Spawning Crappies!

BleuBackKoke · 01-25-2007, 07:50 PM

Crappie should be in full spawn here shortly! Does anyone fish Silver Lake during the crappie spawn? I've had such a blast fishing the spawn the past few years. Now that they put a size/limit on Silver, the crowd shouldn't be as bad as it once was.

tnj8222 · 01-25-2007, 08:10 PM

i dont know to much about crappie. is it common to catch alot of bigger crappie during the spawn? i will be there in a few weeks i might give it a shot

Crappie Chaser · 01-25-2007, 10:22 PM

This should get yer motor runnin'

Super Fluke · 01-26-2007, 04:38 AM

Wow what a catch.Need any help frying them up?

tnj8222 · 01-26-2007, 04:47 AM

i most likely wouldnt keep them but it is alot of fun to get into a school of them!

BleuBackKoke · 01-26-2007, 01:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tnj8222

i dont know to much about crappie. is it common to catch alot of bigger crappie during the spawn? i will be there in a few weeks i might give it a shot

Brings some small jigs and a small bobber....fish the cannals and be ready to catch more fish than you know what to do with. Read the regs before you go. They have a limit on the crappie! You'll catch some fat perch too. I wouldn't bother eating them though...they'll be full of eggs!

tnj8222 · 01-26-2007, 02:47 PM

yeah i would never keep a spawning fish. i dont really keep fish in general. sometimes trout. thats about it.

gordy · 01-26-2007, 06:15 PM

the number of people fishing alongside the road this early winter was down in numbers more that I would have believed. I would think it will be even fewer people going out this spring.
the gammies wrote some good size tickets this early winter and I think the word got out. Hope they are there again this spring with there ticket books.

BleuBackKoke · 01-26-2007, 06:53 PM

Thanks for that update gordy! It was pretty crazy to see how many fish some people were keeping. I'm glad to hear something was actually being done about it. Actually, now that I think about it, the LAND around the canals is private party with no tresspassing, right? Especially the deep canal.

kc1 · 01-26-2007, 09:25 PM

Is that a crapper (toilet) in the picture next to your cooler full of crappie, Crappie chaser? Very appropriate

....

dragon67 · 01-27-2007, 01:39 AM

Hey crappie chaser did you catch those crappie down you way, or was it somewhere over here in the valley?

ExBassGuide · 01-27-2007, 04:22 PM

As for the spawn at Silver Lake

, It's great if you like smaller fish. I have had MUCH better luck with numbers and size in the fall. The crappie will be in the canals and under docks around the lake that have lights that hit the water. My best months for specks is Set - Nov. And late October and early november is the red zone for silver lake. I did guide for crappie on silver lake also (easy money!)

BleuBackKoke · 01-27-2007, 09:42 PM

Hey Ex-Bass-Guide! Why are you an "ex" bass guide? I've seen your pictures at the campground. And rumor has it, you REALLY know the lake. You should get back on the lake and make some money!

Crappie Chaser · 01-27-2007, 09:59 PM

Dragon, Brownlee crappie from last Fall with 4 guys fishing.
The limit at Silver is a great thing but those fish still need to be harvested. A successful crappie spawn of 2% will sustain a fishery.Don't harvest enough and they will stunt.

BleuBackKoke · 01-27-2007, 11:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crappie Chaser

Dragon, Brownlee crappie from last Fall with 4 guys fishing.
The limit at Silver is a great thing but those fish still need to be harvested. A successful crappie spawn of 2% will sustain a fishery.Don't harvest enough and they will stunt.

Crappie Chaser,

I don't understand what you are tyring to say? The problem at Silver is some people were keeping EVERYTHING that they catch. We need to promote catch and release. I have witnessed 20 to 30 people keeping EVERY fish that they catch during the spawn. I love fishing that time of year but why keep a spawning fish that is full of eggs and is no good to eat? Seriously, some of the people were keeping HUNDREDS of fish. I feel you should keep them if you are going to eat them.....some of those guys are selling the fish as bait. I just hope that Silver stays productive and my kids will enjoy the lake as I have the past 25 years

tnj8222 · 01-28-2007, 01:18 AM

that makes sense they are selling them for bait... i hear crappie is one of the best for stergeon

ExBassGuide · 01-28-2007, 06:52 AM

Silver is only going to get better! The food supply for fry is untapped at silver and with more fry we can have more fish!. If you have ever fished Silver Lake in the summer, you must of seen all the small black bugs on the top of the water and on the pads. In the summer you can find big schools of crappie and carp slurping down a bug scum line out in the lake.
More crappie will help the bass fishing. And you should start catching allot more 2 pound crappie in a year or two thanks to the new regs! I love to C&R slabs. Silver could push to the state record with the new regs.
Roger

Crappie Chaser · 01-28-2007, 07:20 AM

Believe me, I know all about the meat fishermen. We have a much worse problem than Silver. Our fish are being sold commercially in numbers you would not believe and not for bait.
You now have a limit. That is your management protection.Your problem is solved, now it is up to enforcement where in the past their hands were tied. What I am saying is that crappie are so prolific that if you followed a 0 limit policy(c&r) the population would explode and the fish would eventually over-run the food supply. Bass can only eat so many. It's not only ok to keep a limit of crappie it's probably a good idea for the long term health of the fishery.
Why do you think a crappie holding eggs is not good to eat? That's fiction. They are not salmon.

BleuBackKoke · 01-28-2007, 02:26 PM

I kept a handfull of crappie a coulple years ago that were full of eggs and I thouht the meat seemed mushy? Maybe it was just me.

Jon55 · 01-28-2007, 03:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BlueBackKoke

Hey Ex-Bass-Guide! .... I've seen your pictures at the campground.

Those are WANTED! posters. You can see them in the post office too.

If EBG didn't practice catch and release, ALL fish populations would be in serious trouble.

Thanks for sharing your knowledge Roger!

snowball · 05-13-2007, 07:41 PM

nice fish

tnj8222 · 05-14-2007, 06:02 AM

there is definately some big crappie in there. a few weeks ago my friend caught one that was about 1.17 they took a pic of it and put it on the wall. first time i have seen a 13 inch crappie but im new to crappie fishing.

HOOKUP · 05-14-2007, 06:04 PM

I have eaten crappie and small mouth bass, and I would say small mouth bass is slightly better, oh and the filets are bigger to. I dont keep anything over 15". There are lots of smallies and they are under fished, so a few for a few meals a year is a good thing.