the spawn

[bama647]

ok so exactly how do you know when the crappie are spawning? we're getting them pretty shallow here so is that the spawn or just the males getting ready? sorry first time spawn fishing

[Jerry Blake]

When you see surface temps stay above 60-degrees, males that are jet black and you catch about equal numbers of males and females shallow the spawn is probably on or will be shortly.

That doesn't mean there are fish actually "doing the deed" 24-hours a day every day but the males will be maintaining the beds, fanning the eggs and guarding the fry for a few days after they hatch and the females will be coming in when they "are in the mood" to lay a few eggs at a time for a male that has a bed prepared.

Any major temperature or water level change and the females won't be "in the mood" and will back off to staging beds until everything stablizes. Very much change in water temperature, clarity or depth and the males will have to abandon their nest and find another sutable nesting spot.

[RagflyJigMan]

Hello Jerry. I may be totally wrong in what I am fixing to say. I have always heard that the crappie do not make "beds" like bream or bass do. They move into the shallows close to some type of structure and then spew those eggs and the nearest thing the eggs stick to. Am I right or wrong?

[Jerry Blake]

Hello Jerry. I may be totally wrong in what I am fixing to say. I have always heard that the crappie do not make "beds" like bream or bass do. They move into the shallows close to some type of structure and then spew those eggs and the nearest thing the eggs stick to. Am I right or wrong?

Crappie don't make a deep depression in the lake bottom like bream do but my understanding is that the males use their tails to fan the silt off of a small area that they protect from predators and defend from other male crappie. Then as the female lays some of her eggs he fertilizes them and then fans them to keep silt from covering them and to keep them oxygenated and tries to keep other fish like bream from eating them until they hatch, which takes about a week depending on the water temperature.

When we have a lot of unstable weather that causes changes in lake level and water clarity during the spawn we see males with the bottom of their tale raw and sometimes even worn away from fanning new beds.

[DRPEPPER]

When we have a lot of unstable weather that causes changes in lake level and water clarity during the spawn we see males with the bottom of their tale raw and sometimes even worn away from fanning new beds.

Jerry
I have seen bloody tails too. I know The full moon during April, May and June affects different bream's spawns. Have you witnessed this with crappie too? Which month April or March. Or does it depend on temp?
Don

[LIL' Joe]

I found this helpful too...

http://www.crappie.com/bruce/article4.htm

[Team9nine]

Crappie are definite nesters. I've seen it often over the years, though you have to know where to look and have decent water visibility. They are similar to bluegills in that they nest in groups, though not as large of a group as bluegills. They also don't like the sand or gravel areas as much. They prefer vegetation or woody debris with moss and softer bottoms. Most people don't see them because they frequently select well out of the way places with little if any current, even wind generated. They will also nest under stuff. One of the common areas around my parts is way in the back of little pockets underneath log jams. We go in and flip them out with jigs under tiny bobbers set 6"-24" deep many times. If you haven't seen it done it will come as a surprise the first time you do see it. You just don' expect them to be stacked up and nesting so shallow. The black color of the males as someone else mentioned is a good clue to things going on, also.

-T9

[Jerry Blake]

Jerry
I have seen bloody tails too. I know The full moon during April, May and June affects different bream's spawns. Have you witnessed this with crappie too? Which month April or March. Or does it depend on temp?
Don

Hey Don:

I think water temperature and stability of weather, lake level and water clarity has more affect on when female crappie lay their eggs than the moon phases but I haven't paid much attention to moon phases so I could be wrong. I think crappie are a lot like humans and many other species. The males stay ready all the time but the females have to be in just the right mood.

[tim]

Yep about once a year around my house is the norm.