# CRAPPIES??? WHAT SIZE TO KEEP???



## jeepguy (Nov 7, 2005)

I have been catching a lot of crappies, I mainly practice catch and release because I would like to preserve a good ice fishing lake for years to come, but I would not mind keeping a few crappies. What size crappies are generally desirable. What is a minimum size to keep (inches) and a maximum.


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## njsimonson (Sep 24, 2002)

9-12" Though I have kept some that are smaller or larger, that's my general range.


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## Norm70 (Aug 26, 2005)

How bout perch? Seems like i have had a ton this year that are right in the 7-8 range???


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## njsimonson (Sep 24, 2002)

8-12. Rarely keep anything smaller. Have only caught one over 12. Released it.


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## Burly1 (Sep 20, 2003)

If you're looking to preserve the good fishing, keep some of the smaller fish and release the larger spawners. It really depends on the average size of the fish in the lake. In some of the MN lakes, 10-11 inches is an average fish. Do what seems right to you. There's nothing wrong with keeping a few big ones to eat once in a while. It's those who take a bucket full of 12-13 inch fish that are hurting the fishery. Good fishing, Burl


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## Norm70 (Aug 26, 2005)

Most of the time my cut off is about 7 1/2 inches. Just wanted to know what everyone thought of this. I got my 1st and only over 12 last yr(13.5) i was fricken huge!! I will get a pic up if i can find one. Only fish i caught that day. Pretty sure that was a once in lifetime fish. I didn't really think of releasing it either. Which now that i look back i shoulda.

What is considered a trophy or big crappie on the ice. I have caught very few, but a couple lakes around ma and pa's place seem to have more crappies than ever??

Burly I dunno how long you have had your quote up there but thats a classic :rollin: :rollin: :rollin:


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## nodakoutdoors.com (Feb 27, 2002)

Keeping perch to me, feels like I lose either way (by my own ethics). Anything less than, say, 9" usually doesn't have much to fillet and it takes a lot (unless they have shoulders like perch in some lakes). But when you start keeping the bigger one's this time of year they're mostly filled with eggs and I hate to fillet those.

I've kept about a dozen myself this year between 10-13 inches and let the rest go. I think moderation is the key. I hate to see bucket after bucket of fish go out of a lake in a short time, really puts a stop on a good lake in a hurry and we've all seen it.

My .02


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## Duckslayer100 (Apr 7, 2004)

I was always told (by the old folks) that 8 1/2 inches is as low as you go. But that's just me. I rarely catch crappies over 10 1/2 inches where I fish, so I really haven't had a chance to decide a "maximum"


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## Invector (Jan 13, 2006)

I dont keep crappies in the summer or perch. I got into a mess of big craps this summer that were all 15" and kept a few just to see how they were. uke: was their tast. In the winter though as long as it can be cleaned it gets kept. The smalles crap I keep is in that 10" range but will keep the bigger ones as well. Same thing with perch. 8"-15" is the norm on what I'll keep. There has been a few times that all we got was 8"ers and we kept them just to have fish to eat. We though alot of fish back depending on how things are going. But if you can clean a 4" perch or a 5" crap go ahead and take them...if you dont some big eye or pike will. Though I would like to see them look at some size restrictions on some lakes. Pipstem could be one to look at. They crappie population will come back strong and fast if the water is held and the larger adults are able to spawn in good habitat. I am one that beleaves in the larger fish produce better offspring. Though in a lake like Hobart the perch dont have much of a life in there once the water started to drop. That is a lake that if it would have held the water (and we would have gotten rain) perch fishing would have been good as long as some conservation is held. But since the water droped and the lake became in habitable (for the most part) let the people keep what they want.


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