Crappie decline on KY Lake

[RUGER]

This is in no way, shape form or fashion pointed towards anyone on this site and no disrespect meant, just a thought I had last night.


So from the reports I have seen & heard crappie fishing on KY lake is bad and getting worse every year.
99.9% of the people I see talking about this blame the carp and the others blame TVA and water fluctuations.

I haven't seen anyone mention what I think is a big factor.
What about the thousands, perhaps tens of thousands of people that fish there and drag upwards of 12 poles per person and their $2,000 trolling motors and depth finders that can basically sein hundreds of acres of water and actually cover every inch of it with 15 to 30 baits or even more at the same time?
There is NO doubt you can catch a limit of crappie like this. I, personally, don't care for it but I haven't ever seen a better / quicker way to catch a limit.
Then how many of these thousands of people then load up their limit(s) and tote them off to their cabin, camper or whatever, then return back to the water and do it again.
How many do this 3 or more times a day when the crappie are on fire?

I am not a smart man and I for sure am not a fish biologist however I know this goes on and I know it is almost impossible for TWRA to stop but I just can't see why people don't understand why there are no big crappie being caught????

 

[chimneyman]

I agree with you somewhat I don't really care how someone catches their fish. But I've been a big supporter in placing a boat limit on crappie. Keep the individual limit at 15 but put a boat limit of 30. Here I see boats full of kids so they can come in with 60 or more crappie per trip. You can look on other forums and see pictures of over 100 crappie caught

 

[chunkandwind]

It's not the fishing pressure. There was more pressure 10 years ago than now.

TVA sucking the water down leaving beds dry along with the carp have taken its toll.

 

[Crow Terminator]

I don't think it's just one thing, but rather a combination of things. The electronics do help you find more cover and fish...but don't make them bite. I often say, I have found more places to fish but don't necessarily catch more fish.

As for fishing pressure, I have noticed something else. Mainly our migrant friends...legal and non legal...have a love for fishing but think the creel limits don't apply to them. There were 20+ of them down at Goodfield creek on Chickamauga a couple weeks ago. They were keeping every crappie they caught. I caught 27 before they ran me out of my hole (they got in the water and started wading to block me). Of the 27 I caught, only 2 were keepers...yet they were catching the same size and throwing them into their buckets to keep. I've seen them down below the dam where there might be 80 or more, all with buckets keeping every fish they catch. If they see you throwing fish back, they will crowd you out. During the white bass run, they had 5 gallon buckets plum full of fish.

It don't take much brain power to figure if you take out 100+ fish a day, every day, then you are going to deplete a school of them faster than they can reproduce.

 

[woodyard]

I tend to agree with chunkandwind that there probably is not the amount of boats out there now compared to 10 years ago. It was thick back then, I haven't seen it this year. I think a lot less people are coming in from other states and spending 3-4 weeks during the spawn. Fishing has been off for at least three years now and they are probably going elsewhere. It has been easier to get a parking spot at the ramps. Used to I would see people bringing in anything that would float.
Pressure may still be on due to all of the electronics and new gizmos. I think that there has always been the cheaters on the limits.

I still think it has something to do with the carp and probably some other factors. Water has always been up and down over the years. I thought it was terrible years ago when they cleared out most of the buck brush around the edge of the refuge.

It must be climate change. It is responsible for everything else according to some.

As for migrants, this type of thing goes on everywhere. I have seen them trying to buy trout at the Caney Fork and they used to camp out on Gulf Shores Pier and run 24-7 filling coolers. I even know of some that filled a mailbox one time. :lol:

 

[bluball]

This is in no way, shape form or fashion pointed towards anyone on this site and no disrespect meant, just a thought I had last night.


So from the reports I have seen & heard crappie fishing on KY lake is bad and getting worse every year.
99.9% of the people I see talking about this blame the carp and the others blame TVA and water fluctuations.

I haven't seen anyone mention what I think is a big factor.
What about the thousands, perhaps tens of thousands of people that fish there and drag upwards of 12 poles per person and their $2,000 trolling motors and depth finders that can basically sein hundreds of acres of water and actually cover every inch of it with 15 to 30 baits or even more at the same time?
There is NO doubt you can catch a limit of crappie like this. I, personally, don't care for it but I haven't ever seen a better / quicker way to catch a limit.
Then how many of these thousands of people then load up their limit(s) and tote them off to their cabin, camper or whatever, then return back to the water and do it again.
How many do this 3 or more times a day when the crappie are on fire?

I am not a smart man and I for sure am not a fish biologist however I know this goes on and I know it is almost impossible for TWRA to stop but I just can't see why people don't understand why there are no big crappie being caught????

Fishing is actually pretty good,size better this yr also.The hard freezes we had winter before last i think killed a bunch of shad,reason for smaller fish last yr.If its the carp hurting crappie fishing why is barkly been on fire the last couple yrs,they say theres more carp on barkley.They said kylake had an above average spawn last yr so it should get even better.I know everyone complains about all this rain we have been haveing,but the bioliogist says it helps with spawn and successful recruitment.Now i will say this,i believe the carp have changed some of there movement patterns.Last yr in the spring some of our best catches were in water 16-22ft.

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[RobbyW]

I talked to a guy last weekend in Big Sandy and he said he and his wife caught a 2 person limit two days in a row and he hasn't caught a limit at all in the last 3 years. Hopefully they will bounce back.

What I noticed is a lot of short fish, but they seem fat. The guy way I understand it is the carp share the same food as bait fish so the entire chain is impacted. With them being healthy fish I wonder if the carp have that much impact. Of course I really don't know what I am talking about, so there is that

 

[Bone Collector]

It is the same issue with the turkeys. Habitat change, this factor, that factor, yata yata yata.

Couple all that with technology making it easier for fish to be caught or birds to be shot and in addition to that, making it easier for more people to be successful, and presto recipe for disaster.

Those that have plenty will say nothing is wrong, those that have less than they used to or none, will complain... I don't know what the answer is, BUT I'd say that if they are going to continue to allow new and improved tech and methods remain legal, they will have to reduce creel/bag limits and ENFORCE them when they do.

 

[GRIT]

The flood in 2010 changed all the lakes here.Kentucky lake hasn't been the same sense the 2010 flood.Then add the other floods we have had after that.I don't think Kentucky lake ever recovered from it.And the Asian carp is not helping either.

 

[WTM]

This is in no way, shape form or fashion pointed towards anyone on this site and no disrespect meant, just a thought I had last night.


So from the reports I have seen & heard crappie fishing on KY lake is bad and getting worse every year.
99.9% of the people I see talking about this blame the carp and the others blame TVA and water fluctuations.

I haven't seen anyone mention what I think is a big factor.
What about the thousands, perhaps tens of thousands of people that fish there and drag upwards of 12 poles per person and their $2,000 trolling motors and depth finders that can basically sein hundreds of acres of water and actually cover every inch of it with 15 to 30 baits or even more at the same time?
There is NO doubt you can catch a limit of crappie like this. I, personally, don't care for it but I haven't ever seen a better / quicker way to catch a limit.
Then how many of these thousands of people then load up their limit(s) and tote them off to their cabin, camper or whatever, then return back to the water and do it again.
How many do this 3 or more times a day when the crappie are on fire?

I am not a smart man and I for sure am not a fish biologist however I know this goes on and I know it is almost impossible for TWRA to stop but I just can't see why people don't understand why there are no big crappie being caught????

Fishing is actually pretty good,size better this yr also.The hard freezes we had winter before last i think killed a bunch of shad,reason for smaller fish last yr.If its the carp hurting crappie fishing why is barkly been on fire the last couple yrs,they say theres more carp on barkley.They said kylake had an above average spawn last yr so it should get even better.I know everyone complains about all this rain we have been haveing,but the bioliogist says it helps with spawn and successful recruitment.Now i will say this,i believe the carp have changed some of there movement patterns.Last yr in the spring some of our best catches were in water 16-22ft.

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lol, so now you agree with me on the shad kills, haha jk. i remember the debate we had last year on this.

agree with the rest of your post too. ive been fishing all this week and have done fairly well with black crappie, where i could find calm water. went one day a couple of weeks ago to brodies on west sandy and caught a limit long casting curly tails. a coworker tipped me on them. i havent fished up there since 2006 and swore to never go back but oh well. the shellcrackers have been on beds too.

spider riggers can increase their odds by 2 times on white crappie but when you have a lake that is changing in water clarity to favor blacks, then those odds go away. Lake Barkley is more stained than KY and there are more whites there according to trapnet data. you cant sit over the top of blacks and catch many of them, they are way too spooky, but you can catch them long lining jigs. the majority of blacks diet is bugs not minnows. they dont spawn on the same type of cover and depth and dont hold on the same type of cover, except in winter, as whites. i know some guys think they are the same animal and hope they keep thinking that way. :tu:

 

[WTM]

I talked to a guy last weekend in Big Sandy and he said he and his wife caught a 2 person limit two days in a row and he hasn't caught a limit at all in the last 3 years. Hopefully they will bounce back.

What I noticed is a lot of short fish, but they seem fat. The guy way I understand it is the carp share the same food as bait fish so the entire chain is impacted. With them being healthy fish I wonder if the carp have that much impact. Of course I really don't know what I am talking about, so there is that

until i see a decline in small bluegill then im not worried about the carp. bluegill can survive in temps that shad cant and eat the same type of plankton that carp filter, even adult bluegill feed on them at times.

 

[bluball]

I talked to a guy last weekend in Big Sandy and he said he and his wife caught a 2 person limit two days in a row and he hasn't caught a limit at all in the last 3 years. Hopefully they will bounce back.

What I noticed is a lot of short fish, but they seem fat. The guy way I understand it is the carp share the same food as bait fish so the entire chain is impacted. With them being healthy fish I wonder if the carp have that much impact. Of course I really don't know what I am talking about, so there is that

I know some guys that had double limits last week in sandy in 3-4hrs,still alot of shorts down there though

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[bluball]

This is in no way, shape form or fashion pointed towards anyone on this site and no disrespect meant, just a thought I had last night.


So from the reports I have seen & heard crappie fishing on KY lake is bad and getting worse every year.
99.9% of the people I see talking about this blame the carp and the others blame TVA and water fluctuations.

I haven't seen anyone mention what I think is a big factor.
What about the thousands, perhaps tens of thousands of people that fish there and drag upwards of 12 poles per person and their $2,000 trolling motors and depth finders that can basically sein hundreds of acres of water and actually cover every inch of it with 15 to 30 baits or even more at the same time?
There is NO doubt you can catch a limit of crappie like this. I, personally, don't care for it but I haven't ever seen a better / quicker way to catch a limit.
Then how many of these thousands of people then load up their limit(s) and tote them off to their cabin, camper or whatever, then return back to the water and do it again.
How many do this 3 or more times a day when the crappie are on fire?

I am not a smart man and I for sure am not a fish biologist however I know this goes on and I know it is almost impossible for TWRA to stop but I just can't see why people don't understand why there are no big crappie being caught????

Fishing is actually pretty good,size better this yr also.The hard freezes we had winter before last i think killed a bunch of shad,reason for smaller fish last yr.If its the carp hurting crappie fishing why is barkly been on fire the last couple yrs,they say theres more carp on barkley.They said kylake had an above average spawn last yr so it should get even better.I know everyone complains about all this rain we have been haveing,but the bioliogist says it helps with spawn and successful recruitment.Now i will say this,i believe the carp have changed some of there movement patterns.Last yr in the spring some of our best catches were in water 16-22ft.

Sent from my SM-S907VL using Tapatalk

lol, so now you agree with me on the shad kills, haha jk. i remember the debate we had last year on this.

agree with the rest of your post too. ive been fishing all this week and have done fairly well with black crappie, where i could find calm water. went one day a couple of weeks ago to brodies on west sandy and caught a limit long casting curly tails. a coworker tipped me on them. i havent fished up there since 2006 and swore to never go back but oh well. the shellcrackers have been on beds too.

spider riggers can increase their odds by 2 times on white crappie but when you have a lake that is changing in water clarity to favor blacks, then those odds go away. Lake Barkley is more stained than KY and there are more whites there according to trapnet data. you cant sit over the top of blacks and catch many of them, they are way too spooky, but you can catch them long lining jigs. the majority of blacks diet is bugs not minnows. they dont spawn on the same type of cover and depth and dont hold on the same type of cover, except in winter, as whites. i know some guys think they are the same animal and hope they keep thinking that way. :tu:

Some people are just stubborn and dont listen[emoji23][emoji23][emoji23]really dont know about the shad,but the crappie were thin and looked malnurished.They have been rebounding since fall and are looking alot better.Agree black and whites are different animals forsure.Did you have any worm infested fish,we have been carching a bunch.Ive saw them before,but not this bad.I have talked with wardens from tn and ky and they say they have saw them this bad before.Heres a pic,but have caught worse.Some i throw half a fillet away there so bad

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[WTM]

i have not fileted any with worms this year, but i dont keep every one i catch either. i release more than i keep. we used to find them in channel cats all the time and bluegill sometimes, especially around tva harbor.

of all the fish we cleaned from saltillo to pickwick over the years i cant remember ever seeing any in those fish. probably more birds up this way.

 

[bluball]

i have not fileted any with worms this year, but i dont keep every one i catch either. i release more than i keep. we used to find them in channel cats all the time and bluegill sometimes, especially around tva harbor.

of all the fish we cleaned from saltillo to pickwick over the years i cant remember ever seeing any in those fish. probably more birds up this way.

I usually dont keep everything i catch either.Havent been catching as many this yr so i havent released a whole lot,lol.

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[X-Tennessean]

This is in no way, shape form or fashion pointed towards anyone on this site and no disrespect meant, just a thought I had last night.


So from the reports I have seen & heard crappie fishing on KY lake is bad and getting worse every year.
99.9% of the people I see talking about this blame the carp and the others blame TVA and water fluctuations.

I haven't seen anyone mention what I think is a big factor.
What about the thousands, perhaps tens of thousands of people that fish there and drag upwards of 12 poles per person and their $2,000 trolling motors and depth finders that can basically sein hundreds of acres of water and actually cover every inch of it with 15 to 30 baits or even more at the same time?
There is NO doubt you can catch a limit of crappie like this. I, personally, don't care for it but I haven't ever seen a better / quicker way to catch a limit.
Then how many of these thousands of people then load up their limit(s) and tote them off to their cabin, camper or whatever, then return back to the water and do it again.
How many do this 3 or more times a day when the crappie are on fire?

I am not a smart man and I for sure am not a fish biologist however I know this goes on and I know it is almost impossible for TWRA to stop but I just can't see why people don't understand why there are no big crappie being caught????

I care less how or what method a person uses to catch fish as long as the rules and regs are followed, I am sure you are right that there are some who do as mentioned.
When it comes to equipment......you could have the best in the world and still not catch a limit!! Trust me
I have that 2k TM and some of the nicer electronics but for some reason I still can't make them jump on 1-2 or 3 of the 12 poles I have out!!! Sure I can see them but I can't make them bite
For me I like change, sometimes I enjoy the task of watching and managing 8-12 poles and the very next morning I will go out and single pole all day. Next trip out I may be pulling jigs or crankbaits.....I try to figure out what the fish want and present it that way. To me that is whats called being a fisherman
To be totally honest I can actually put more fish in the boat single poling (most of the time) because I am more agile and mobile, I will fish 20-30+ different locations because all I have to worry with is 1 pole unlike spider rigging were I have to reel up 8+ rods, store them, move and then set 8+ back out not to mention if I catch a catfish that runs sideways through all of my lines and tangles them all up!!! lol. I enjoy being adaptive and can assure you I leave more often less than a limit than I do with a limit!