Strange regulations.

[FarmerDave]

I've seen a few people complain on here about a 50 fish per limit on panfish. For the most part, I think this is no big deal, especially for most of the sunfish which can spawn all summer long, as many as three times, producing thousands of offspring each time. but I see that the PF&BC still lumps catfish, suckers, and yes, even carp in this category. First of all, that would be a mighty big pan for that fish to fit into. Secondly, why in the world would they even need to have a 50 fish per day limit on carp. You would need a pickup just to haul them, and there is certainly no shortage.

And another thing. They have had bass enhancement program, and even a bluegill enhancement programs for quite some time, but only recently decided to look at a brook trout enhancement program?

Things that make you go hmmm.

One more. While reading the regulations, I discovered that you don't need a lake erie tributaries stamp to fish Conneaut Creek. I guess it is because it flows through part of Ohio before it enters the lake.

 

[shipnfish2006]

I see carp as more of a nuisance fish then anything and lets be honest most people that "catch" carp shoot them and then just use them as fertilizer.

On 3 occassions Ive limited on panfish and thats while I was in college, we were poor so we ate a lot of fish. All 3 times were from the same lake within 2 years and the population is just as strong as it was then. Actually last year I caught the most 9+" Bluegill that I've ever seen in this lake. I don't keep anything other then perch now but like you said they reproduce so fast that a 50 fish limit is never going to destroy some fisheries.

 

[FarmerDave]

:lol: I just read my own post. I should read them first before posting. What I mean about carp is why bother having any limit at all. Keep all you want. I heard they make good cat food. I don't know, I'm not a cat person. We used to catch them at kinzua and throw them in the dumpster. The lake where I used to live had way too many (per a professional survey) so they started having derbies with prizes for the biggest and the most. Funny thing was, many people still wanted to throw them back. They could't comprehend sound management. Consequently the lake fromt people had to put up with the smell of summer fish kills.

I have never heard of a bluegill population hurt by overfishing, but I suppose it could happen. A friend of the family had a pond stocked with them and he had a strict rule. Don't throw any back. If you don't want to take them home, throw them in the hay field for fertilizer. We used to bring buckets of them home and the majority ended up as fertilizer. that lake I was talking about above was also overpopulated with crappie, bluegills and perch, too. I once caught a 15 inch crappie out of there and I'll bet it weighed less than a pound or at least not much more than that. It was so thin, you could see through the fillets.

 

[greendrake20]

In some midwest states I believe it is illegal to release a carp alive after catching it. It is required that you puncture their swim bladder if you are going to put them back in the water. Carp are of course non-native and they have displaced native fish as well as disrupted certain ecosystems. I think it is more of a problem in the midwest, but if I ever catch one again it will certianly turn into vegetable food!

 

[shipnfish2006]

Well I know that most of the Great Lakes sponsors bowfishing tournaments because they've become so overrun with carp. I remember reading in outdoor life that the winner the one time had something like 1,000 carp, i might not be remembering that exactly, but I know it was quite a number.

FarmerDave,

You said about the crappie being so thin. The lake that I kept those 3 limits on, that has been the biggest problem in that lake, thin small fish. But it could be nothing for someone targeting bluegills there to catch 200+ in a day if you know where to go. I normally target perch and the bluegills come as Im perch fishing. Id say in 2 years of non dorm living I kept probably 300 panfish from that lake and didn't effect it one bit, but it made for some awesome fish fries!!

 

[salvelinusfontinalis]

dave eat all the panfish you want!
is this a strange reg? like to at least see this in pa for the wilds. doesnt up the size. one less fish and aflo
http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t76/salvelinusfontinalis/stupid%20pics%20for%20stupid%20links/regulations.jpg
for the unlucky ones
http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t76/salvelinusfontinalis/stupid%20pics%20for%20stupid%20links/Day25-SauteedTroutwithBeurreMeniere.jpg
Sauteed Trout with Beurre Meniere, Wild Rice, Tourneed Root Vegetables, and Broccolini