Prairie Lee today 5-20

[BC in KC]

Hit it around 1 PM and had 4 fish by 5 PM, almost gave up when they started biting. I was out in front of the docs in 20 fow using a road runner head and blue then orange BG. Ended up with 23 keepers by 7:30 PM, maybe 6 females 12", another dozen females 10" or better, then the rest 9" males. I can't figure these crappie, all the females were stuffed full of eggs and ready to go, but why aren't they on the bank doing their thing?? There were zero crappie on the bank. Will they just spawn out deep this year or will they ever move back to the shallows if/when the females make their move? Water temp 68 degrees. Ended up being a great day after a SLOW start.

[crappiebum_kc]

Thanks for the report. I'm no biologist, must fish can spawn in up to 20 fow. The murkier the water, the shallow they spawn, the clearer the water the deeper they spawn. But like I said im no biologist, just telling you what I read. Tight lines!

[dfar]

Thanks for your report and Congrats on the catch.

[usafret99]

good report, congrats on catch

[warmouth]

Crappie don't drop all of their eggs when they spawn. Sometimes the females will spawn in multiple nests made by different males, and still not let all of theri eggs out. Generally females should still have some eggs remaining after the spawn.

I don't know the conditions that you fished yesterday, but when I was fishing Prairie Lee a lot, the crappie there always spawned before the Truman lake spawn hit. I would bet the Prairie Lee spawn is over and you are seeing eggs in the fish that are never going to be released into a nest. Not a 100% thing, but that's what I would bet.

[progressive816]

I enjoy reading your reports from the local lakes. Keep them coming.