Author Topic: Crappie vs. Striper?  (Read 7237 times)

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Offline Rocko

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Crappie vs. Striper?
« on: April 22, 2013, 01:04 PM »
I used to catch crappie every year at lake Pleasent.  It seems like they just are not there anymore like they used to be.  I know the when they put stripers in lake powel, they overpopulated and practicly wiped out other species of fish.  I wondering now if the stripers in lake pleasent have wiped out the crappie populations.  Does anyone have any knowledge about this?

Rocko
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Offline PhishingPhreek

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Re: Crappie vs. Striper?
« Reply #1 on: April 22, 2013, 03:09 PM »
Right now I believe the answer to that would be pure speculation.

If you ask anyone who's fished that lake for a number of years they will say the stripers have cause the crappie population to dwindle, but I'm not sure there's been any scientific research that has been done regarding the crappie population vs stripers.

I fall in the group that believes they have affected the crappie population, but I base that on stories I've heard from other fishermen. I didn't start fishing for crappie until 6-7 years ago so I don't actually know what the crappie numbers once were at that lake. I just know that the stripers have been in that lake for a while and Pleasant seems to have the fewest crappie reports of all the decent crappie lakes.

Offline Rocko

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Re: Crappie vs. Striper?
« Reply #2 on: April 22, 2013, 03:16 PM »
Well, I'm 39 and I have fished lake pleasent since I was old enough to hold a rod.  About 6 years ago was the last time I did very well catching crappie at pleasent.  I haven't found them or seen much of a crappie report since then.  So I'm guessing the striper are wipeing them out. 
Rocky

Offline PhishingPhreek

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Re: Crappie vs. Striper?
« Reply #3 on: April 22, 2013, 03:47 PM »
I have fished pleasant for a long time, I just didn't start fishing for crappie until then. To be honest, I don't think I've ever targeted crappie at Lake Pleasant.  Back in Feb 06 I was fishing Pleasant with my siblings and caught 4 crappie and 4 LMB. I honestly have no idea where they came from, I just know I have pictures of us holding a stringer. lol I think a trip before that I accidentally caught 2 while trolling for stripers in Castle Creek.

I know Bruce (Fishless) went fishing for crappie earlier this month and landed 2 black and 2 white crappie our of Plez. I think he'll have the best opinion or information on crappie for Pleasant. I'm sure he'll chime in soon. :)

Offline PhishingPhreek

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Re: Crappie vs. Striper?
« Reply #4 on: April 22, 2013, 03:58 PM »
I did a little looking around after replying to your post I couldn't find a whole lot. Most of what I found came from an Arkansas Striper website. For a long time fishermen have complained that the stripers are ruining the lakes and taking food from other species while the biologists argue that the stripers aren't causing the decline because stripers don't eat crappie (that much). It's a really short article, but here's the link http://www.arkansasstripers.com/norris-reservoir-striped-bass-cotroversy-tennessee.htm

With that said, I know the argument has never been about the stripers eating crappie, but has always been about them eating their food supply (shad). If the crappie being caught out of Plez are skinny I would blame the stripers in a heartbeat.

Piscolli

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Re: Crappie vs. Striper?
« Reply #5 on: April 22, 2013, 06:22 PM »
There's no doubt in my mind that land locked stripers have a negative effect on other predators. They eat everything is site. If they're not eating young Crappie, bluegill or bass, then they are eating all the bait fish. Personally I hate the damn things unless they are in saltwater where they belong. Then they have to deal with fish that prey on them.

Offline Fishless

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Re: Crappie vs. Striper?
« Reply #6 on: April 23, 2013, 05:39 AM »
That is a good question striper versus crappie. I remember when pleasant was a premier lake for white and black crappie before the striper invasion. I got into crappie in humbug this winter in clear water but it was during duck season and only hit it twice while the lake was stable then that big storm hit lake got stained and started to come up quick and I lost them. This spring we had one good trip up in the river catching spawning white and black crappie then it faded, now have done two trips with nothing and that included the river and humbug. I do know people catch them under lights at night and the crappie we caught were healthy and fat :dance:

I do think the striper has influenced the crappie population but lake powell which used to have incredible crappie numbers before the striper invasion and I mean that lake has more stripers per square inch than any lake in this state :o almost faded for crappie as the stripers ate all the threadfin shad as we caught thin terrible looking stripers the crappie numbers dived, but now when powell is down and brush grows up and then re-floods the crappie seem to have a great come back and can be caught in good numbers lake wide :dontknow: plus now there is gizzard shad in the lake. AZ g and f says shad numbers surprisingly are in good numbers at pleasant (don't know how that is) :dontknow: and I know way back when shad numbers crashed at powell Wayne G. did some evaluating and I think he showed caught stripers had like 21% small crappie for forage in their stomachs compared to them eating other species more? I saw lots of fry at pleasant yesterday don't know what they were but something has spawned and it is to early for the stripers yet :dontknow: Really starting to wonder if it has more to do with the CAP raising the lake during the winter which floods all the new cackle burrs and brush so the crappie spawn but then the lake starts to fall real fast like now and the crappie and other species fry are now exposed to all sorts of predators eating them as their cover disappears? and that lake becomes gin clear early in the year so small fish have no stained water to hide in either :dontknow: Would love to see a study on pleasant to see what good biology shows especially since few people target crappie there anymore. It is one of the more confusing lakes for me as far as crappie go?
"I won't be wronged, I won't be insulted, and I won't be laid a hand on. I don't do these things to other people and I expect the same from them." John Bernard Books

Offline Rocko

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Re: Crappie vs. Striper?
« Reply #7 on: April 23, 2013, 09:36 AM »
Yeah Piscolli I hate stripers to.  I never got to experience lake powell before the stripers came.  My old man tells me stories about how great it used to be before they put the damn things in the lake.  It seems that none of the lakes are as good as they used to be.  What a shame! Be it gizzerd shad, stripers, or just too many dad gum people!  I hope the crappie are comming back at lake powell, I love to fish that lake.  I would be nice to catch something other than a starving skinny striper.

You know at the SCF there were so many people on the water, just about every time I caught a crappie, two boats would come in and crowd me!  One boat would follow me while another would try to go out in front of me.   

Rocky

Offline Fishless

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Re: Crappie vs. Striper?
« Reply #8 on: April 23, 2013, 02:26 PM »
happened to us also at SCF, caught 3 real quick and here comes a pontoon boat with 2 old geezers they made a U turn right in front of us literally right in front of my troll motor as we are working the shoreline and started trolling I almost let loose on them but we just went into the commando fishing mode the rest of the day, catch a fish look around if anyone close you slide it up over the railing just enough to clear it, make no noise no handshake slip it in the livewell and go on. Do that all the time at yellow cliffs at bartlett when the lake is low other wise you attract flys. :angry4:
"I won't be wronged, I won't be insulted, and I won't be laid a hand on. I don't do these things to other people and I expect the same from them." John Bernard Books

Offline PhishingPhreek

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Re: Crappie vs. Striper?
« Reply #9 on: April 23, 2013, 02:54 PM »
almost let loose on them but we just went into the commando fishing mode the rest of the day, catch a fish look around if anyone close you slide it up over the railing just enough to clear it, make no noise no handshake slip it in the livewell and go on. Do that all the time at yellow cliffs at bartlett when the lake is low other wise you attract flys. :angry4:

That's how I always fish! lol Only time I get excited is when it's a big fish. When fishing with my family I usually have the fish in the boat before anyone even knows I have one. I gotta get in a zone where it's only me and the fish. lol

 

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