Thought's on Brownlee crappie fishery

[Crappie Chaser]

This winter I did sportshows in Tri-Cities,Yakima, Eugene and Boise.The # 1 question I was asked was "what has happened to the crappie?" Next on the list was the outrage over the commercial market and the excessive amount (1000's per party) of fish taken in the spring by the night fishermen. Not 1 person I talked to was opposed to having a limit imposed. Most people said they would be happy with 25 nice crappie.I feel it could be as high as 50.To me the point is that having a limit(whatever #) will give the state police something to enforce,the power to ticket the game hogs and hopefully slow down the selling of the crappie and improve the overall fishing.As it is now,unless they catch these people with nets out about all they can do is ticket them for trespassing. Most of the private boat shacks are now posted No trespassing because of the damage and litter these people cause.The mentality of these people is take ALL you can Now. I'm not for it but a surefire way to stop them would be to make night fishing illegal.That's when 99% of the abuses take place. A better way is the limit and keeping track of the fishery, adjusting the limit up or down as needed.Brownlee still has the best crappie fishing in the Northwest. Many of those I met at the shows had their best year ever for big fish. Another point many brought up was that they caught nice fish but they were all the same size. No mixed age classes. I saw the same thing until Fall when we started catching all sizes.
If Idaho Power lives up to their agreement with Baker County to not fluctuate the water level during the spawn, this reservoir has the potential to produce amazing fishing.Getting both Idaho and Oregon to agree on a limit is probably hopeless but if anyone has any ideas post them up. Better yet, let ODFW or IDFG know how you feel.My hats off to Washington for putting a limit on crappie at Silver Lake.I know nothing about that fishery but with reports of 800 fish a day and lots of 1 1/2 lb fish it wouldn't be long before the wrong people showed up. That just saved the people of that area a lot of grief.

[diamondfish]

I agree, there needs to be a limit on crappie, especially where they get so much pressure like Brownlee and Owyhee. There is no reason for a sport fisherman to harvest 300 or even 800 fish a day, that is not sport fishing, its unethical. I think a 30 to 50 fish per day limit is not unreasonable when it comes to those fish. If the numbers get restored and they need to be thinned out then raise the bag limit.

I totally support a bag limit on the crappie, especially in those two fisheries. Both, by the way happen to be two of my favorites.

[ExBassGuide]

<font color="red"> Great call Crappie Chaser!</font>
<font color="blue"> Silver lake in Washington now has a limit of 10 crappie a DAY! I love it the crappie will now get very BIG!!!</font>
<font color="green"> Yes I also think 25 is a good number perperson each day! </font>
Roger

[RizzleTay]

I agree, 25-50 would be plenty of fish. Especially since no-one can eat more than that in a day anyways.

[ExBassGuide]

<font color="red"> Crappie Chaser nailed it with a variable limit on crappie!
</font> It would be great if a slot limit was used also. The slot could be changed to match the prevailing size of the crappie while maintaining the crappie brood stock. <font color="blue"> I also think NO fish over 2 pounds should be kept (or only one per day). </font>
Roger

[Striper Club]

I agree on the 25/day limit--I think some states with healthy crappie fisheries had adapted the limit years ago, although I have not looked at the numbers yet to verify.

Not sure the 2lb restriction would work--lengths are much easier for for the anglers and enforcement, since scales are not reliable and few people have them. Good thought though.

[fool phishn]

25 per day has my vote lets make it a issue

[Damon]

Great to see you posting again. I've not been on ifish much. Starting to get my really bad urge to hit brownlee. I am hoping to do my annual perch trip this coming weekend. I hear it is VERY low right now. I sure hope they consider the crappie spawn again this year.
I agree on the 25 completely. I remember how frustrating it was last spring knowning what was happening with our favorite fish. Hope to see ya over there again. I'm still working on my "master plan" to move over there but I want to do it right! Take care and great to hear from you!

[Crappie Chaser]

Damon, it is low and going lower. No launching at Hewitt park except for small aluminums.There is going to be lot of runoff when the snow goes off so they are holding it down.Idaho Power also wants to do some work on the spillway and there is talk of extending some ramps while it is down.Everything depends on the runoff but the plan as of today does not sound good. Word is it will be held at -52' until the end of April and close to full pool by Memorial Day weekend.But that could all change if we get a hot spell.We should have some good summer fishing.
There have been a few good catches of crappie as well as bass, perch and catfish. Anyone coming over this spring should call Pam at Hewitt park to check on launching, 541-893-6147.

[ScottD]

I'm curious how crappie fishing is managed in other areas of the country where warmwater fishing is very popular? In the Pacific Northwest, most people are salmon, trout, and steelhead fanatics and the wildlife agencies for years have only catered to salmon and trout. Seems like our wildlife biologists/managers could learn a thing or two from the southern states like Tennessee, Alabama, and Georgia regarding creel limits and slot limits for crappie.

[DucterJim]

Couldn't agree more with the limit for crappie. Make it a possesion limit of say 100. If you want to get it in one day or spread it out its up to the angler. We spent 3 weeks a Hewitt last May. Even to new comers to the lake the obvious commercial fishing compelled me to write ODFW. Got a response that in substance. They were aware of some sales of crappie but in the authors opionion it wasn't hurting the fishery. To my simple mind it seems spreading the take over more fisherpersons makes sense vs. the 1 ton van full of 120 quart coolers full of cleaned crappie I saw being hauled out over 4 days or so. If ODFW wants to allow commercial type quantities they should charge a commercial type lic. say $500 or so. It amazing to me something so "wrong" is continued to be allowed. Give the police something to work with and they can take care of it.

[Okie]

A shortage of food seems to be the main reason crappie don't grow larger. Owyhee resevoir is full of crappie and they are all fairly small because of a shortage of food to feed all of them. So catching a large number helps make larger fish.
Good Luck;

[DownTime]

25 a day with a 100 possession limit sounds reasonable to me. I love catching them, but the thought of cleaning 100 of the buggers is enough to make me want to C&amp;R.

JB

[Mojo]

Crappie Chaser,
I really think you are on to something. Good luck getting Idaho to change their rules though. I'll start writing e-mails and letters. Maybe something good will happen here. I'm guessing a meteor hitting the losers and wiping th whole group is probaly not going to happen.

[Rimshot]

Careful what you ask for. I do believe catching 1000's of fish for sale is absurd. I do believe there needs to be some kind of control. However, the crappie in Brownlee right now are abundant and large under these circumstances. My thought is if you restrict the take too much you will end up with a zillion little crappie. To go from whats going on now to 25 a day might end up shifting things too far the other direction. I'm not sure what the solution is, just tossing out something to think about.

[Mojo]

The crappie population at Brownlee is not constrained by food or fishing pressure. It is constrained by spawning success. When the reservoir is lowered right in the middle of the spawn (both crappie and bass) it devestates the population. We have been told there is an agreement in place, and the water will stay up till after the eggs are hatched (I'll believe it when I see it).

I am not as concerned about the fish population as I am with the criminals that move in and commercially fish. They destroy the few public access areas, leaving trash and sewage all over (going to the bathroom wherever they want and not properly taking care of the mess). What happened last year is disgusting, and if the only way to run them out is to put limits on the number of fish they can catch, then go for it. I had friends that fished Brownlee that were physically threatened, and when they reported it to law enforcement (OSP), they were told "you should just fish the Idaho side. We can't do anything with these people." It is wrong that a small group of idiots can take over a public area and destroy it, just because it's remote and there are few law enforcement folsk out there. These folks should have commercial licenses if they are selling fish. If they are just stocking up their freezers for the rest of the year, and all they are eating is Brownlee crappie, they will be all be suffering from mercury poisoning soon anyway. There is a reson the Fish and Game put a mercury warning on that body of water. I do wonder if they put warnings on the fish when they sell 'em?

I don't care how it happens, these folks need to go.

Now I'm not saying what happened last year was in any way good for the fish population, but there are bigger issues, as Crappie Chaser stated earlier. Those issues apparently are being worked though.

[shalom]

Well said Mojo . It isn't hard to catch a 1,000 Crappies if you are using an illegal net at night . I sent you a pm.

[Bigger Boat]

Well Gary it looks like you have started a fire now just keep fanning the flames and maybe somthing will come of it.Looks like you have a pretty good following and i'll bet it grows.A good letter writing campaign and lots of phone calls can't hurt.Night fishing has always been a way of life here but maybe we might have to give it up to help get rid of the undesirabels.
Jay

[B-RUN STEELIE]

Guys, we fanned this fire last year, and the year before. I have contacted both the Idaho and Oregon fish and game ( this stuff happens on the Oregon side because of the access) Neither dept did anything about it the last two years and wondering what would make this year any different. A limit of 25 is a great idea.. thats been around for a long time. Right now they have the tools in place to hurt these people, they just need to enforce them. I can tell you this much.. When you see 20 rigs all with Washington plates.. and maybe 60.. you know who's hanging out- Whats a guy to do ???

[Mojo]

Maybe we could just have a floatilla, all of us armed with high powered spud guns. Just keep lobbing "Idaho's finest" at 'em till they leave. Hey it's an idea... :grin:

Maybe they'll start a range fire this year, and then the authorities will prosecute them. What do they need to do, open a meth lab? Idaho says they can't do anything because they are in Oregon. Oregon says it's too tough to get proof, and the area is too remote to "sneak in" enough law enforcement. I am beginning to think they just don't care...

[Crappie Chaser]

I'm glad to see there is a lot of concern about this. Mostly positive replies. The more people aware of this the better. Let ODFW know how you feel. Change takes time, don't just give up on it.
Mojo, I was hoping you would jump in on this. Your knowledge of Brownlee and Snake River is second to none.
As far as the fish stunting I think the spillway more than keeps the population in check. Millions of crappie go thru every year. The major food for the crappie is the zoo-plankton which feeds on algae. No shortage of that. after the hatch they switch to crappie fry.
If you are a member of a club bring it up at your meetings.I just feel that if there are enough complaints in time they may listen. Or you can do nothing and [petunias!] about it.

[tysdad]

"When you see 20 rigs all with Washington plates.. and maybe 60.. you know who's hanging out- Whats a guy to do ???"


Not quite understanding this? Please explain

[B-RUN STEELIE]

To those that have actually seen this in progress, I don't have to explain it. The main offenders are a large group out of the Tacoma area. Since we are dealing with "facts", lets stay on track and call it how it is. To many of us, Brownlee is a home water. We can fish it on a whim, anytime, so we see these things unfold through the season. Mojo, "who I personally know" and Crappie Chaser, a guy who fishes the lake every day, know what the commercial fishing issue is all about, see it all the time, and are well informed on who and when these things take place.

Any person that knows me, would be quick to say I am not a rasist, but the fact is, thousands of pounds of fish from that lake wind up in the Asian market. Politically correct, no.. a fact.. yes.

[tysdad]

I see where your going B-Run, thanks for setting me strait . My father lives in Emmette ID. and we try to make at least one trip a year. Fished Oxbow last year...

[B-RUN STEELIE]

Cool, next time you visit your dad in say July throw on a pair of shorts, grab a spinning rod and hand full of Kalins grubs and some jig heads. Then head down stream from Emmette on the Payette river and wade down stream and fish some of the holes. You may well catch the biggest smallie of your life. Oh yea, you will get eaten alive by skeeters but its worth it.

[Mojo]

Crappie Chaser, I think we just have to stay after this issue till it gets solved. I agree about the fish blowing through and over the dam, it does relieve the lake of the excess fish huh . I've seen years where it was tough to find many crappie over there. It's a complex reservoir that's for sure.

I have to say the days of me taking home a 120 qt cooler plugged with crappie for the family fish fry are over. I guess you are right about the population eventually collapsing.

I have 2 additional qestions...

1) How many undersize bass do you think were buried in those coolers?

2) How can they camp in that mess?

[B-RUN STEELIE]

You know Mojo, we need to grab a few of the boys and go "study" the population pretty soon.

[tysdad]

we usually float the Payette from the dam down to town and take 3 or 4 rods with us. Seems like the fishing has declined on this river as well. Fished the Payette around New Plymouth quite a bit and caught lots of smallies. Trying to convince the wife to pack up and move in that direction

[retaliate]

25 has been the California standard for year's, &amp; populations seem to hold up well, I personally have never kept over 25 Crappie in any day, &amp; would rather fillet 10 nice Crappie, than 100 little one's anyday. I knew this "commercial" fishing would dimmish Brownlee Crappie population's eventually, it was just a matter of time, Hopefully the state will put some restriction's in place, so Crappie populations can rebuild, too many are just not restricting themselve's, I don't plan on going there this year, but plan on going next year with my grandson, he will be 4 then, &amp; hopefully he can enjoy the great fishing I've enjoyed for many year's.

[Mojo]

I really don't think the crappie population is in trouble at Brownlee...YET. As Crappie Chaser says, many times more crappie spill over the dam than get hauled off by these criminals. A 25 a day limit would give law enforcement a legal method to encourage them to find another place to fish. In my opinion the bigger problem is the way these people destroy the area. Also the way they blatantly commercially fish without commercial licenses (skirting the law), and intimidate the law enforcement folks, because they outnumber them 30 to 1. It is just a lose-lose situation all around. Maybe it's time we re-claim our lake...

[B-RUN STEELIE]

I took a look at the lake yesterday up at the top end. Its muddie. I wonder how ong it will be in clearing up with the run off not even started yet.

[Slugranch]

I fished the Snake River as a kid down river from Huntington before Brownlee reservoir was ever flooded. Back then, the Fish and Game people from Idaho and Oregon predicted that the Recreational use of the area would be spectacular, and that the fish populations would be very good. For the first few years the populations were healthy but were nothing great. Now they are wonderful, and along come the fish hogs and crooks . These same guys are bringing a lot of the crappie over here and selling it as bait to the bank fishermen fishing for sturgeon. We are getting no smelt, so crappie has been very popular for the last two three years. I think the 25 fish a day limit is very reasonable, and suggest that maybe daylight only fishing for crappie and perch would cut down the number of illegal actions until the OSP and Idaho Guys can grow some backbone.

[Mojo]

I don't think limiting fishing to daylight only is the answer. I believe enforcement is the answer. Someone needs to fine and or arrest violators. Problem is they are on the Oregon side, and Idaho has no jurisdiction. It is a very remote section of Oregon, and very few enforcement types get over that way. We, as sportsmen, need to keep reporting till it becomes a fire too big to ignore for the enforcement folks.

[FelonFinder]

I got carded last year fishing Blee on the Idaho side by an IDFG guy who drove his 4x4 down the road I was on along the side of the canyon wall just to see if anyone was down there fishing. I don't know but I don't think I was visible from paved road two hundred feet over me, because I couldn't see the cars driving overhead. So Idaho is out there, how about Oregon?

[Webwader]

Update on crappie limits. The Warm Water Working Group tried to get a crappie limit through ODFW last year. IIRC they proposed a limit of 50 to give at least a possibility of passing. It was squelched by one stall member of ODFW and never even made it to the full commission. The fact that Oregon has two warm water biologists vs. Washington's 14 or so tells a lot how much ODFW cares about warm water fish and their management.

[Webwader]

I'm curious how crappie fishing is managed in other areas of the country where warmwater fishing is very popular?

This might help answer your question, ScottD. Crappie Limits

[nevermiss]

How many crappie does one person NEED to catch and keep? 25 a day seems plenty to me, and while a size maximum seems a good idea it'd be better to make a length vs weight regulation, as not that many crappie anglers bring scales with 'em. I always have mine, cuz when I fish there it's for catfish. Some of those can be awful sizeable. (Hopefully!) But something really should be done, with spring coming on and all.

[Don Fischer]

How long does it take to clean 50 crappie? I guess you filet them?

[chukardave1]

I am a big fan of crappie fishing and keeping. When conditions are right I will fill a cooler(100-130 fish) with another buddy, as often as possible. We then spend 2-3 hours the next day filleting the little suckers. I don't fish for them year round so I stock up when I can. It is alot of work but some of the best eating fish there is when cared for and prepared well. I have a marinade that I got from my Grandpa. We have a fish fry several times a year and invite friends over (especially those that help catch and clean). I will fry up ~8# of fillets, the leftovers the next day are as good as hot out of the fryer. I look at it as a treat and great way to get people together and have something that most people never eat. I have yet to have anyone say they don't want seconds. Perch are about the same scenario for my family also. None of them go to waste or are lost in the freezer, too valuable.

[Pyrojake]

Originally Posted by Don Fischer

How long does it take to clean 50 crappie? I guess you filet them?

Gary can knock em' out in no time flat.
I don't know how long this has been an issue Gary but you definitely have a point. Nobody really needs that many crappie.

[nsyhunter]

Dave-would you be willing to share the marinade??? I am a big fan of beer batter but always looking for something new.

[arkansasbasser]

Originally Posted by ExBassGuide

<font color="red"> Great call Crappie Chaser!</font>
<font color="blue"> Silver lake in Washington now has a limit of 10 crappie a DAY! I love it the crappie will now get very BIG!!!</font>
<font color="green"> Yes I also think 25 is a good number perperson each day! </font>
Roger

Roger, what are your thoughts on what the bass in Silver are eating? Do you think it could be small crappie? I don't know. If you let the crappie get bigger do you think it might have an impact on the bass? Again, just asking for your thoughts because I don't know.

[retaliate]

Originally Posted by nsyhunter

Dave-would you be willing to share the marinade??? I am a big fan of beer batter but always looking for something new.

Whip up a couple eggs with your favorite spices, dip fillet in eggs, than roll fillet in flower, cornmeal, pancake mix, or my favorite bisquick, fry in pan with butter, margarine, or your favorite oil, & enjoy.

The marinade idea sounds good also.

[chukardave1]

This is what we have been using. Not sure of exact amounts I just make it by "feel/taste" now.

1-2 eggs depending on the amount of fish
2-3 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
3-4 oz lemon juice
garlic salt to taste (1 teaspoon)
pepper
3-4 cups milk (enough to cover all the fillets)

I let it marinade for 18-24 hours.

Mix equal parts flour and yellow corn meal for batter

Salt to taste after frying (375* for 2 1/2 minutes in deep fryer with veggie oil)

Might taste better in other varieties of oil, I have only used veggie, trying to be healty and all.

These amounts are approximate and usually for cooking 6-8# of fillets.

Hope you enjoy.

[FelonFinder]

AB, I caught a smallie last year in Idaho with a 6" crappie in it. It ralphed the crappie out upon being caught. Very cool to see.