Thread: Educate me, please!

I always wondered if fish absorb the eggs if they don't spawn or just disperse them they same way they take a number 2?

im seeing the same thing here, NE IN.

the males are really getting dark, the last several days too.

fish are in 2-4fow hitting anything that hits the water.

Originally Posted by floppingcrappie

I always wondered if fish absorb the eggs if they don't spawn or just disperse them they same way they take a number 2?

They will absorb them, either those that they do not drop during their spawning runs or the whole egg sac if unable to even start a spawning run. They instinctively know that they want to spawn, but they also know they need to survive to spawn again. The protein encased in that egg sac is as good as a stomach full of minnows. If conditions aren't conducive to the survival of their offspring, it's more beneficial to them to absorb the eggs rather than simply dump them.

Interrupted spawns or totally missed spawns are one of the major reasons for their being a greatly reduced number of age classes of fish, like when you see a lot of 8-10" fish and 12-14" fish, but few 10-12" fish or <8" fish.

fisheries biologist here in Texas tells me they will lay them no matter if its works or not ....says they are built to do it and do it they will .
I always wondered myself when I saw eggs that did look right color wise . I suppose they mite lay them even if they wont fertilize maybe?
heck if I know ,I toss most of them back anyway

so the old tale of the one age class eating the other one and that's what causes the cycles in sizes of fish is a old wives tale ?
I am confused .....

Originally Posted by stormcloud

My thinking is the top fish is spawned out and the bottom one is still good to go.

X2

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Originally Posted by Ketchn

so the old tale of the one age class eating the other one and that's what causes the cycles in sizes of fish is a old wives tale ?
I am confused .....

I'm sure there's a lot of cannibalization going on, but I doubt it's wide spread enough to wipe out the biggest part of an age class. Maybe a contributing factor, but not likely the only one or even the major one.

Originally Posted by ET Fish

Cleaned some fish, and snapped a couple pics of the eggs. Do these fish appear to be spawning, or have they gave up and started absorbing the eggs. I don’t have a clue!Attachment 300581Attachment 300582


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ET .... IMHO, there ain't a thing wrong with either sac of eggs. The lighter colored eggs are in a pre-spawn phase fish ... while the bright yellow/light orange colored eggs are in a "ready to spawn" fish, but not actively spawning just yet.

As we all know ... not all Crappie spawn at the same time, nor do they develop their eggs at the same rate or mature at the same age. So, it would appear that the fish in the top picture is just a little behind schedule in her egg development, and not in the process of absorbing her eggs.