Crappie Fever! Weekend Reports!

[vaneeck]

I got some crappies off and on all over the area. Whitefish was good last weekend and this weekend. Couple on North Long during the week. Pelican in the Breezy bay was also good last weekend. Sylvan lake in the narrows was good late week too.

Oh and one other note on the discussion of females vs male crappies; crappies don't exhibit "sexual dimorphism" ie females are not necessarily bigger than males like true of walleye, bass etc.. I have caught many large males right along with females. If you ever get into some large crappies and clean some up for eating note the sex, you'd be surprised!

[fish500]

Good point. I've caught 14 inch males.

[tengauge]

I've also caught 14 inch males but i'm just stating the fact that this time of year if you can't tell your blind. If they look like they ate a golf ball throw them back. On a side note only got out for a little bit this weekend and caught about 15 between the two of us on gull, wasn't very good. Mostly small. Oh and a nice bonus bullhead.

[fish500]

Why is it more important to release the females compared to the males? I can think of some possible reasons, but I'd like to have someone explain it to me if they can. Thanks.

[ccarlson]

The females carry the eggs of course but the males are the ones that guard the nest so showing restraint in harvest of both will keep the fishery healthy.

Releasing the larger of both sexes ensures more quality eggs from females and good genetics from both males and female crappies, plus a larger male will do a better job of fending off intruders to the nesting area IMO.

I wish they would have done the right thing a few years ago when they changed the regs and lowered the limit to 6 where the DNR admitted it needed to be to really protect the quality of crappies.

ccarlson

[CaptainMusky]

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Why is it more important to release the females compared to the males? I can think of some possible reasons, but I'd like to have someone explain it to me if they can. Thanks.

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Because do not "mate for life" and the fact that any male could fertilize the eggs. Since the females control the number of potential offspring due to the eggs they carry, any male would do. I suppose you could get into a genetics discussion about wanting the big males to reproduce with the big females, but environmental factors seem to impact the size of fish more than genetics from what I have been told.

I compare this to pheasants where hens are protected and you can only shoot roosters. One rooster can breed in excess of 8 hens so it is not possible to overharvest roosters (though I disagree with the proposed 3 daily limit). I realize this is not a apples to apples comparison, but it is one that draws some correlation at least from everything I have read or heard from fisheries biologists.

I think the main thing is that the males in these two instances are not the "critical path" for the continuing of the species, the females are. If the giant males are not around, there will be another one to take its place.

[fish500]

So it must be the case that male crappies fertilize multiple nests?

Good point about the nest guarding that I think is often overlooked.

[CaptainMusky]

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So it must be the case that male crappies fertilize multiple nests?

Good point about the nest guarding that I think is often overlooked.

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That is really true. If there isn't a male there to defend it, suckers or other culprits will pretty much take care of everything on the nest.