Crappie thread 2020!!!

[E.TX.BOWHUNTER]

Bite is on fire right now. 25 Sunday and 25 yesterday. Shallow <2ft on glow Bobby Garland 2 inch shad. Pink 1/32 oz. head. Conroe had gotten good again.

[Slew]

Yesterday was my first trip to Pines in a month but I still found em!!! My big white crappie from this winter are gone but the blacks were stacked up staging where they should have been! Had 2 adults and 3 kids on yesterday trip and they all got to sling fish in the boat!! Filled up the cooler and went to tossing them in the livewell and ended up with 2 5 gallon buckets full in there! They went home with 80 for a fish fry! Pretty good 1/2 day! Headed to work and an afternoon trip on Palestine. My Sat canceled so I’m fishing crappie USA on Fork. Haven’t been there since Nov! I have the 8th and the 22nd left this month. They’re as big as they’re gonna get right now!

[Snowflake Killa]

Bite is on fire right now. 25 Sunday and 25 yesterday. Shallow <2ft on glow Bobby Garland 2 inch shad. Pink 1/32 oz. head. Conroe had gotten good again.

You know what concerns me about Conroe. I'm not catching any small fish maybe one out of 15 or so. Hopefully your catching more small one's

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[bollomb]

You know what concerns me about Conroe. I'm not catching any small fish maybe one out of 15 or so. Hopefully your catching more small one's

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Man i thought this same thing last night.. We picked up about 50 in 2-3 ft of water, all slabs. Maybe 2-3 throw backs all night

[Slew]

Ran a livescope instructional trip on Palestine today and couldn’t help myself! Went out and fished an hour and a half after I dropped my client off and caught 40-50 I bet! Had 6 over 2 pounds and most were 1.75-1.80 I bet! Awesome end to the day!! I have Sunday open right now. Could probably go beat those fish down Sunday eve.

[Buff]

The local Masonic lodge is hosting a first responders fish fry. I have been tasked with providing the Crappie. My buddy Ken went with me this afternoon and we put a quick 50 in the boat. This time of year is hit or miss but today was a hit.
All fish caught on 1/8 oz hand tied purple with a gold head.

[Texas Grown]

You know what concerns me about Conroe. I'm not catching any small fish maybe one out of 15 or so. Hopefully your catching more small one's

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Man i thought this same thing last night.. We picked up about 50 in 2-3 ft of water, all slabs. Maybe 2-3 throw backs all night

I read a study once about the turnover rate on size in some environments. It happens about every 5 years on average where during the first year, there will be lots and lots of really small fish due to there being few big fish during the spawn. So lots of fry survive. And populate the environment growing into small fish. Each year, predation in various forms and natural deaths reduce the numbers as the population grows in body size. By the 5th year, most of the fish are of the largest size. There are not the numbers as during the first year of the cycle or any year following after till the last year. Then the cycle begins again during the spawn due to the lack of numbers of fish to predatate on the fry.

[Slew]

Several of us were turning in 2 pounders a couple years ago at Palestine to parks and wildlife and they told us they were 3 years old and age structure and size in lake was determined by the spawn. Good spawn years had plenty of fish. Bad spawn years you lose an age class of fish.

[Slew]

I’m gonna buy my tournament partner a watch!! Is it 430 yet? He was gonna be here at 430! Haven’t been on Fork in 4 months but I bet I know where to start looking.

[Texas Grown]

I think the article I read about was concerning the Swingle and Swingle 1967, Guy and Willis 1995 studies. But could be wrong. It was taking out a lot of the variables that affect population density out. And looking at growth cycle and how it affects population rates. Might explain why some years you have more smaller crappie than others.



Here's a better understanding of growth rates and life cycle published in 2004, for those interested. It's in a pdf file format with a study using 103 Texas lakes. Although they can live longer, primary study was on crappie ages 0-5 years. I found it kinda interesting.

https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=https://www.google.com/&httpsredir=1&article=1070&context=ncfwrustaff

[Slew]

Little over 15 so far. Gotta Love when your first bite is a 2.75!! Hooray Fork.

[Texas Grown]

2.75! That's awesome Slew!

[Slew]

Culling a 2.05

[TeamAmerica]

Culling a 2.05

[emoji33][emoji108]

[Texas Grown]

This ought to be a fantastic stringer!