So have we moved up to shaming people for keeping big panfish now?

[badger132]

Facebook has developed into a negative culture. The only thing that prevents people from using it as a tool so spread their negative blather is the rest of us ignoring them and cutting them off. I have had to eliminate the people from both ends of the political spectrum from my feed, and now I get family updates, cat videos, and positive messages people like to share. It is a little awkward when someone asks "didn't you see my post", and I tell them I have not seen their posts since the last election, and have to tell them why.
Most of the groups on Facebook that am still a part of have good moderators that do not put up with uncivil behavior, but they do allow civil discussion of issues like this.
My $.02-  We all think we are right. Name calling and threats on social media never changed anyone's mind about anything. People that agree with you like to see it, but those that don't do not change, they just get mad.

[RyanW]

I don't keep crappie over 12 inches, I don't keep male bluegills. Why? Because it takes a long time to grow a large speck, and 11 inch fish eat just as well as a 14. Large male bluegills keep predators off the beds

There's plenty of science behind the notion of releasing the largest fish of any species, keeping the genetics going. There's also lots and lots of evidence saying that populations of panfish are the most susceptible to fishing pressure, especially during the winter. Blaming social media for information you don't want to hear isn't the way to learn and grow.

This. I think they should impose slot limits on panfish species too.

[jimhaney08]

I'm also all for slot limits.  But I don't bash people for keeping fish within the regulations.  Some states are way ahead of PA with their regulations.  Regulations work best when based on science on a lake by lake basis.  That's what we really need.

[fishermantim]

I view a few ice fishing pages on Facebook and am seeing something I don't think was prevalent before. Or am I wrong? Shaming people for keeping big panfish. I've heard it for bass and trout but bluegill and crappie now?

See, that's your first major problem....going there for ANYTHING.

I don't have , nor will I ever have anything to do with MSM because it turns people into blithering idiots only concerned about what the world thinks about what they say. Not content, not intelligence, only "Look at me and my words/selfies".

When I see or hear someone talk about Faceblank or Twatter or any social media ego-boosting sites I turn a deaf ear/blind eye and move on to something, ANYTHING more important in the real world.

[Ice_Fly_Guy]

I have zero problems with people keeping large fish for the pan, except for big male bluegills.  The dynamics of bluegill breeding, genetics and the like are just way different than walleye, crappie, bass, etc.  Take out the bull gills, the cuckolds will take over and spread their crappy genetics.

[hnd]

having spoke to 2 dnr biologist in neighboring states on panfish keeping.  both have stated there they have seen very little if any evidence that a body of water's fish PANFISH population problems have been a result of too much keeping of larger fish.   They said its almost always due to something else.  overharvesting period, managment of predators, have way more effect. 

Facebook is a festering pile of spot beggars and a network of freeloaders. 

I find that when i'm around fisherman who catch lots of nice fish,  people don't criticize other for what they do, how they fish, what they keep, beg for spots, complain when their spots are filmed, etc etc.  when i'm around a standard fishing community, all those things happen continually.

[fishermantim]

In most ponds with sunfish, perch, bass and pickerel the problem usually stems from the removal of trophy predators while the sunnies and perch are returned. What eventually happens is that the predator breeding population get thrown out of whack and sunfish and perch will have more fish survive to breeding age. Then that cycle continues until they are either removed or eaten by predators.
The next problem is when people want to only keep big bass, and ignore the pickerel.
With bass population drops, pickerel will take over. This will result in an overabundance of small pickerel.
They will out eat the other fish, while also eating all other fish young.
That's why you will have few, if any big bass, but lots and lots of 12-17" pickerel.
The only cure for that is either cull the population by disruption of breeding habitat or removal of fish.

It's happened to a number of ponds I fish here in MA.

[Light liner]

Some people obviously have Waaaaay too much time on their hands to be worried about that. Everyone now a days seems to be so worried about what everyone else is doing. Mind your own business.

[Doubles Shooter]

Some people obviously have Waaaaay too much time on their hands to be worried about that. Everyone now a days seems to be so worried about what everyone else is doing. Mind your own business.

[VanderLaan]

I don't keep crappie over 12 inches, I don't keep male bluegills. Why? Because it takes a long time to grow a large speck, and 11 inch fish eat just as well as a 14. Large male bluegills keep predators off the beds

There's plenty of science behind the notion of releasing the largest fish of any species, keeping the genetics going. There's also lots and lots of evidence saying that populations of panfish are the most susceptible to fishing pressure, especially during the winter.

+1.  Take the big males out and the little males are the ones left to breed.  Have a farm pond that I manage for big gills.  Rules are simple - release the big males and keep the smaller gills and all the bass over 12 inches.  Buddy commented, "but I don't catch many little gills in your pond."