Panfish Limits

[Rabidgupy]

CO came out on a nice walk was watching us pound the gills from his truck which I never saw. Maybe they use drones now lol. Last place I would of ever expected to be checked and first time I've been checked this year. I asked him who's brite idea was it to implement panfish limits? He laughed said it takes forever to get anything changed but final say comes from state biologist according to him. He also agreed a state wide law would hurt more lakes than it would help. Here is the link to all the State bios and a map of the districts with names phone numbers and one in Huntington area has an email. These are the guys that make the decisions so if you have concerns I would inquire!
http://www.in.gov/dnr/fishwild/2716.htm

[jcindiana]

I have a felling your post's next year will read got a limit today. Instead of we slaughtered every blue gill that bit for 8 1/2hours. I don't care how many you keep or the guy down the street keeps that's up to you as long as its legal keep all you want. Aim just saying I have not talked to a single person that doesn't think the law wont pass. Let me repeat my self don't care how many fish anyone keeps as long as it legal. I just think the limit law will change.

[troutline]

A 25 limit wont hurt.

[IceJunkie0602]

I don't think it will happen any time soon. There are a lot of lakes that don't need.  The speed of law is not that fast.

[Rkoomler]

Why aren't lake specific regs being discussed big difference between blue lake and clear lake.  For example.

[wax_worm]

I find it amusing the CO has an opinion that it will hurt more than it will help yet he is not a biologist, does not conduct any fish surveys, scale samples, or apply any of the science behind telling how healthy a body of water is regarding the panfish poplation.  He certainly is entitled to his opinion as we all are, but what is he basing his opinion on?  Just because he checks a few people on the ice or water and sees some hammering the fish, does not mean a limit would hurt that lake.  10% of the fishermen catch 90% of the fish, so depending on who he checks his opinion could easily be swayed, if he does not take anything else into accuount.I would prefer those making the decision on the law are those that are trained to do so.

[libo]

like the last sentence in your post ''wax''.

[Rabidgupy]

I like the last sentence in wax post too but the problem is we don't have those people just a handful that you see on the link most districts have none just fill in. If you think the state actually goes to every public body of water and does scale samples you have more faith in the Indiana system than I do for sure. CO said there's not enough support for it anyhow and it comes up as more of a topic of discussion at this point.

[Rabidgupy]

I haven't took a great look at these reports of license sales but the totals are declining....

http://www.in.gov/dnr/fishwild/7491.htm

[perchunter]

But if you keep every fish you can catch for 8 hours, doesn't that make you more of a man. Real men don't do catch and release do they?

[sprkplug]

I'm not a biologist either, but I have come to a few inescapable conclusions. Every bluegill that I fillet stops growing at that point. If I keep a 3/4 lb bluegill, it will never make one pound. I wrote to my district biologist and told him I was in favor of the proposed limit. It may not happen this year, or next, but it's coming. My time spent on various fishing forums has convinced me that more anglers are becoming aware of what it takes to produce trophy gills, and are more willing to endure additional regs.

It's only a matter of time.

[northrn-duck-assassin]

look at the size gills that come out of lakes up north with a 20 gill limit..

[jcindiana]

A 25 limit wont hurt.

[wax_worm]

look at the size gills that come out of lakes up north with a 20 gill limit..

Thats a good point....the growing season is also shorter up there so the limits there are to protect the fish because they grow slower and they are looking to produce large fish too.  Thus far, IN DNR has shown no interest in creating 'larger' gills.  They consider a 6" a keeper.  For most anglers a 6" fish is 1 or two years away from being a 'keeper'.  If you are 'promoting' 6" as a keeper and have no limit on numbers, then you are not going have many lakes with 'trophy' gills.  Indiana has a ton of anglers, with many targeting gills.  There are lot of fishermen in the northern states too, but I am not sure the gill pressure is the same up there.  Seems like Walleye, pike, and perch are more sought after up there, but I could be wrong.  Michigan has a 25 fish limit and the lakes I catch gills in there are bigger and thicker than IN gills and they are less than 15 miles over the border.  Coincedence?  Doubtful.

[Rabidgupy]

look at the size gills that come out of lakes up north with a 20 gill limit..

I'm having no problem with size. Fishslayer81 walleyepac wax worm teach and many others putting up fine pics either way I'm good with it I just don't want to see it go the other way Michigan is north of us not as many spawns as our lakes. Fish I'm catching though I'm happy with.

 

[sprkplug]

Rabidgupy makes a valid point. If you're happy catching that size bluegill, than you'll never want to catch the big ones. I would like to see some public BOW's  managed for big bluegills however, at least in a trial fashion to see how it goes.

Also, some anglers tend to lump redears and their hybrids in with the gills. Not a true comparison, as redears get much larger.

[Rabidgupy]

Rabidgupy makes a valid point. If you're happy catching that size bluegill, than you'll never want to catch the big ones. I would like to see some public BOW's  managed for big bluegills however, at least in a trial fashion to see how it goes.

Also, some anglers tend to lump redears and their hybrids in with the gills. Not a true comparison, as redears get much larger.

One was red one gill I don't see many pics from Michigan boards of 10 to 12 inch gills there not getting any larger or thicker than Indiana gills or crappie. I would like to see a test lake though if in fact by having a 25 fish limit would increase the size then I'm all for it. I like your idea of a few test lakes in different regions and size lakes great idea!!!!

[northrn-duck-assassin]

One was red one gill I don't see many pics from Michigan boards of 10 to 12 inch gills there not getting any larger or thicker than Indiana gills or crappie. I would like to see a test lake though if in fact by having a 25 fish limit would increase the size then I'm all for it. I like your idea of a few test lakes in different regions and size lakes great idea!!!!

fish them same lakes in michigan at ice out when u have to ride your quad through water to get on the ice, them slab gills and crappie will come out of the wood work at that time of year, yet this time of year u can bounce jigs off their heads and not trigger them to go. pick the right lakes and place a limit on them and u will see nice fish, i could only imagine the size the gills would be at the slough if it had some depth and structure!!

[wax_worm]

I'm having no problem with size. Fishslayer81 walleyepac wax worm teach and many others putting up fine pics either way I'm good with it I just don't want to see it go the other way Michigan is north of us not as many spawns as our lakes. Fish I'm catching though I'm happy with.
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I can name 4 michigan lakes within 15 miles of the border that will blow the doors off the gills you catch in just about any public Indiana lake.  The number of times they spawn is no different in these lakes than any other in Northern Indiana.   You don't always get on the true big ones, but when you do, there is no comparison.  FK83 had over a dozen 'true' bluegills well over 10" this summer and he really did not get out much.  Lots of people claim to catch tons of 9-10 gills in Indiana, but they tend to get smaller when put on a tape.  We caught several over 9" yesterday, but some of the 8.75 probably weighed more as the thickness of the fish was very inconsistent.  Some were thick, others were not.  Odd to see that out of the same BOW and catching them on the same spot on the lake.

[Pugfisher]

Must be a reason everybody leaves Indiana to fish elsewhere...

[northrn-duck-assassin]

 

Must be a reason everybody leaves Indiana to fish elsewhere...

[river_scum]

i wouldnt hold my breath on a pan fish limit. been part of the catfish regulations movement(for lac of better word) for a few years now. its like pulling teeth to get anything done, and there is a REAL reason for regulation changes in this area!

it would be nice to see a few lakes under some kind of limits though.


 not everyone leaves the state for pan fish. some know where and how rite here in the back yard. lol

[Rabidgupy]

I haven't seen any taped out toads on the michigsn boards and guys posting their excited about catching 7s and 8s... thanks ill pass I can show you lakes within thirty minutes of the fort that would have no trouble keeping up with the mighty gills of Michigan. I can also show you lakes with dinks and I can go to Michigan and show you lakes with dinks. Prove to me that the panfish limit across the board up in Michigan produces 10" plus gills every trip on any lake you'll make me a believer otherwise I'm not impressed at all with their programs and would call them a complete failure if every lake doesn't produce the 10 inch gills on a consistent basis. Same thing would happen 8 Indiana as Michigan you would have a handful of lakes four lakes is not a success by any means lol

[Fishslayer81]

i wouldnt hold my breath on a pan fish limit. been part of the catfish regulations movement(for lac of better word) for a few years now. its like pulling teeth to get anything done, and there is a REAL reason for regulation changes in this area!

it would be nice to see a few lakes under some kind of limits though.


 not everyone leaves the state for pan fish. some know where and how rite here in the back yard. lol

Agreed! I have no desire to leave this area for panfish...I catch all the 8-9" gillz, 9-11" ears, and 10-14" crappies I can stand all winter long. And its close to home. I am not going to drive to Michigan or wherever for 25 gillz that are over 9". I agree certain size lakes could probably benifit from a limit. However to do it right the state needs to have the lakes examined by bilogists. Putting a 25 limit on all lakes is silly at best.

[FISHN NIK]

We here in N.Y. have a 50 fish limit on pannies,no size limit with the exception of crappie which is 9",like you guys say,some waters have large fish,others don't because no one fishes for the smaller fish.I fish a lake that's loaded with 7 to 8" perch and everyone complains the perch aren't worth the effort,I take every one I can get!


                           FN

[northrn-duck-assassin]

I haven't seen any taped out toads on the michigsn boards and guys posting their excited about catching 7s and 8s... thanks ill pass I can show you lakes within thirty minutes of the fort that would have no trouble keeping up with the mighty gills of Michigan. I can also show you lakes with dinks and I can go to Michigan and show you lakes with dinks. Prove to me that the panfish limit across the board up in Michigan produces 10" plus gills every trip on any lake you'll make me a believer otherwise I'm not impressed at all with their programs and would call them a complete failure if every lake doesn't produce the 10 inch gills on a consistent basis. Same thing would happen 8 Indiana as Michigan you would have a handful of lakes four lakes is not a success by any means lol

check out minesotta gills and crappie. the gill limit up there is only 20 and u can only have one days limit in possession that includes your freezers. massive size gills 'true gills' are spit out of those waters. of course u catch dinks, thats a lower class of fish, and some lakes just cant produce big fish. slough has a limit, and seems to keep pumping out some nice size gills. i agree not every lake needs the limit placed on them. go catch 25 gills of 8 3/4 and better, what u gonna do with all that meat anyways if u just keep doing it weekend after weekend or day by day? everywhere is different, agreed. some indiana waters can deffinetly use a limit on them.

[Rabidgupy]

With the reply from New York and the Minnesota it goes to show that a limit does great for some areas and terrible for others. Would be pointless change statewide but on some lakes it would help.  Big bodies of water and deep glacier lakes with good food sources have no problem keeping up with demand just depends on the body of water. Maybe have a few more lakes like Slough that it would help

[river_scum]

Minnesota didnt have a pan limit when we used to go there in the 70s 80s. the gills and perch were huge and plentiful then too. our average take home was 40 to 50 gallon ziploc bags of fillets. 4 adults 2 kids. you multiply that by thousands of families doing the same thing all summer. my point is, those lakes will flat out produce fish man!!! dont know how many pike fillets came home with us. up there the locals gave them to us. they considered them trash fish.

[wallydiven]

I would think a limit on most chain of lakes and reservoirs would be a good thing and they would eventually produce more 10"+ gills.

[crappie66]

I am sure it would help on some lakes, but many lakes it won't have any effect.  There are to many lakes and not enough resources to do a full study on each individual body of water. 

The Slough place has the 25 fish limit, and the size of fish I see posted are average gills that can be caught on most lakes that do not have a limit - so the limit there hasn't helped create a fishing of big gills.