for keeping fish for a fish fry, but what are they doing with all those fillets? I'd be sick of filleting fish 4 days a week

 

[bluball]

I am very concerned about the future of crappie fishing at Sardis. These guides are hauling out 30 a day. Every single day. The boat ramps are full 12 months out of the year. People think it's insanity to throw back a keeper crappie. There are 3 guys in my fishing group that fish 3-5 days a week year round. All 3 catch the limit 99% of the time. They are bringing a limit home every time. I caught the limit Thursday and didn't keep a fish. They were ready to check me into the nervous hospital. Apparently you can't just fish for fun when you don't need the fish. I don't know how the fishery can survive. I just hope the fisheries guys are keeping an eye on it.

I use to do it,but don't fish much anymore.When I did I gave them to people that couldn't fish,church fish frys and friends.Right now anyone can catch them its so easy on kylake from what my friends tell me.I like it when it's tough to catch them,it separates the men from the boys,lol.

 

[Spurhunter]

I'm all for keeping fish for a fish fry, but what are they doing with all those fillets? I'd be sick of filleting fish 4 days a week

They give them away, but most of the time they fillet them first. I don't get it. It's actually more enjoyable to me when I know I don't have to clean fish. Go fish, have fun, and take only what you need.

 

[WTM]

I am very concerned about the future of crappie fishing at Sardis. These guides are hauling out 30 a day. Every single day. The boat ramps are full 12 months out of the year. People think it's insanity to throw back a keeper crappie. There are 3 guys in my fishing group that fish 3-5 days a week year round. All 3 catch the limit 99% of the time. They are bringing a limit home every time. I caught the limit Thursday and didn't keep a fish. They were ready to check me into the nervous hospital. Apparently you can't just fish for fun when you don't need the fish. I don't know how the fishery can survive. I just hope the fisheries guys are keeping an eye on it.

seems like i read somewhere that the MDWFP estimated 6 million crappie at any given time in grenada and sardis wasnt far behind that number.

not sure how that computes in the grand scheme of things though.

 

[TheLBLman]

you may be interested in this as well, also paul rister's crappie telemetry study is a serious read for anyone fishing ky lake.

Crappie biology on KY and Barkley (long read)

as i said in another thread, i remember reading this and would post it(actually paste and post). its from Paul Rister, retired west Ky fisheries biologist. he has some other good articles, white crappie vs black crappie, what happened to our grass, etc. enjoy: “It seems with the mild winter...

www.tndeer.com

Thanks for re-sharing this!

 

[rsimms]

Wonder if 3-yr-old white crappie from Pickwick average a larger size than KY Lake?

TWRA biologists would have to answer that question, however I would be VERY surprised if there were any significant difference in growth rates anywhere on the Tennessee River system.

 

[beefydeer]

People think it's insanity to throw back a keeper crappie.

If we take home crappie, we take just what we will eat that night. I rather have them fresh. I dont like fish that have been frozen. I, too, am concerned about over harvesting at Reelfoot. To me the numbers have declined.

 

[RUGER]

I'm all for keeping fish for a fish fry, but what are they doing with all those fillets? I'd be sick of filleting fish 4 days a week

Some guys I know sell the crap out of them. Used to anyway.
I quit going with them.

 

[TheLBLman]

I would be VERY surprised if there were any significant difference in growth rates anywhere on the Tennessee River system.

Guess it depends on one's definition of "significant".

If a 3-yr-old old crappie from Wheeler compares ballpark length to
a 4-yr-old from Kentucky Lake, to me that would be significant.

Other factors that make me wonder are average water temps, not just how geographical latitude effects air temps, then indirectly water temps.

For example, would it be a reasonable expectation that same-age crappie from Ft. Loudon Lake run smaller than same-age, same-latitude crappie from KY Lake . . . . .due to slightly colder water flowing into Ft. Loudon, year round?

 

[Spurhunter]

If we take home crappie, we take just what we will eat that night. I rather have them fresh. I dont like fish that have been frozen.

I always hear fresh is so much better than frozen, but I can hardly tell the difference. I freeze them and pull the oldest stock out of the freezer first.

 

[WTM]

Guess it depends on one's definition of "significant".

If a 3-yr-old old crappie from Wheeler compares ballpark length to
a 4-yr-old from Kentucky Lake, to me that would be significant.

Other factors that make me wonder are average water temps, not just how geographical latitude effects air temps, then indirectly water temps.

For example, would it be a reasonable expectation that same-age crappie from Ft. Loudon Lake run smaller than same-age, same-latitude crappie from KY Lake . . . . .due to slightly colder water flowing into Ft. Loudon, year round?

lol sounds like youre like me lol, inquiring mind.

anyhoo you may find this interesting. it pertains to FLMB but degree days can also he a predictor of growth in other specimens. this has been ckncerning to adam martin and ky fisheries as they have been doing DNA testing on their populations of LMB. as he explains it, florida strain, either pure or F1, can have a devestating effect and slower growth anywhere above the 3400 degree day line. in fact he said they can even grow slower.

https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/twra/documents/fishing/FLMBstocking.pdf

 

[beefydeer]

I always hear fresh is so much better than frozen,

I feel lucky that I live close enough to Reelfoot I can be on the water fishing in about 15 minutes. If I want to have some fish I just run down and catch a few. I usually fillet 4 or 5 fish. There's only 2 of us eating it.

 

[Headhunter]

I used to fill the freezer up in a couple weeks with crappie.

For many years now, if I want to eat fish, I want fresh. I go catch fish, clean them and eat them.

Of course according the SCN, if you have over 2 limits in your freezer, then you are breaking the law. Since the law states your "possession limit is twice the daily bag limit". According to him when he was with the TWRA, you could not keep any more crappie until you ate some, and then you still had to stay at 2 limits. He even told me if you gave them away, you needed to be sure that those were eaten before you kept more. Sure wish I had that conversation recorded.

 

[Spurhunter]

Of course according the SCN, if you have over 2 limits in your freezer, then you are breaking the law. Since the law states your "possession limit is twice the daily bag limit". According to him when he was with the TWRA, you could not keep any more crappie until you ate some, and then you still had to stay at 2 limits.

I don't think it's ever been enforced, but that has always been my understanding. Maybe I'm wrong. I thought possession was what you possessed.