# Perch Limit: Take Action NOW!



## rap (Mar 26, 2002)

i would like to see the panfish limit lowered to around 20 or even less. too many good lakes get fished out quickly when people hear of a good perch bite. there are plenty of examples. alkali is a prime example, but from my neck of the woods, lake darling comes to mind, that place was hot a few years ago. everynight there was a caravan of vehicles leaving the ice. now it seems no one can find the perch in recent years. i remember the last legislative session the panfish limit was proposed to be less than 35 but the devils lake chamber of commerce started yelling about their profits falling because fewer people would come... what a surprise$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$. i hear on some south dakota lakes the perch limit is around 5. looking to see what everyone else thinks or knows if there may be some legislation introduced this year?


----------



## holmsvc (Nov 26, 2003)

I agree with you 20 perch would be great plenty. Who needs more than 20 perch?


----------



## njsimonson (Sep 24, 2002)

Yup. Holms and I have been saying that for years. I heard there was a big lobby from up in the Devils Lake area to prevent it from getting any lower than what it is now at the last legislative session. That's a factor that a lower limit-type bill must deal with this year.


----------



## Cinder (Sep 2, 2003)

I agree with this idea too, but 20 is probably still too many. Also, I would make it similar to the walleye limits where you go by length. Minnesota has some nice crappie lakes where you can't keep anything under 11, or maybe 14, inches. South Dakota has a couple of lakes where you can only keep a couple of perch or walleye, but when you fish there the ones you catch are nice fish.

I remember watching people fish the lakes near Ashley ten+ years ago and people would brag about how many five gallon pails they filled up. (I could not stand to clean one pail, let alone two or three for a week straight.) If the limit had been ten fish I think most of them still would have came each night and been just as happy. They could say "we got our limit", and nobody could top them with more "buckets" of fish.

Just my opinion and I hope the Game and Fish move in this direction.


----------



## njsimonson (Sep 24, 2002)

Good Idea Cinder.

I too remember the "bucket" days of perch fishing, and even partook in some of them when I was 8 or 9, foolish youth.

Now people wonder why yellow perch are so tough to come by on Lake Ashtabula north of Valley City. Because the five-gallon brigades had their way with her in the late 80s and early 90s.


----------



## holmsvc (Nov 26, 2003)

I don't know if I could handle cleaning a bucket full. I cleaned the 35 my uncle and I kept yesterday. I know I was sick of cleaning them after about 15 perch.


----------



## BigDaddy (Mar 4, 2002)

I'm all for lowering the perch limit. While we're at it, the crappie limit should be lowered too. Pipestem and Sweetbriar got pounded last year, and I really fear that the crappie populations won't be able to take the pressure.


----------



## rap (Mar 26, 2002)

so has anyone heard of any legislation being introduced? if not we should contact someone, i think they must be filed before jan 4.


----------



## Ithaca1 (Nov 24, 2003)

Theres no Crappies left in the Pipe because Big Daddy caught all of them last year. :lol:


----------



## Bob Kellam (Apr 8, 2004)

Legislation for pan fish limits?

Try contacting the Game and Fish first, I think you will have better luck there.

I can find nothing in th NDCC about limits of pan fish, I just gave it a quick look, it may be there, didn't see it if it was.

Bob


----------



## rap (Mar 26, 2002)

I hear that I should be talking to the game and fish to set the limits on perch. i know there was legislation last session, but that was probably to place new limits where there never were any? well, the NDGF site is [email protected], couldn't hurt to talk to the reps too.


----------



## KEN W (Feb 22, 2002)

Well...the GNF says a lower limit isn't necessary...so why change it.

I would be against any legislation setting limits on any animal,fish,bird...whatever we hunt or fish for.

If you can convince the GNF it is necessary,fine....but a law is too difficult to change.It may not be necessary in the future to have lower limits or even go back to higher limits....much easier to have GNF flexible to make adjustments.This way they can even do it for each individual lake.....much better than laws setting limits.We don't need the legislature setting limits on fish,or how many deer licenses should be issued or what the pheasant limit should be.

I deleted the list of legislator's emails....it is difficult to read the page.
Please just put a web link to see them.Or put some breaks in the list so it doesn't go on forever.


----------



## Maverick (Mar 4, 2002)

> I'm all for lowering the perch limit. While we're at it, the crappie limit should be lowered too. Pipestem and Sweetbriar got pounded last year, and I really fear that the crappie populations won't be able to take the pressure.


I don't know how many times I have seen people take BUCKS of crappies in the last 4 years and the average size of crappies in the Pipe is a lot smaller than it used to be! The numbers are not there either! I have fished that lake in the summer s and winters to only find that the fishing is getting tougher! Not because the fish are moving but becase there are less fish in it! The brothel has now become the bronx!


----------



## rap (Mar 26, 2002)

i received an email from terry steinwad(ndgf fisheries chief). he said he would also like to see the limit lowered, but it has been difficult getting it in place.


----------



## jdpete75 (Dec 16, 2003)

I personally dont keep any fish and think that legislation should be proposed to make ND a catch and release state from March to the last week in April. After all we arent fishing for our sustinance out there are we.


----------



## rap (Mar 26, 2002)

i like fresh fish too much not to keep any, especially through the ice


----------



## cootkiller (Oct 23, 2002)

FYI jdpete,
I fish and hunt in order to save money on food bought from the store so that I can spend my money on more stuff to use while I fish and hunt. :lol:
So ha, I do fish for sustinance.

Oh, wait a minute.
I don't know if this would be fishing for sustinance or not. When I think about it more it seems kind of funny and a little crazy, especially when I look at the price of shells, bait, gas, etc.


cootkiller


----------



## buckseye (Dec 8, 2003)

It would really raise hell with the perch patrols out there that are guiding. Must be why it don't happen. :eyeroll:


----------



## jdpete75 (Dec 16, 2003)

Had to ammend my above post forgot the time frame. Never being able to keep anything would definately suck.  I do let my kids bring thier fish home (even though I get stuck cleaning them). At 8 and 6 they get to feel like they are helping put food on the table. albeit very, very expensive food.


----------



## njsimonson (Sep 24, 2002)

Please...if I rated my fishing lifetime on how much I've spent on it, I'd be scratching my head to figure out how to write it all off on my 1040s.

Its a hobby, like rebuilding engines, its going to cost money, and you can't justify it, you JUST DO IT. I don't ever sit there and say...Hmmm, these walleyes, when figuring in gas, rod, reel, 16.5 feet of fireline, trolling motor, etc. etc. etc., when averaged out, cost about $3.87 per fillet. Cripes, its foolish to even BEGIN to wonder how much these meals cost based on our investments in the sport. Just fish because you like to fish.

Oh, and GO LOWER LIMITS!!! How about 10 perch? Between 8-11 inches only!!!  And C&R only smallmouth bass on the Sheyenne River from Baldhill Dam to Ft. Ransom!


----------



## cootkiller (Oct 23, 2002)

Ok, Maybe I give nj too much credit just because he is an attorney.
If he couldn't sense the sarcasm in my post he has a few screws loose. :roll:

cootkiller


----------



## drjongy (Oct 13, 2003)

Catch and release.....into the grease.

I'm not out there to harass wildlife by catching a bunch of fish I'm not going to use, especially in the winter months when even a few seconds in the elements can shock them so bad perhpas 25% of them die when released anyway.


----------



## rap (Mar 26, 2002)

buckseye said:


> It would really raise hell with the perch patrols out there that are guiding. Must be why it don't happen. :eyeroll:


yup.... DL put up a hell of a holler when it was attempted to be lower last session...$$$$$$$$$$$$$$


----------



## njsimonson (Sep 24, 2002)

Aw C'mon coot...I was with you on the sarcasm. I was just bolstering it with a statement. Saying that it'd be foolish to ever lay it all out and break it down like that. I'd be eating $30 fish! 

Reading further, you see me pushing for my smallmouth bass initiative don't you? Will that ever happen in my lifetime, probably not.  A little joking and wishful thinking. I'm witcha buddy.

And for goodness sake, don't give me credit because I'm an attorney (If anything that hurts my credibility, doesn't it?  ), instead give me credit because I'm one badass bass fisherman! 

As for the screws...they've been loose for awhile!


----------



## AvianQuest (Dec 22, 2004)

Maverick said:


> I don't know how many times I have seen people take BUCKS of crappies in the last 4 years and the average size of crappies in the Pipe is a lot smaller than it used to be!
> 
> The numbers are not there either!


Uh, which is it? They are catching them by the buckets, yet the numbers aren't there?

Does anyone know what the state biologists are saying about the fish populations?

When the average size is dropping it often means the fish are over-populating the lake. If that turns out to be the case you sure don't want the limits dropped.


----------



## jhegg (May 29, 2004)

AQ,
This may not be exactly on topic, but...are you interested in coming up here next fall to see first hand the problems we face with the increased non-resident hunting pressure? Let me know. I would be more than glad to take some time off from work and show you the issues we face as resident hunters.
Jim


----------



## HNTNWGN (Jan 14, 2005)

20 is plenty to clean, How about a size limit.


----------

