Great two days., Sort of.

Thanks very much. That picture was posted before. Just put it up for some luck and continuity. I keep big crappie, and will continue to keep big crappie. Releasing more than are kept is the key to a healthy fishery. Been fishing the same couple of very secret spots for a very long time. Keep some for the family to eat, and let some go to get bigger. The same with the walleye and bass and it's working. I am no FISHOLOGIST LOL just common sense to me. Hope you are fully recovered from that wack on your head, that was a nasty story.

I owe everything to my better half. Many years ago she turned me from a real life hoodlum to a reasonable, respectable member of society. It was a slow process with a few life changing events. LOL. I am usualy good at holding my temper now. As for the crappie, it may not be one of us that finally breaks the crappie record. When the reelingmachine posted that monster 16 inch crappie 2 weeks ago, it started me thinking. That is a large school of big crappie that roams that lake. Those big crappie are going to be much bigger next year and the following years. I bet in two years he beats my record for black crappie in the Karwarthas. The younger kids are leaving us behind with their fancy new technology. LOL. All we have left is our secret crappie spots that no one will ever find. That is until we leave the directions in our last will and testament.

Happy to hear you were able to find piece and enjoyed fishing last night.
I cannot understand boaters who does not respect those who fish from shore. So much space around even if you want to cast to the same area...

Thank you for the kind words and promoting my post. For one of the first early spring crappie posts with fish of that size I expected few more comments, especially from such a crappie freak like DBFish

On the other side a new member made his first post commenting on my post. And without side notes about cheating using electronics and making a dent in crappie population.

I am happy I did what I mentioned in the next post in Aug 2022. Livescope did help me with 16" one, but 15" ones were caught with the plain old sonar last spring and this winter.

...Aug 12,full moon, by Crappeeeman

Oh I am sure he did not mean you. I have seen you release some beautiful fish (crappie and walleye) And those rude anglers in the boat, even if we were in your boat we still would have been surrounded. LOL. At Johns place he was surrounded by 5 or 6 boats last week, but he never seems to get annoyed. Last night was the same as Monday night, lots of walleye and I got back to the house before getting wet. It felt like a week of fishing, but it was only 34 hours with a few brakes to go to different spots and a 6 hour nap in the middle. Oh and I was late for dinner on Tuesday again. I looked up that post from 2 years ago. Time sure goes by way too fast. That was a very lucky night. Nothing like fishing under a full moon. Thank you for your comments. Always nice to hear from you, here on the Forum and on the phone. I have to get out fishing on "Big Crappie Lake soon." Stay safe.

It was definitely a nice way to spend a couple of hours while watching the float go down. Great to finally meet you even if it was by chance and not planned!

Have a great weekend all, and stay safe out there.

As we get older we just let more things go which is probably good, I had a similar experience last year and it really pisses me off to hear this happens so often.

I just don't understand, are they that desperate for fish? Or maybe it was the same group of ancients I had invade my space.

I remember reading that post you put up last year and all the boats invading your space. Just can't beleive how rude people are in these days. I am not sure what you meant by the last sentence. What group invaded your space? Were they a bunch of old guys? The boats we have had problems with over the last 7 years, range from teenagers to mid 40s. Some rude local boats and some plated trailers from out of town. Just plain rude people that don't care about manners and common sense.

Sorry about the boats. If they were not there you probably would have caught 80 to 100 crappie that was a perfect day to catch them. It was too bad you only had one spot to cast and most of my casts went toward the boats to keep them from creeping closer to us. Next time I will cast a note to the boats saying.....(Please give us some space, we like to catch fish too) LOL. The neighbours could not even fish after you left. The boats came right up to their docks and would not move, so we all left the driveway. My friends and the dog came back later to fish after dinner when the boats were gone. Also I just sent you a PM.

.....

........

Thanks very much. That picture was posted before. Just put it up for some luck and continuity. I keep big crappie, and will continue to keep big crappie. Releasing more than are kept is the key to a healthy fishery. Been fishing the same couple of very secret spots for a very long time. Keep some for the family to eat, and let some go to get bigger. The same with the walleye and bass and it's working. I am no FISHOLOGIST LOL just common sense to me. Hope you are fully recovered from that wack on your head, that was a nasty story.

Contrary to my previous 2 posts my head is not damaged by the concussion - seems to be whisky related this evening.

Thanks, head seems to have recovered 100%. I have always been a hardwater walleye focused guy and spent the softwater season focused on hunting. Feel like my paradigm may be shifting though as this spring i am reading your posts and thinking maybe i should be chasing crappie instead of turkeys and spring bear.

And like you i am no fishologist either, I have never used any electronics ever. Hell i won't even use a GPS (on land or water). If my Silva Ranger compass won't get me there i ain't going.

Thanks very much. That picture was posted before. Just put it up for some luck and continuity. I keep big crappie, and will continue to keep big crappie. Releasing more than are kept is the key to a healthy fishery. Been fishing the same couple of very secret spots for a very long time. Keep some for the family to eat, and let some go to get bigger. The same with the walleye and bass and it's working. I am no FISHOLOGIST LOL just common sense to me. Hope you are fully recovered from that wack on your head, that was a nasty story.

Contrary to my previous 2 posts my head is not damaged by the concussion - seems to be whisky related this evening.

Thanks, head seems to have recovered 100%. I have always been a hardwater walleye focused guy and spent the softwater season focused on hunting. Feel like my paradigm may be shifting though as this spring i am reading your posts and thinking maybe i should be chasing crappie instead of turkeys and spring bear.

And like you i am no fishologist either, I have never used any electronics ever. Hell i won't even use a GPS (on land or water). If my Silva Ranger compass won't get me there i ain't going.

That's the spirit, you are awesome. I do not care what other people use to fish. There is a place for almost everything in this world if it's used with respect for it's purpose. Or maybe in the case of fish finders the word should be restraint. I was just reading a few studies on crappie from Texas, and one from Minnesota. The differences between our crappie here in (Ontario & Minnesota) is mind boggling to that in Texas and the rest of the south. Life span, sizes, growth rates, spawning, this that and the other. Even here in Ontario no two lakes are the same. Water temps, water depths, overall mass of the body of water. So why would the crappie be the same. Why would any fishing of any species be the same anywhere. My gosh fishing changes from day to day, even hour by hour, or from one minute to the next. No angler or scientist or bait company or Youtube star or fishing show can tell me where my crappie or walleye are. Or how the fish will be reacting to whatever I throw out on the end of my line. If you are and older angler, you just know by looking at the water and the surroundings when you get to your spot....... This is going to be a great day of fishing...... Or maybe it's going to be a great day of relaxing with a bit of frustration because the fish had other plans, and took the day off. I don't think any of us that own multiple expensive rods and reels, and pricey gear is going to starve if we don't catch a fish. Boats, snow machine, atv, trailers, canoes, camping gear. Buying or renting a cottage on a lake or spending the weekend in a hotel, the list is endless as to what we will do and spend to catch a fish. Sometimes it's a good idea to break out that old fishing pole you got from Canadian tire and go buy some worms. Then go find some water and try and catch a fish. If you are lucky and do catch a fish, then release it back into the water. Do that for a few hours and tell me if you had a good time fishing. If you did not enjoy your time out visiting with Mother Nature, you don't know squat about fishing, or life itself.

I guess I’m odd in many ways….

In reading this thread I find myself on the fence regarding multiple issues.

Sure, as a shore angler I’ve faced several situations where there were boats present in the public locations that I choose to fish. Instead of harbouring ill will, I do my best to talk to people and see if we can come to some type of working agreement when it comes to fishing the water we’re all so keen to fish.

There are a lot of factors that come to play in these situations, including language barriers, extremely novice anglers, and, on occasion, people who just won’t talk at all. I’ve run into people from Russia, China, and many other cultures while out fishing. While we couldn’t all speak the same language verbally, we still managed to work together so that we could all enjoy time fishing. And I think that’s what matters most…working together to make things happen…to see our fisheries sustained.

It’s easy to see why people are attracted to fishing…I mean, who doesn’t enjoy a fish fry every now and again, or just being able to sit outside and take in some fresh air and get some vitamin D along the way?

Finding pannies in the spring time isn’t rocket science…find a back bay or a canal, you’ll find the fish. It’s been that way for a very long time, and will continue to be that way so long as we have four seasons to work with.

If we were to make a change to possession limits, I’d be quite okay with that. Unlike some, though, I’d introduce a slot limit whereby we could only keep fish that are between 8-11” long and see anything bigger than that released so that they could continue to spread their genes to the offspring they continue to produce. There is sound science out there regarding why big fish matter, and I’ve included a link to an informative article from a leading authority on the topic below. It’s worth the read.

Regarding the use of forward facing sonar….well, reality is that even in bass fishing tournaments the anglers are quite split on the issue. Just the cost of it alone is a factor why many don’t purchase the technology. On top of that is the learning curve that comes with its acquisition. Many believe it’s going to be the end of our fisheries….I kind of see it differently. It’s opening our eyes to pattern fish movement through the seasons, which is leading to science catching up and then introducing new measures to protect and aid the growth of the fish in any watershed. As well, just because you use it to catch fish doesn’t mean you have to keep every limit you can.

Catch your limit but limit your catch was a thing not so long ago.

I want to see younger people take an interest in fishing, and if livescope leads to that, then it’s not necessarily a bad thing. After all, if we don’t have something to pass down generationally, then this sport that we all love will die a slow death.

That’s also why I give lures away when kids see me fishing from shore and catching fish, and adults too. After all, if we can help others catch fish, we’re increasing the chance that they may take a greater interest in the fishery itself and maybe land a career as a biologist, fish and wildlife technician, or even a conservation officer.

I know I’ve posted a lot, and there will be some here who disagree with it, and that’s fine. After all, I’d rather a good discussion about fishing with fellow fishers than those who have no stake at all in our fisheries.

Why Big Fish Matter

Some very good points. I use to avoid other fishers alot more. But with age, I got tired of getting upset so start talking to some. Often they are nice people...some are asses of course (as with any part of the population) and usually ends up to be more pleasant than getting upset. Of course, I still try to avoid crowds where possible but sometimes, there is just so much space from shore fishing spots and can't avoid people. Too many asses around, I prefer to leave and fish another day.
Good article. I have met Bruce Tuft and some of his grad students. All what he had said. Big females being much better producers of eggs (pound per pound) has been known for a long time so I am glad they are doing alot of this outreach to educate fishers to let them know. I never understood the need or reason for keeping really large fish (that was assuming people knew this about egg production....clearly, most do not). And for eating (and contaminants and taste too), smaller fish are better. I don't really see any reason to have a lower slot limit (regardless of how small). For the population/fishery, it's much better if someone kept 10 tiny fish than 5 much larger fish. We can't think about the fish as people and the feeling of "it's just a baby". For fish, the chances of these babies surviving to a larger size to reproduce is much lower, so you want the larger ones in the population to keep pumping out quality offspring. If the big ones are there, they will produce more than enough (even if people are keeping small ones) to keep the population of fish high (at least higher than having a bunch of small fish around). And the large fish have much more than small fish to contribute to the population than just the eggs too. So I am a fan of having a slot limit that has a max size for keeping and letting people keep as part of their possession limit anything smaller. But if the rules are what they are, then people have to keep whatever is deemed legal currently and no judgement (but if we don't agree or have the opportunity to comment, then rules may be changeable).
My 2 cents.