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Message: <blockquote data-quote="pluckem" data-source="post: 153320" data-attributes="member: 843">I agree with the article. However there are instances where it is not so simple if you believe what the NDGF Biologists are saying. And I'm not saying I do 100% because they also state that walleyes don't migrate in the spring on the MO river, which doesn't seem to jive with I have seen. However take your example of Oahe Crappie above. The NDGF has stated that we have the current crappie population because of the 2011 flood and the high waters it brought.  They said Crappie typically don't survive the first winter (in upper Oahe) after hatching because the don't get big enough or healthy enough in there first few months of life to make it through the long winters.  However in 2011 the high water flooded bays, backwater, grass, etc and the amount of forage and space available to avoid predators exploded and the yearling crappie put on the feed and got to a size that they made it through their first winter and that is why and what we are catching right now. However an average crappie is said to live to 7 years. As you stated above we are at that point. So how much negative effect did keeping a limit of crappie over that last 2-3 years have? It seems these fish will start to die of natural causes and there is currently still enough of a population to go out right now and catch great numbers of quality fish. This again is all dependent on if the NDGF biologists are correct. They also stated they don't see any other year class coming up, so when this year class is gone it will be awhile before we see fish like we have now.  You don't see much for small crappies being caught so this seems to make sense. I remember having similar great crappie fishing on Oahe back in the 2000 to 2003 time frame.  That's 3-6 years after the high water of 1997. What's everyone else's thoughts or experience on this?  Take advantage of the resource while we have it knowing it is not sustainable naturally?Personally I don't need 10, 13-14" crappie for a meal. Wouldn't care if it was dropped to 5.</blockquote>

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