One of the BEST Crappie Spawn Articles I have read in years!

[Kansasoutdoorsman]

I have to give Carson Cox the biologist in SE KS a huge shout out. His regional news letter has one of the best articles on the Crappie Spawn that I have seen in years. I can't link the PDF but here is one of my favorite paragraphs -

"You can pick up any book about the subject and find that crappie begin spawning in the spring when the water temperature reaches about 56 degrees. However, crappie don't spawn at the same time every year. There are several other variables that influence this annual ritual. Photo period is a key trigger to spawning. Dr. Fred Vasey, fisheries biologist at Missouri's Table Rock Lake, reported that crappie began spawning when there were 13.2 hours of daylight. Table Rock Lake has about the same latitude as Fall River and Toronto Reservoirs. That day will occur on April 15, 2014 at Fall River and Toronto Reservoirs. Vasey also observed the last crappie spawn when there was 14.6 daylight hours, which will occur on May 31."

It goes into a lot more details on different items but it's a great read. The more I follow the spawn of different fish the more I come to believe that water temperatures have only a small part of the actually spawn, the length of day and time of the year are the main factors. Just a great read!

Here is where you can find the regionals news letters - http://kdwpt.state.ks.us/KDWPT-Info/...14-Newsletters

[crappieslinger]

That was a good article! Lots of good information. Thanks for sharing.

Here is the link to the PDF http://kdwpt.state.ks.us/content/dow...May%202014.pdf

[usafret99]

interesting

[BTB]

Good read. Thanks.

[birddog one]

good read

[skinner80]

Good stuff makes you think about things a little and have heard the same thing about the rut cycle for deer. Did some research just out of curiousity and saw that for tomorrow for instance Marysville, KS (complete north part of KS) is 7:16 sunrise-6:54 sunset and Tulsa, OK is 7:15 sunrise and 6:51 sunset. This is only 5 minutes difference in total photoperiod for the day between two areas that I believe would generate annual spawning times of what I would bet atleast two weeks difference given the same size bodies of water etc. That is why I have always leaned more to the belief of water temp triggering it. Not saying I know anything on this subject as a biologist would but just trying to make sense of it all.

[Kansasoutdoorsman]

I hear ya 80, thats what I grew up on. Last year is the one that made me a believer though, we had 70 to 75 degree water on the spawning beds through most of April and I went back on my blog to note the exact first day we found a spawning crappie in NE KS was with-in a week of the two years before. Now we don't fish every day and I am sure every lake is different but we do a lot during that time of year. Just by going back and looking at the outdoorsman for NE KS the first spawning fish we find are almost alway the last week of April. Last year it was April 30th for us. Last year really highlighted that since we had above average water temps but the spawn still happened at the same time as always. We also caught spawning fish and found lots of beds last year deeper than normal in 8-12 ft of water since the clarity of the lakes where so much better because of the drought. I do think water temps plays a big roll if it's to cold but the more I follow it the less I think warmth triggers it. Just my 2 cents.

[CrappiePappy]

The amount of daylight is a factor .... but, it's also the main reason for higher water temps

If Crappie spawned at 13.2hrs of daylight (regardless of water temp) then they'd be in full swing around here ... and they're not. Water temps are still in the high 40's to low 50's on most of our lakes ... and the fish are being caught in pre-spawn locations.

IMHO ... both factor into the equation, but I give water temps the bigger edge between them. Crappie in full spawn mode will back off & quit attempting to spawn if a severe cold front drops the water temps back into the mid 50's ... it's an instinctive move, because they know the eggs/fry may not survive the water temps. Most biologists consider 62-65deg water to be the prime water temp range for spawning White Crappie and 57-60deg water for Black Crappie. The low to mid 50's water temp range is when they come into shallower water during their pre-spawn feeding frenzy, and many people think they're spawning because they're catching them in shallow water.

... cp

[John Wells]

I found some interesting stuff about zebra mussels in one of those newsletters. For instance, I didn't know that they can cut the snot out of your hands and feet. Dang!

[KAG]

You mean they're not spawning now.....dang it....I guess I will throw them back and wait