25 fish aggregate panny limit

[Fish_Tko]

Does anyone know when this is going up for approval?

http://www.in.gov/dnr/fishwild/2362.htm

312 IAC 9-7-10: Establishes a statewide daily bag limit of 25 (in aggregate) for all species of sunfish (Lepomis spp. – which includes bluegill, redear, warmouth, pumpkinseed, green sunfish, and others).  In recent years, technology has greatly increased fish-catching efficiency. Having a sunfish bag limit in place at times when fish are highly vulnerable would help maintain long-term fishing quality.

Another noteworthy pc. from the regulations proposal

312 IAC 9-7-12: Makes the following changes governing Walleye/Sauger/Saugeye:
•Establishes a 16-inch minimum size limit for walleye north of State Road 26 on all public waters (lakes, impoundments, rivers, and Lake Michigan) with the exception of these lakes: Lake George (Steuben County), Bass Lake (Starke County), Simonton Lake (Elkhart County), Wolf Lake (Lake County), and Wall Lake (Steuben County). Indiana’s walleye fishing depends on hatchery stockings. Walleye abundance in northern Indiana has increased over the years with the help of larger (and more expensive) hatchery fingerlings. Anglers stand to get more out of these stockings if the fish are allowed to grow larger before they are taken home. The region of Indiana north of State Road 26 contains all the sites where the larger fingerling walleye are currently being stocked. SR 26 runs in a relatively straight line from Illinois to Ohio, which offers a reasonable dividing line. Exceptions to a 16-inch minimum size limit would include lakes with documented slow growth of walleye or other special regulatory needs. The rest of Indiana’s public waters (except the Ohio River) would remain regulated by a 14-inch walleye size limit.

[Eye Fish]

Last winter me and a buddy went out on wawasee at oakwood resort. We had a good day. We were loading up the atv getting ready to leave when the dnr pulled in. He asked us how we did and checked out our bucket of fish. We had 3 crappie and around 60 gills. He mentioned that the 25 panfish limit will very likely go in effect in 2015. Would not bother me if they did that.

[abishop]

The beards won't like this limit change. But, I think the majority will understand and abide by the new law.

[crappie66]

I like the proposal for the size increase on the walleye.

[dsqui]

ya they should move the size limit up on muskies too or do like michigan with a tag system for them to keep em i bieleve its one a year up there and its gotta be 54 in Minnesota


i do wonder though how that 25 limit will work with guys that just ice em and leave em they should crack down on that too no big deal keepin 25 but if you leave 30 layin cause they were small whats the point. also if someone leaves it layin on the ice and you say go out and hit the same hole how you gonna prove they arent yours or are you going to have to pick up after someone and drop em back in all frozin

[panfisherman]

I'll support the limit changes. Fish on!!

[trophytaker1]

I usually quit about 15 anyway

[Gills-only]

ya they should move the size limit up on muskies too or do like michigan with a tag system for them to keep em i bieleve its one a year up there and its gotta be 54 in Minnesota


i do wonder though how that 25 limit will work with guys that just ice em and leave em they should crack down on that too no big deal keepin 25 but if you leave 30 layin cause they were small whats the point. also if someone leaves it layin on the ice and you say go out and hit the same hole how you gonna prove they arent yours or are you going to have to pick up after someone and drop em back in all frozin

                                 In Michigan if you put little ones on the ice, they are part of your limit, they watch and WILL catch you doing it as I have known guys that got caught and its a pretty hefty fine!

[wax_worm]

                                 In Michigan if you put little ones on the ice, they are part of your limit, they watch and WILL catch you doing it as I have known guys that got caught and its a pretty hefty fine!

This will be the case here in IN too, if/when the law goes into effect.  If you don't throw it back down the hole it counts toward your limit.  If you see people throwing fish on the ice they are not planning on taking with them, call the poaching hotline.  If the DNR has someone nearby they will come out.  Sometimes they  don't get there in time due to the limited numbers we have and they have a lot of territory to cover.  However if they are too late to catch the person, at least they know someone is doing it and catch watch for the spot in the future.

[Stinkybaits]

Hmmmm I wander if I use a gill on a tip up... I better up size those to 8s and 9s that way if no pike takers I can fillet it. What happens if the pike eats it! Does that mean the pike stole my fish and I can add another to the pile or would it still add to my count if it's in his belly when I land it? I'm so confused!  Lol I can't count to 10 barely. Is there an app for that?

[Fishslayer81]

Does the limit include crappie or is it 25 each?

[bldfrt]

Does the limit include crappie or is it 25 each?

Probably depends if crappie is a sunfish judging based on the excerpt in this thread

[Gills-only]

In Michigan ,crappie is included!!

[Hermdog]

No more pictures of piles of fish being caught day after day?  It ain't just the bearded assassins, they don't post pictures!!

[Fish_Tko]

No more pictures of piles of fish being caught day after day?  It ain't just the bearded assassins, they don't post pictures!!

It will just be earlier in the day now that you can crack that first Keystone....

I am sure they will be watching for the guys who catch 25 in the morning and either going back to the same place in the afternoon or try hitting a different lake for 25 more...better be switching to perch or eyes.

[Stinkybaits]

Does the limit include crappie or is it 25 each?

I don't crappie listed in anywhere under the Lepomis species title on Wikipedia. It would probably be more spelled out in the regulations book but at this point imo no it would not include crappie.
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lepomis

[tater140]

I had assumed it would not include crappie.  Hopefully they spell it out one way or the other.  Could be very confusing.

[matfalk]

The way they spelled it out on the proposal said it was for sunfish, not panfish.  They listed bluegill, redear, warmouth, green sunfish, and others.  I would assume that if they were going to include crappie they would have worded it as panfish.  They'll probably keep it separate just like it has been.

[bldfrt]

You'd think that crappie would be noteworthy enough to be on the list they have if it was part of it. If not whoever wrote it is no local outdoorsman to not think to tell people about crappie in indiana or maybe just glaring oversights happen I guess who knows. Personally I'm gunna use it as an excuse why I didn't catch many fish sometimes

[Fish_Tko]

The way they spelled it out on the proposal said it was for sunfish, not panfish.  They listed bluegill, redear, warmouth, green sunfish, and others.  I would assume that if they were going to include crappie they would have worded it as panfish.  They'll probably keep it separate just like it has been.

Even thought it isn't spelled out in the final details I speculate that it will be the following

25--sunfish(bluegill, redear, warmouth, green sunfish, and others(pumpkinseed, etc)
25-crappies(separate from the sunfish)
Perch--still no limit.

[Fishslayer81]

In Michigan ,crappie is included!!

Yup...exactly why I asked the question.

[Fishslayer81]

No more pictures of piles of fish being caught day after day?  It ain't just the bearded assassins, they don't post pictures!!

Being the law reads that crappies are not included in the "panfish" limit. There will still be pictures of piles being caught. Remember that most pile pictures posted are of group efforts not a single fisherman. So 25 gill/25 craps =50 fish a person. That is still a pile of fish!

[wax_worm]

Even thought it isn't spelled out in the final details I speculate that it will be the following

25--sunfish(bluegill, redear, warmouth, green sunfish, and others(pumpkinseed, etc)
25-crappies(separate from the sunfish)
Perch--still no limit.

If the law is written as shown at the top of the thread then I agree with this that they are not included in the 25 limit as crappie are from a completely different Genus than sunfish.  However with they way some of the rules in the past have been written in the guide, I would make sure they did not slip something in about the sunfish and crappie limits applying in aggregate.

[princecraft]

I will really be surprised if crappie isn't included in the limit. 

[Gills-only]

I will really be surprised if crappie isn't included in the limit.

.             X2

[Stinkybaits]

Crappie limits are fine the way they are I haven't noticed any decrease on population or size but that's only imo and on the areas I fish. I have no idea about what the rest of you are finding maybe it's a different story... High Tide would probably be able to be a great input on this topic since he's all over the place crappie fishing. Doug are you out there? I bet he's out pounding crappie now!

[Gills-only]

Don't care one way or the other, was just saying I bet they will include them with panfish.

[blueultra2]

I will really be surprised if crappie isn't included in the limit.

I'm thinking the same thing Jack.

[sprkplug]

Scientifically speaking, both bluegills and crappies belong to the family Centrarchidae, but crappies are of the genus Pomoxis, while bluegills, (and a great many other common "panfish" are classified as Lepomids.

So, if the wording actually spells out Lepomis as the target species, then crappies should not be included.

But, stranger things have come to pass.

[High Tide]

Crappie limits are fine the way they are I haven't noticed any decrease on population or size but that's only imo and on the areas I fish. I have no idea about what the rest of you are finding maybe it's a different story... High Tide would probably be able to be a great input on this topic since he's all over the place crappie fishing. Doug are you out there? I bet he's out pounding crappie now!

I'd have to say the crappie population is healthy... We had a tournament in Indiana couple weeks ago and three teams weighed in 18, 19 and 21 pounds for 14 crappie in a lake that many say is ruined. However, the older I get, the more I'd wish for a slot limit over total bag... It's all about the genes, and number two is habitat. Anything else seems like p#$$ing in the wind.