DNR Test Nets

[Fourplay]

There's an article in today's Bemidji paper. It says that this fall the DNR checked there test nets and found strong numbers of crappies. As many as they found in the nets last year. Good news for us crappie fisherman. Also said that the walleye count was way up. Just thought I'd pass along the info.

[Guest]

Fourplay... you wouldn't have a link to that article would ya, wouldn't mind reading it!!
THX
Kevin

[Guest]

I just looked and that article wasn't up-loaded. They only up-load certain articles.

[This message has been edited by Fishin'Bemidji (edited 12-13-2002).]

[Guest]

The article also stated that for the first time there were noticeable numbers of young of the year crappie. I guess it's going to go on for a few more years!!

[Guest]

Sounds like great newz, thx for the info!!!

[jigglestick]

that's impossible! there's only one year class in upper red lake--1995! there are no young crappies! reference url forum last year. what was that pin heads name? thanks for helping out back then lowe(our resident biologist). back when i was catch and releasing 9-10-11 inch fish. bring em on.

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keep your stick on the ice!---jigglestick---

[Guest]

Jigglestick, just finished reading an article on the crappies in URL.
It's in the Outdoor News on the net, check it out!!!

Click on "Top News Stories"

[This message has been edited by Jim W (edited 12-19-2002).]

[Guest]

Not sure what happened to the address, I'll try again!!

[This message has been edited by Jim W (edited 12-19-2002).]

[cluelessfisherman]

I don't recall the article saying anything about what years were represented in the young of year classes - or did I just miss that? Are we talking fry size or 6-7 inch size or what?

Article definately has a positive outlook on the walleye.

I was just wondering how many walleye do you think are kept during the ice fishing season? The reason I ask is in all our trips up there, we have never been checked for fish or licenses. 2 years ago when we went up for the first time, we had no clue as to the walleyes being protected. We caught a few decent eyes and decided to throw them back becase we were looking for crappie - we didn't find out until the next trip that folks couldn't keep them. Also last year I heard some guys (who had been busy playing football on the ice all day and finally got tired enough to fish) say "we got a walleye" and a few of the other guys yelled back "did ya keep it" and they replied "nah, it was too small."

I guess I would like to hear some opinions on if you think there is a problem and possibly some solutions.

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Clueless - -

[vaneeck]

If they mentioned "young of the year" (YOY) in DNR reports it only refers to crappies spawned in spring of 02, which depending on the number, food supply, ect.. would range from 1-3" in the fall.

[Ben Trod]

I am currently holding the Sportsman's News in my hand. There is an article in there too. It states "This was the first year there has been a noticeable number of young of the year crappies."

[kelly-p]

In the late spring/early summer of 01 there were a lot of 3/4 to 1 inch crappies in the river. I think the DNR was referring to crappies from the 02 hatch.

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Waskish Minnow Station
218-647-8652

[Guest]

There are absolutely no good spawning areas for crappies on URL, so I find it hard to believe that there are any fish in the lake besides that 1995 year class

That Strong 1995 class was the result of a one time crappie stocking, right

[This message has been edited by ScottS (edited 12-19-2002).]

[halad]

Who ate all the perch i cant even catch enough for supper?

[jigglestick]

ScottS. is that like a christmas stocking?

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keep your stick on the ice!---jigglestick---

[kelly-p]

I had a chance to talk to a couple of the DNR guys last night. I strained this info through a couple of Captn's so hopefully I have it right. The young of the year they refer to are the fish hatched the previous spring.
It does not appear that the crappies that hatched in 01 made it through the winter.
The 02 crappie hatch was HUGE. It could be bigger then the 95 hatch. The big problem again is that like the 01 hatch it was a late hatch. When they seined the 02 hatch was still so small that they would go right through a 1/4 inch mesh net. That is real small to have a chance to make it through the winter. We all best be hoping they make it.

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Waskish Minnow Station
218-647-8652

[Surface Tension]

Successful crappie spawning and survival is complicating. How does winter effect crappie fry mortality?

We need a Red lake Rally Monkey. Come on baby crappies.

[curt quesnell]

Scott

The Crappies are natural, not stocked it
was just a huge hatch that beat the odds
and survived to whopperness.

Other DNR news today. In 2003 there will
be another batch of Walleye stocked in Red
Lake. Everything is going well but the
new females are not old enough to provide
a decent year class yet. This may be a
few years away. This will be the 3rd ?
stocking, they want to have lots of new
females entering the reproduction pool and
doing well. Very positive news.

Curt Quesnell

[kelly-p]

It has been my understanding that the crappies were stocked in 1948.

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Waskish Minnow Station
218-647-8652

[This message has been edited by kelly-p (edited 12-20-2002).]

[halad]

I think the same thing ate those little crappies that ate the perch. What a shame all those perch that are just left on the ice to rot. Going fishing now 0600 maybe do something different tonight.

[Lowe]

I think the size of the crappie fry over the winter months is crucial because of several factors - food and predation. Seeing as how YOY crappies feed on freshwater shrimp and other small crustaceans/invertebrates, critters that are more plentiful in the warmer months, lack of food may be a major issue by the time late spring rolls around. Being bigger going into the winter months helps get them through to the spring.

Also, smaller YOY crappies are probably a secondary food source for young walleyes and perch - until their other food sources are exhausted. Just a couple of theories, since large lake fisheries biology isn't really my specialty. Alaskader/Crappie Chaser? Opinions?

Still sounds like good news though.

[Guest]

I guess I didn't make that very clear, That was a joke. All you have to do is look at the shoreline that surrounds Red and you can see that it has miles and miles or perfect crappie spawning area. I know that the 1995 class wasn't stocked. I just had to pick on the few that think after that 1995 class is gone the crappies will be gone. I have to go hang my crappie stocking over the fireplace now. I was a really good boy this year!!! Scott Steil

[curt quesnell]

Kelly,

1948? Wow, looks like it took!

Curt

[Guest]

So the DNR says that the Crappies from 01' didn't survive...And they know this is a fact because they didn't catch any in their nets. If the DNR didn't catch any Crappies from the 01' spawn, and they say none of them survived, then it must be gospel, right?

The natural die off is Mother Nature's natural population control. It will happen regardless.

How many years has this big "Crappie Bonanza" been going on?

Fish migration is our best friend, with Crappies coming from the west side, and even venturing from LRL.

(now lets see how much I get picked on)

PCG

[jigglestick]

well my educated guess is that with the water still murky, it is just that much harder for the fish to find the bait. i would say the flasher the lure(silver and maybe gold or white in the day time a.m. being best. in the evening, or after dark, i would use the brightest glow lures with small shiners i could find. green, (blue sucks), red , orange, pink, yellow, or white. any thing that will hold the flash. and charge them up often. if you can see fish on the flasher and they seem interested but won't take the bait, try them little power nuggets on smaller(#6 glow hooks) would be my 1st choice. if they still don't take it try plain hook with the power nibbles.
now if you get fish, say one or two from one spot, right away, then nothing, drill more holes 30- 40- 50 feet away, and try it again. if it works, and you get another one or two, then nothing, just keep repeating the process. if you aren't getting fish, then you should be moving any how.
if this seems like to much work, you can allways head in to west wind and have drinks, and ask every one else how the fishing is. at least you'll be warm.
the last part of last season showed no sign of slowing down. most people were hammering them. even after vehicle traffic stopped, and we had to take 4 wheelers, or walk. this past summer didn't even put a nick in them. my guess is we are just waiting for the water to clear up a little more. we didn't get into the fish real good til after the first of the year last season.
the fish are there. the fish will come flying out the holes just like they did.
these views are not necessarily my views, as i am of split personality, and can be often times seen arguing with myself. good fishing. i will be up there soon.

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keep your stick on the ice!---jigglestick---

[kelly-p]

Which Jigglestick do I know? This one sounds like he knows what he is talking about!!!!!
We are very early in the year. We forget that we are remembering the hot fishing later in the winter last year but we are out there now early in the winter.
Also it was a hot dry summer here and the lake is lower then normal. Did the water temps get higher then usuall? I feel that the crappies go west to deeper, cooler water in the summer and work their way back when the water cools. They could have gone further west this summer so it's taking them longer to get back.
If this was a science fiction movie right now the scary music is starting and the screen is showing this large dark shadow that is slowly getting closer and as it comes into focus it's a huge horde of crappies eating everything in it's path and it coming right at us!! They are also bigger then last year so it appears that our ray guns have had no effect on them so break out your lead body suits and tin foil hats and prepare to fish for your lives.

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Waskish Minnow Station
218-647-8652

[jigglestick]

yeah every body thinks i'm just a screw ball. good i like it that way. i don't make the papers and people don't follow me around like lost puppies. sept for that guy that was fishin off the bumper of my camper. i think he was froze to it and couldn't help it. and that one couple that came and set their portable up in between our portables in the middle of no where. well it was dark maybe they didn't see us. hmmm. come to think of it maybe i should start building some of my own decoy houses oh by the way i was talking to some guys who pounded them last night. i think they said they were out by sunset #8 maybe it was west wind where they pounded them?

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keep your stick on the ice!---jigglestick---