The Effect of Harvest Regulations on White Crappie Fisheries in Kansas Impoundments

Abstract

AbstractCrappie Pomoxis spp. (White Crappie P. annularis and Black Crappie P. nigromaculatus) support important harvest‐oriented fisheries throughout the United States. However, effects of harvest regulations vary among crappie populations and fisheries managers have little guidance for selecting the most appropriate regulatory scenario given the diversity of crappie populations throughout their distribution. In an effort to guide successful implementation of White Crappie harvest regulations, we evaluated the influence of daily creel limits and minimum length limits (MLLs) on White Crappie fisheries from a diverse suite of Kansas impoundments. White Crappie populations were sampled from 39 impoundments in 2019 and 2020, and a subsample was sacrificed for age and growth estimation. Creel data from 22 impoundments were used to estimate percent reduction in harvest when daily creel limits ranged from liberal (50 fish/d) to more restrictive (5 fish/d). Equilibrium yield models were used to evaluate the effects of various MLL regulations (203, 254, and 305 mm) on yield, the number of White Crappie harvested, and the number reaching memorable length (300 mm). Our results suggest that daily creel limits would need to be less than 10 crappie/d to reduce harvest by more than 25%. In general, the 254‐mm MLL was the most effective harvest regulation for improving yield when the growth rate was above average, conditional natural mortality was low, and exploitation was at least moderate—factors commonly associated with populations in large impoundments in this study. In populations characterized by slow growth, liberal daily creel limits (50 fish/d) may be best suited to maximize yield. Overall, our results provide a framework for fisheries managers to make informed decisions regarding implementation of harvest regulations for crappie in impoundments throughout the Central Plains region.