I see the fishing guidelines have changed for browns creek lake. 10 bluegill per day. Pin oak lake, same as well as many others. I don't get how you go from unlimited to 10 per day. Crappie are unlimited. Doesn't make sense to me. I really enjoyed taking a few days off work to catch a basket full of bluegill and shellcrackers
Why the reg change
- Thread starter David
- Start date
I can absolutely see an unlimited creel limit being hard on a bream population in a body of water that size.
Heck, they absolutely destroyed the bream (and big bass) population at the 1,000 acre lake when everyone figured out twra wasn't enforcing any rules there.
Heck, they absolutely destroyed the bream (and big bass) population at the 1,000 acre lake when everyone figured out twra wasn't enforcing any rules there.
Guess I need to look at the new guide. Don't want to inadvertently get into trouble being over the limit.
ive posted on this before and hopefully educated some folks. a lot of research has went into bluegill biology and used to be it was thought that bluegill was plentiful and couldnt be overharvested, especially the biggest males in the social structure. this was completely wrong especially in smaller impoundments. im just glad TWRA is taking notice.
from a growth perspective it only takes crappie and shell crackers 3-4 years to reach full reproductive size(harvest size). in contrast bluegill typically grow in the wild at a rate of 1" per year and do not reach reach reproductive size until their 7th year, UNLESS the largest dominant males are removed and the smaller males are allowed to reach reproductive age early. this is how you end up with a pond/lake full of stunted bluegill.
big bass lakes and big bluegill lakes go hand in hand. if you manage a lake for trophy bass you also are managing that lake for trophy bluegill.
so how does a lake not have overpopulated stunted bluegill since bluegill are prolific breeders? its the large mouth bass and the dominant males that keep it in check. the dominant bluegill males keep the smaller fish from breeding and the LMB eat the smaller bluegills as forage. a LMB will eat at least 5% of their weight in bluegill per week even if shad is present. a lot of tournament guys dont understand this and possibly never will.
so to sum it up, my philopopy is keep what you can eat for a meal or two and release the large males. maybe if everyone does this then everyone can get a TARP from their favorite lake. sorry to sound like a know it all.
anyhoo here is a discussion from a few years back with some good links to info on the subject:
www.tndeer.com
from a growth perspective it only takes crappie and shell crackers 3-4 years to reach full reproductive size(harvest size). in contrast bluegill typically grow in the wild at a rate of 1" per year and do not reach reach reproductive size until their 7th year, UNLESS the largest dominant males are removed and the smaller males are allowed to reach reproductive age early. this is how you end up with a pond/lake full of stunted bluegill.
big bass lakes and big bluegill lakes go hand in hand. if you manage a lake for trophy bass you also are managing that lake for trophy bluegill.
so how does a lake not have overpopulated stunted bluegill since bluegill are prolific breeders? its the large mouth bass and the dominant males that keep it in check. the dominant bluegill males keep the smaller fish from breeding and the LMB eat the smaller bluegills as forage. a LMB will eat at least 5% of their weight in bluegill per week even if shad is present. a lot of tournament guys dont understand this and possibly never will.
so to sum it up, my philopopy is keep what you can eat for a meal or two and release the large males. maybe if everyone does this then everyone can get a TARP from their favorite lake. sorry to sound like a know it all.
anyhoo here is a discussion from a few years back with some good links to info on the subject:
WTM (or anyone else) bream discussion
I didn't want to hijack the crappie thread but in it you said, anytime a large amount of the 9-11 inch bluegill are removed you will pretty much destroy the bluegill fishery. Back a few years ago I posted a question on here about whether or not I (along with others of course) could damage...
Thanks for the info on that. Im not disagreeing with the science, but I do wonder why they would put the limit on some lakes but not others, I.E. like maples lake. Its a smaller body of water, but after fishing both, it seems like that would be the one to put the limit on since it doesn't seem to fish nearly as good as the others. Could be just my fishing though 
MickThompson
Well-Known Member
While lakes may be similar in size and similar in objectives, they may have wildly different population structures that require different regulation packagesThanks for the info on that. Im not disagreeing with the science, but I do wonder why they would put the limit on some lakes but not others, I.E. like maples lake. Its a smaller body of water, but after fishing both, it seems like that would be the one to put the limit on since it doesn't seem to fish nearly as good as the others. Could be just my fishing though
because those lakes are bill dance signature lakes. hopefully if these measures are a success hopefully theyll institute them on other lakes as well, if the management supports it.Thanks for the info on that. Im not disagreeing with the science, but I do wonder why they would put the limit on some lakes but not others, I.E. like maples lake. Its a smaller body of water, but after fishing both, it seems like that would be the one to put the limit on since it doesn't seem to fish nearly as good as the others. Could be just my fishing though
TheLBLman
Well-Known Member
May also be wildly different fishing pressures.
wildside
Well-Known Member
wish I could convince more people of these principles on the waters I manage.....years of ingrained misinformed habits though
Maples doesn't get near the pressure that Browns does.Thanks for the info on that. Im not disagreeing with the science, but I do wonder why they would put the limit on some lakes but not others, I.E. like maples lake. Its a smaller body of water, but after fishing both, it seems like that would be the one to put the limit on since it doesn't seem to fish nearly as good as the others. Could be just my fishing though
Thats good to know.ive posted on this before and hopefully educated some folks. a lot of research has went into bluegill biology and used to be it was thought that bluegill was plentiful and couldnt be overharvested, especially the biggest males in the social structure. this was completely wrong especially in smaller impoundments. im just glad TWRA is taking notice.
from a growth perspective it only takes crappie and shell crackers 3-4 years to reach full reproductive size(harvest size). in contrast bluegill typically grow in the wild at a rate of 1" per year and do not reach reach reproductive size until their 7th year, UNLESS the largest dominant males are removed and the smaller males are allowed to reach reproductive age early. this is how you end up with a pond/lake full of stunted bluegill.
big bass lakes and big bluegill lakes go hand in hand. if you manage a lake for trophy bass you also are managing that lake for trophy bluegill.
so how does a lake not have overpopulated stunted bluegill since bluegill are prolific breeders? its the large mouth bass and the dominant males that keep it in check. the dominant bluegill males keep the smaller fish from breeding and the LMB eat the smaller bluegills as forage. a LMB will eat at least 5% of their weight in bluegill per week even if shad is present. a lot of tournament guys dont understand this and possibly never will.
so to sum it up, my philopopy is keep what you can eat for a meal or two and release the large males. maybe if everyone does this then everyone can get a TARP from their favorite lake. sorry to sound like a know it all.
anyhoo here is a discussion from a few years back with some good links to info on the subject:
WTM (or anyone else) bream discussion
I didn't want to hijack the crappie thread but in it you said, anytime a large amount of the 9-11 inch bluegill are removed you will pretty much destroy the bluegill fishery. Back a few years ago I posted a question on here about whether or not I (along with others of course) could damage...
