The ice fishing PA boards are sponsored by:

Author Topic: Change the panfish limit..  (Read 6746 times)

Offline iceintioga

  • Team IceShanty Regular
  • ***
  • Posts: 326
Change the panfish limit..
« on: Jan 12, 2018, 09:09 AM »
What makes me grumpy you ask? Fish hogs, allowed to do their ugly business on public lakes in Pa. Was fishing yesterday on a 5-6 acre pond on state games lands-a remote, and beautiful place...Three people got on a school of crappies and the slaughter began..They took their "limit"-150 fish for three people, which stupidly in Pa. is 50 each... This pond is perfect for kids, beginners, and reasonable people...but at the rate these fish hogs are taking out quality fish, it cannot sustain...Change the stupid law to 25, combined panfish...

Offline PaCarpboy

  • Team IceShanty Regular
  • ***
  • Posts: 300
Re: Change the panfish limit..
« Reply #1 on: Jan 12, 2018, 09:17 AM »
That is disgusting.  Soon they'll be saying, "I don't understand why we aren't catching anything, we used to get them by the hundreds".  Personally, 10 fish is enough for me to have to clean when I get home and makes a nice couple of meals for my wife and me.   And one of these day, I'm going to catch 10.

Offline iceintioga

  • Team IceShanty Regular
  • ***
  • Posts: 326
Re: Change the panfish limit..
« Reply #2 on: Jan 12, 2018, 10:34 AM »
They had a hard time getting the last two fish to make 150--After the slaughter, they fished for another hour for those last two...then they left...persistent devils they were.
 They did not look like down, and outers filling their freezer..They came in a brand new pickup.

Offline captain54

  • Team IceShanty Maniac
  • **
  • Posts: 3,422
Re: Change the panfish limit..
« Reply #3 on: Jan 12, 2018, 10:45 AM »
Actually 25-30 quality Panfish is more than enough. I fish P.I. a lot and 30 jumbo perch is more than a fair limit. The Panfish fishery is no different than game fish. Over harvest anything and there will be nothing left. But hey there's pigs out there that need as many as the law allows and sometimes more.

Offline Gills4me

  • Team IceShanty Regular
  • ***
  • Posts: 249
Re: Change the panfish limit..
« Reply #4 on: Jan 12, 2018, 11:34 AM »
totally agree 50 is too high especially a small body of water

Offline builder

  • Team IceShanty Addict
  • *
  • Posts: 969
  • don't get drug in
Re: Change the panfish limit..
« Reply #5 on: Jan 12, 2018, 11:39 AM »
sayers changed over to 10 crappie limit with only 5 can be over 9 inches. get your limit of 10 plus a couple of perch or gills and you have plenty

Offline Icemole

  • Team IceShanty Addict
  • *
  • Posts: 524
Re: Change the panfish limit..
« Reply #6 on: Jan 12, 2018, 12:39 PM »
 Are you seeing a change at Sayer's - or do you still have to weed through lot's of fish to find a 9". 


The problem with the gene pool is that there is no lifeguard.

Offline uncleshorty

  • Team IceShanty Addict
  • *
  • Posts: 558
  • Born up the mountain, raised in a cave...
Re: Change the panfish limit..
« Reply #7 on: Jan 12, 2018, 01:11 PM »
50's too many.  I know guys, (who I don't fish with anymore), who catch a batch of fish throw them in the freezer until the week before deer season then throw them out to "make room for venison".

On top of that, the venison gets thrown out the week before trout season...

Disgusting.
Ice fishin' & turtlin's all I crave...

Offline Brianm14

  • Team IceShanty Regular
  • ***
  • Posts: 134
Re: Change the panfish limit..
« Reply #8 on: Jan 12, 2018, 01:19 PM »
50's too many.  I know guys, (who I don't fish with anymore), who catch a batch of fish throw them in the freezer until the week before deer season then throw them out to "make room for venison".

On top of that, the venison gets thrown out the week before trout season...

Disgusting.

Anyone throwing venison out to make room for nasty stocked trout should be checked into a mental institution!
 

Offline builder

  • Team IceShanty Addict
  • *
  • Posts: 969
  • don't get drug in
Re: Change the panfish limit..
« Reply #9 on: Jan 12, 2018, 01:23 PM »
I was out at sayers two Tuesdays back and caught crappies all day. a bunch were over 9. last Saturday I was out with the grandson and most were under 9.

Offline isthereiceyet89

  • Team IceShanty Regular
  • ***
  • Posts: 263
  • "the Green Hornet strikes again!!!"
Re: Change the panfish limit..
« Reply #10 on: Jan 12, 2018, 03:56 PM »
Our panfish management is a disgrace!!! The biologist need to catch up to the times lower creel limits and apply slot limits! On over populated lakes keep a 50 fish limit.

Offline Indiana_Lou

  • Team IceShanty Addict
  • *
  • Posts: 958
  • Ice Fishing Rulez!
Re: Change the panfish limit..
« Reply #11 on: Jan 12, 2018, 04:21 PM »
I've proposed this for years. Winter season should cut all limits in half. Particularly since most of the panfish are full of eggs at that time. Those lakes  that have problems can have their own set of regulations either more or less depending on their circumstance. And as many have stated already, keeping ten or even fifteen fish on an outing per fisherman is more than enough for the average family to have a good meal or two. Just my opinion and only an opinion.  Pound away!!!!  Lou

Offline Rangerphil

  • Team IceShanty Regular
  • ***
  • Posts: 248
Re: Change the panfish limit..
« Reply #12 on: Jan 12, 2018, 04:41 PM »
I agree even when I go out and catch a bunch to have a fry with friends and family I only keep 25. 50 is way to many for one day!!!

Chute82

  • Guest
Re: Change the panfish limit..
« Reply #13 on: Jan 12, 2018, 04:50 PM »
my Favorite is the people who bring the 3 yr old and somehow the 3 year old catches his/ her limit also.  Same people who push their new born bady around on Halloween with a pillowcase for the baby’s candy.  I always say “ Hope your new born enjoys that snickers bar”

Offline SLAPHAPPY

  • IceShanty Rookie
  • **
  • Posts: 18
Re: Change the panfish limit..
« Reply #14 on: Jan 12, 2018, 05:03 PM »
What gets me is those guys that go out day after day keeping everything they catch.. cleaning 50 crappie or perch is insane. I know damn well they aren't eating or cleaning all those fish every damn day..  I usually release everything. Once in a while I'll keep 3 or 4 nice crappies for 1 meal.  I just like to fish. But so far this year, it's been horrible. Can't seem to really get on the fish anywhere

Offline capt.crappie

  • Team IceShanty Maniac
  • **
  • Posts: 2,306
Re: Change the panfish limit..
« Reply #15 on: Jan 12, 2018, 06:42 PM »
Are you seeing a change at Sayer's - or do you still have to weed through lot's of fish to find a 9".
I was at sayers last may. When the crappies came in by the cemetery. 3 days in a row We caught 1 every cast for hours. We kept twenty each time we were there. Out of the 60 we kept. 5 were over 9". the rest were all 8 7/8th" That lake is so over populated its crazy  ::)

Offline 4seasonfishrman

  • Team IceShanty Regular
  • ***
  • Posts: 366
Re: Change the panfish limit..
« Reply #16 on: Jan 12, 2018, 07:02 PM »
A 50 fish limit is insane.  10 fish would be ideal, we don't have the large fertile lakes like they do down south or the midwest.

Offline Lawrence88

  • IceShanty Rookie
  • **
  • Posts: 35
Re: Change the panfish limit..
« Reply #17 on: Jan 12, 2018, 11:45 PM »
50's too many.  I know guys, (who I don't fish with anymore), who catch a batch of fish throw them in the freezer until the week before deer season then throw them out to "make room for venison".

On top of that, the venison gets thrown out the week before trout season...

Disgusting.

I believe this to be a lot more prevalent than we realize or are ready to admit.  Unless you or someone in your family is really into cooking and great with a knife, 50 is just too many fish to be manageable.  Many end up getting thrown out, and the perpetrators stop at a drive-through on the way home.  That is the very image of American excess, and it will be our destruction. 

And I'd rather catch big panfish than big bass.  Commonwealth should start managing them like gamefish rather than trash fish. 
"Gol-dang! If thet ain't about the worst ice-fishin' hole Ah ever seed! Looks like a giant funnel!"  

-   Rancid Crabtree

Offline Oneflagdown

  • IceShanty Rookie
  • **
  • Posts: 71
Re: Change the panfish limit..
« Reply #18 on: Jan 13, 2018, 06:35 AM »
And then there are guys like me that may only get out once or twice due to work. A 50 fish limit for me is good cuz I can have fish to eat and fish in the freezer for when I can't get out .

Offline chez

  • Team IceShanty Maniac
  • **
  • Posts: 1,255
Re: Change the panfish limit..
« Reply #19 on: Jan 13, 2018, 08:21 AM »
I see your point ONEFLAGDOWN.

PA HAD THE Doe POPULATION DESTROYED IN 3 YEARS.
With season limits.
Now it's hard to see a deer.

I think the panfishlimit should change.
Especially in spawning season.
Lower it then.
Then increase it afterwords.but not to 50.
25.combined.
See how it works out in a 3 year time So and and take it from there

Offline charger7022

  • Team IceShanty Regular
  • ***
  • Posts: 270
Re: Change the panfish limit..
« Reply #20 on: Jan 13, 2018, 08:33 AM »
I agree with what is being said here but you cant blame those that keep the 50 unless you know for a fact they toss them.  I have kept 50 fish many times all of size and every last one was cleaned and eaten. My whole family just loves it. as for the guy complaining about taking a young child my 6 year old now 7 would out fish most grown men at 6 and often times he catches way more than I do.  that being said I do agree on a lot of public lakes the limit needs to be reduced to 25-30 and every lake is different. I fish a private lake that has so many perch in it there is no way there is enough food for other species like walleye which they stock all the time and we hardly catch.

Offline Freytown

  • Team IceShanty Regular
  • ***
  • Posts: 160
Re: Change the panfish limit..
« Reply #21 on: Jan 13, 2018, 08:48 AM »
Good topic. Has anyone addressed this with the PFBC? Our laws cover the entire state but fishing pressure varies lake to lake, public to private. I have also seen lakes that are so over populated that all fish are stunted.  Crappie females will deposit 20-30,000 eggs each spring. They will grow to 3 1/2 inches in year one and to 8 inches by year two. After that the food supply will determine the growth rate. Personally, I don't see 50 fish limits taken that often but yes some will. 

Variable laws/limits will result in infractions by mistake or intentional which I,m sure the WCO's would rather not be involved with.

Offline jarhead

  • Team IceShanty Regular
  • ***
  • Posts: 328
Re: Change the panfish limit..
« Reply #22 on: Jan 13, 2018, 08:56 AM »
There are other issues here also.50 Fish caught often ??Well what about the consumption advisories listed for pa fish All fish.One or two meals a month?? I take those with a grain of salt But our fish and lakes are polluted with mercury and chlordane and pcbs's I have limited myself with the amount of fish I eat and I would not let my children or pregnant wife eat fish that often also.Common sense here.I think these are bigger concerns of pollution then a few cigarette butts on water don't you think.

Offline sloughdog

  • Team IceShanty Regular
  • ***
  • Posts: 318
Re: Change the panfish limit..
« Reply #23 on: Jan 13, 2018, 12:01 PM »
PA Fish Comm won’t change their management strategies. There is overwhelming research on this topic and other types of fisheries that fish comm seems to refuse to adopt. Look at the put and take trout stockings that have ruined countless native trout streams but that’s a topic for another day.

This article is a great example of current research and how to manage panfisheries:

http://www.in-fisherman.com/panfish/bluegill/managing-bluegills/

The mid-west and western states are more adaptive to current research and fisheries management practices than in the east. Fish comm would rather stick to their old ways as it’s too much work to adopt new strategies...that’s my guess anyways.

Offline captain54

  • Team IceShanty Maniac
  • **
  • Posts: 3,422
Re: Change the panfish limit..
« Reply #24 on: Jan 13, 2018, 12:14 PM »
Chez,don't get me started on how the PGC destroyed the deer herd. I'm blaming global warming,no fish,no deer,no small game,no waterfowl. Boy I miss those old days. lol

Offline SKIFFLAKEJIMMY

  • Team IceShanty Maniac
  • **
  • Posts: 1,154
Re: Change the panfish limit..
« Reply #25 on: Jan 13, 2018, 12:15 PM »
Michigan has a 25 combined limit for panfish. I feel that is more than enough. It is actually more than I want to clean. 8 or 10 is enough for a meal. I clean em. My wife cooks them. We eat em. I go catch some more another day. Winter and Summer. There was a Charter Captain on Erie that fed his cat with walleyes. That is disgusting.
Thank you Lord for thinkin bout me. I'm alive and doin fine!!!!!!

Offline bassnleo

  • IceShanty Rookie
  • **
  • Posts: 4
Re: Change the panfish limit..
« Reply #26 on: Jan 13, 2018, 12:26 PM »
I never catch 50 so no worries for me 🤣

Offline charlijones

  • Team IceShanty Regular
  • ***
  • Posts: 274
Re: Change the panfish limit..
« Reply #27 on: Jan 13, 2018, 01:14 PM »
"Michigan has a 25 combined limit for panfish"

Way to go Michigan

Offline Lawrence88

  • IceShanty Rookie
  • **
  • Posts: 35
Re: Change the panfish limit..
« Reply #28 on: Jan 13, 2018, 01:42 PM »

The mid-west and western states are more adaptive to current research and fisheries management practices than in the east. Fish comm would rather stick to their old ways as it’s too much work to adopt new strategies...that’s my guess anyways.

It's actually more a north-south thing.  States with a healthy attitude toward management of public goods (like much of the Northeast and West) manage things better.  Pennsylvania behaves very much like a southern state in this way: it has historically treated public goods as exploitable by private interests (clear cutting, strip mining, etc).  I grew up in the South and lived long-term in the West, and PA is very, very much like Dixie: backward and resistant to change unless it involves tax revenue. 

As evidence, go watch youtube vids of folks catching big panfish, and I bet you at least two-thirds will be from the North, even though panfish should actually grow larger and faster down south due to temperature.
"Gol-dang! If thet ain't about the worst ice-fishin' hole Ah ever seed! Looks like a giant funnel!"  

-   Rancid Crabtree

Offline iceintioga

  • Team IceShanty Regular
  • ***
  • Posts: 326
Re: Change the panfish limit..
« Reply #29 on: Jan 13, 2018, 04:15 PM »
" Rancid Crabtree".............:-)

 



Iceshanty | MyFishFinder | MyHuntingForum
Contact | Disclaimer | Privacypolicy | Sponsor
© 1996- Iceshanty.com
All Rights Reserved.