When livescope first came out I thought it would not negatively impact the crappie population. After using it for a few months
I'm not so sure. It's a wonderful tool to increase your fishing pleasure but will also make it easier to catch more. Got to release a lot of them.

When I grew up there was no size or quantity limit on sandbass or crappie. We caught a lot of fish but not many over 10".
When the daily bag limit of 25 and 10" minimum length was put in effect Fishermen screamed bloody murder. Couldn't catch 25 that
size they said, fishing was ruined. (And who ever said you had to limit out to have a good day?)

After a couple of years went by and suddenly they were catching limits of big fish, over 10" the screaming died down.
I would like to see the size limit increased and the daily bag limit reduced. 11" and 15 per person would be a good start.

My boat limit is 12" now, 10 max per person, event or not. (may impose a boat limit of 20, thinking that way)
Most fish I catch are released. I keep around 5 per week to eat fresh. Rarely freeze any.
If my passenger wants to keep some I don't care as long as they follow boat guidelines.

Just my opinion for what it's worth.

What we need for consumption is a good guide line.

If you only fish once a month, then a limit of 25 might be what will be eaten within that month. If you fish 2-3 days a week, there's really no need to keep limits of 25 every trip. If you only fish April thru June for crappie, then a few limits won't hurt any fishery. Personally, I don't need 50 bags of fillets in the freezer.

Those that get to fish any time they want and those who can only go when not working, see this issue very differently. When I could only fish on days off, the weather or fish didn't cooperate about 50% of the time. When things did come together, I enjoyed catching a limit of fish, which didn't happen very often.

Livescope may have an effect on fish populations; but that won't happen till the majority of people acquire Livescope and actually know how to use it effectively.

On a side note, there's a hybrid/striper guide on Lake Belton that fishes catch and release only ever since he started over 10 yrs ago. Has no problem booking trips all year.

I'm all for your suggestion. I fish on Belton and rarely keep one under 11". The amount of filet you get from a 10" is so much less. Must admit, I will never hurt the population. I think, without any concrete evidence, that hybrids have hurt the population more than fishermen.

Not to bash on the guides because they need to make a living but the average fisherman isn't going to deplete the population for the most part. In my opinion, it's the guide taking 3-4 clients 7 days a week and limiting out every time if it may be easier with Livescope. 4 persons = 100 fish or 700 fish a week. If they fish 300 days a year, that's 30,000 fish a year.
For one guide.

That's a lot of fish.

Of course, they won't be able to do that every day but it's definitely a consideration.

I agree. I have kept a calendar/spreadsheet for the last 5 years since we started Crappie fishing as our fish of choice.
We used to bass fish and that got to be too much work for an old guy, lol. Now we crappie fish at Fork 3-4 times a week weather permitting,
and catch and release 99%. I looked at the amount of fish we could have kept and it's in the thousands. I feel good about
letting them go...oh we'll catch a few for some of the elders that live in our RV park, small price to pay for year round security.
One thing I'd like to see is the Game Wardens get more involved in checking crappie fisherman for size and quantity limits.
They are very keen on bass size and quantity, and monitor the tournaments like hawks, but no so much interest in Crappie fishing...

Ernest x2 sorta we were discuccn this month or so, I say maybe 11in. & 20 per day . this time of year I rarely put much of a dent in em, still learning my OLD 1198c ha. Yep iam getting up there too, remember fishing with the parents lots of time on the 4th. Used to clean sandies & crappie for hours,lol Good memories. Several years ago in the spring I wade fished then and loaded the freeze. Was limiting 2/3 times a week. Got curious just how many were in da freeze. Well it was north of 300. do like eating them. Sorry to ramble. MAYBE TPWD WOULD HAVE A PUBLIC MEETING, AND FOLKS CAN ATTEND & COMMENT, OR EMAIL OPIONS JUST THINKIN!!! OUR POP. IN n. TX AIN'T GETTING SMALLER!!

I won't keep one under 11" (not imposing that on anybody) and there's been surveys done and fisherman if following the current laws don't affect crappie population on a lake unless several are fishn several times a week and limiting out every time... And as we all know you just might get to fish several times a week but that limit ain't gonna happen every trip....
I supply fish to several family members that are not fortunate enough to be able to go catch crappie so I keep several limits a year but only get to fish maybe once a week.....

I agree with Ernest totally. I would also go for 11"/ 15 limit. Simiar presonal jabits and boat rules already. I am about to start kayak guiding again and I will focus on teaching, not counting numbers.

Tight lines, PP

Nailed it! This is where the most damage is done. I too am not bashing guides but this to me is where the problem with overharvesting comes from. I tend to keep most keepers I catch now as I have in laws, grandparents, relatives who are disabled and can't go as well as family members on my in laws side that love fish. This winter in the creeks (one really) there were anywhere from 1-4 guides a day in there keeping limits of 50-75 fish each trip.. talk about working over an area. In my opinion, there are too many variables to know what the magic number is to say this amount is hurting the population and I don't believe we will ever truly know.

What if they lowered the limit when fishing with a guide.

Great Thread with a lot of good advice!

It would help no doubt. I think what Ernest is doing should be done more.

The thing is that the guides who depend on the resource to earn their living should self impose limits in order to maintain the resource. if - big if - they guide 7 days a week and are able to limit most days, they should self impose their own restrictions. I have little doubt that it would hurt their business. If the guide isn't able to limit most days, then maybe they go by state guidelines. The biggest hiccup here, I think, is that pictures of stringers of fish sell more guide trips. Whereas, a picture of a big fish, gets a "thumbs up".

I think a good-compromise would be 15 per day but keep the minimum at 10�. I personally do not like to keep and clean more than 10-12. Boat rules are a different thing. If the captain says x you do x and say thanks.

The only adjustment I can remember is taking away a guide limit which was a very long time ago. However, I just get the feeling there are many more guides working since the panoptix came out just based on the empirical fact a lot more people seem to be putting their name out there.

I have been saying for years needs to be 20 per day and 11 inch min. but I would not mind the 15