crappie with eggs

[crappie feathers]

caught some crappie yesterday with large egg sacks. these were as big as your thumb and had the blood vain around them. the males had sperm bags an inch long and as big as a pencial. i know they arnt going to epawn as water is 54 degrees. any body know whats going on? i have caught a lot of males like this in the last month but this is the first females i have caught like this.

[Doctor Slabbenstein]

I've been catching females with eggs for the last 3 weeks or so at LOZ. Been wondering whats up with that myself.

[augiedog55]

The fish we have been catching at mozingo had eggs also. Most we blacks that had eggs

[DMW1960]

Check out OFF TOPIC FORM.

I posted this a couple of hours ago.

Missouri Conservationist Magazine this months issue
They have a column each month that is called Ask the Ombubsman. In it this month there was a interesting question that I thought I would share with everyone.

Q: I recently caught several crappie from the Lake of the Ozarks. When I was cleaning them, I noticed that some had egg sacs with eggs. Do crappie spawn in the fall?

A: It is not unusual to find immature eggs in female crappie or other fish at this time of the year. Although greatly diminished in size outside of the spawning season, female fish retain their egg sacs (ovaries) that contain eggs that will mature in the future. In crappie, those eggs will be held until spawning in late March or April of next year. The mature eggs will be located near the center of the ovary, with progressively less-mature eggs toward the outside. The spawning will begin with the right combination of day length, temperature and water level in the lake.

[DMW1960]

Looks like you guys are catching alot of females! Its a darned shame you can't tell a male fish from a female fish until after the fact.

[Jigging15]

Great add to the post there DW. I had not got my new one this month. But look forward to reading it. Sometimes not much I care to read about but other times there are some interesting articles. Best part it is free reading.

[DMW1960]

Great add to the post there DW. I had not got my new one this month. But look forward to reading it. Sometimes not much I care to read about but other times there are some interesting articles. Best part it is free reading.

YEAH I may have screwed up by posting it in the Off Topic. I still have not gotten mine this month but dad & mom had gotten theirs the other day and dad always gives me the mail when I am at the farm. And dad had the article marked and the page number on the front cover for me to read. I was able to go online and copy and paste it into the thread. LOL I agree it's free reading and it works good in the bathroom!:D:D Small articles that don't require much thinking!:rolleyes:

[crappie feathers]

the egge in these crappie look like the ones in the spring. these look like they will spawn in a week or two. some of the eggs were om the runey side. inall of my years of fishing i have never seen eggs or milk this far along in the fall. if i catch some more of them will try to take pictures.

[Jigging15]

ya get some pics. We have a couple of fishery bioligist on here who could get you some anwsers.

[beagle man]

It's common nothing to get excited about, happens every year at every lake, there not going to spawn early, sun aint right. it will be fine.