Im in on the dirt thing sounds sound.

Despite the fact that several lakes have records of 3#+ fish, those size fish are extremely rare in Texas. Water fertility and ph have a lot to do with it. Belton right now has a lot of 8-11" fish that are very skinny. Yet the lake is full of their favorite food, shad. I mean lots of shad. So what's the problem? I think water quality affects crappie a lot more than other fish. I don't mean clear water, but water that is fertile with lots of plankton. The quality of the food is a big issue.

Lots of food but no protein doesn't make big deer. Something like that affects the fish also. Shallow dingy lakes tend to produce the biggest crappie, and white crappie prefer the dingy water. Dingy water usually has more nutrients in it if there aren't a lot of bad chemicals mixed in the water. I think our water quality is a problem. And TPW doesn't have much data on crappie and what affects them like they do on lmb. So there are a lot of missing facts here. Why do some lakes consistently produce skinny fish while others have healthy stocky fish? And the food sources are about the same in both lakes.

Maybe if we want bigger crappie we should take a page out of the book from other sportsmen and toss back the bigger fish we catch rather then keeping them for the grease.

As someone pointed out earlier deer hunters have been culling the middle of the herd rather then the top end all of the time.

On Lavon most of the cat fishermen toss any cat over 10 lbd back. They eat the plentiful smaller cats and release the bigger ones to catch again. Everyone hopes to get their personal best into the 30+ lb range.

If we toss back those crappie over 1.75 lbs (except in tournys of course) and only kept the ones under that for dinner we may have a chance to catch more big fish in the future.

Worth a thought anyway.

How long is a 2#, 2.5# and a 3# fish on average? I know it depends on how fat it is. Take Anthony and Stretch's fish from Texoma for example. Most reports are in inches and not pounds.

I couldn't agree more, and have been saying that for the past couple years, but that mentality has yet to click in on the crappie fishing population like it has on bass, cats, etc.

I'm really pleased that so many of you have 'weighed-in' on this topic, and even more pleased that some of you are concerned about it. I completely agree that there should be studies, etc done on crappie just like it has on bass, but that takes time and money. The TP&W has the time, but I doubt that they have funded any study on the growth potential of crappie yet, nor have they (or any organization to my knowledge) gotten really serious about the catch-and-release of the larger crappie. As a crappie guide, I probably take more fish from lakes in Texas than most guys, and I do encourage my customers to release the larger fish, but it's their fish and their decision.

Hunting big crappie is like hunting big mule deer (my passion). It's not easy, takes a great deal of time and patience, and most times you think you're not successful, but a successful hunt is not necessarily in the kill....it's outsmarting him, and letting him walk. In the case of big crappie, you caught him, now let him swim.

I think I'll contact the TP&W and see what they have to say on the subject of promoting the catch, release, growth, distribution and genetics of crappie.

Thanks Guy let us know how it goes!

+1

+1 and if you need more voices let us know that too.

I am already there on the release...For my personal freezer i don't keep anything over 11-12 inches...I like the thinner fillets personally...

When was the last time you have heard of a 3+ caught around here?...I have seen Ernest's mount and one of Chuck's clients caught a lake record I believe...Both on CC 5+ years ago I think...

Exactly what I'm saying...we haven't, not in several years. I know our lakes have them, but it's my opinion that the populations on this size fish are very small, and when you couple that with the fact that 99% of all the crappie fishermen fish to get bit, and not directly for the top end of the size scale....well, you don't see many. I've been very lucky in the past two years on the number of crappie over 2# that I've caught, even though I try to target those fish when I can (very seldom can fish for larger fish on guide trips). But unless enough crappie fishermen get really interested in fishing for, catching and releasing larger crappie, it's not likely that we'll ever give the bass fishermen a run for their money, nor will we gain the interest of the tackle industry as support.

Lets all remember also that we represent a small portion of the crappie fishermen in the state. Many of us fish alot, but there are a ton of crappie guys out there that have never seen this forum or any other for that matter.

I have heard about the mythical 3 lb crappie ever since I
moved to east texas in '82. I have caught a bunch of
2.5 and my biggest was 2lb 14 oz. I will get a 3lb fish.

good luck
MO

3lb. crappie do exist in Texas

TP&W do survey's at multiple lakes every "Fall" with traps and nets to determine crappie populations. The survey's are not at each and every lake every year, but they have information for the asking. Problem is that they sample only small percentage's of the lakes and thus some of the locations of the larger crappie may not be exposed to them in their samplings.

I can verify there have been multiple over 3lb. crappie caught (rod/reel and trotline, jugline) in multiple of the lakes west of Possum Kingdom this year and years prior. Why the growth, many of these lakes have been as much as 20 feet low and now have multiple years of being at full pool levels with exploding populations of crappie and other species due to the new growth from when the lakes were low for so long and vegetation is unbelievable. Most of these lakes are murky to very muddy and will not change due to the red clay bottoms. Most all have a slightly akaline base, but few are clear (O.H.Ivie)(Looks where your Share a Lunkers came from this year).

Most of the crappie I am aware of are caught from everyday fishermen that eat what they catch and are just as likely to fish for other species as crappie. Not nearly as much pressure on these lakes and no commercial guides on most of them except perhaps O.H. Ivie.

Another sleeper for 3lb. crappie that most have not fished at or considered, the smaller City Lakes in multiple cities that are turbid, but have a few 3lb. fish. It would appear the 3lb. crappie are growing in less disturbed water, often that have experienced a new lake effect from being full poll versus being very low in pool level until several years ago.

Go WEST of Possum Kingdom and you will find 3lb. fish, not an overwhelming amount, but they are being caught and not always on rod and reel. Check out your local TP&W for netting results. In addition, many of the big, adult crappie were moved by TP&W from larger lakes to smaller lakes and city lakes that had dried up and refilled. There are some really big crappie getting a big head start in with less competition from other fish species for food area lakes that are nutrient rich from farming activity.

I might mention that in Abilene, the TP&W publishes a book or pamphlet with many of the small bodies of water in multiple counties for free, if you would just request it. I have no idea about the TP&W in other areas if they have booklets with small bodies of water information, but it would be worth asking for.

If you consider lakes in this area, you may want to check the hit list for lakes affected by golden algae .

Best Regards and Great Fishing to You,
Mud-Dabber

I would like to see a weight vs length table for crappie. The link below gives one for bass. Most crappie fishermen have some type of measuring device because there is a minimum length on crappie, however a smaller percentage of that group probably have a scale. Most people on this forum probably get enough crappie that it would not bother them to release 2+ pound crappie so it would have a chance to be 3+ lbs. Not sure this would help on all lakes, many factors determine size. Too many small/medium fish deplete the food chain required for the big fish. I think sand bass eating large numbers of shad are the biggest deterrent to having big crappie.
Good post Guy.

http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/fishboat/fish/recreational/catchrelease/bass_length_weight.phtml

Is that 2.5 or 2-5?