Norris Trap Netting Results - 2003

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[font "Comic Sans MS"]We trap netted for crappie on Norris Reservoir from November 10-19. Our 90 net sample consisted of 149 black crappie, 4 blacknose black crappie, and 21 white crappie. [/font]
[font "Comic Sans MS"]We have caught below average numbers of young-of-the-year (newly spawned) crappie by trap netting during the last few years and this trend continued in 2003 (Figures 1 and 2). Although there were less than desirable numbers of young-of-the-year collected, we caught them consistently throughout the reservoir and feel a reasonable spawned occurred. Good spring rains and high water levels positively influenced the quality of the 2003 spawn in Norris, Cherokee and Douglas. [/font]
[font "Comic Sans MS"]Adult crappie numbers are not what they were 10 years ago, but with this reasonable 2003 spawn, the number of harvestable size crappie (>10-inch) should improve in the next 2-3 years. [/font]
[font "Comic Sans MS"]It will take several years of successful spawning to get crappie numbers back to where we would like them to be. Stocking can never achieve the results that a good natural spawn can and we hope environmental conditions continue to cooperate like they did in 2003. [/font] [center][font "Comic Sans MS"]Figure 1 [/font][/center]

[font "Comic Sans MS"]Figure 2 [/font]

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