Help me dissect this information

[FurFlyin]

On our trip Friday evening, we kept 35 fish. Well over half the fish were 12-14+" Probably had 15 that were 10 1/2 - 11 1/2" Judging by the belly size of the fish, I figured we had 90% males. On the 20 or so largest fish, there was 1 or 2 females. Almost every one of the smaller fish were females with eggs that were a long way off (3-4 weeks, IMO) from being ready to lay. The majority of our fish came in 3-5 FOW on a grass edge. The grass was growing in 4-5 FOW, but apparently the bottom in closer was too hard for grass to grow. My question, where were the big females? What other info can you tell me from what I've provided? I'm a researcher by nature, so I like to digest all the info I can and I don't know enough about this yet to dissect all that I see without some help. LOL

Also, there were no bloody tails on any of the fish, but most of the bigger males were dark. Beautiful fish. This was after spending over 12 hours on ice.

[catchNgrease]

I'm more of a hands on research guy than a data cruncher. Give me the coordinates and I'll be happy to dive and get my hands dirty getting to the bottom of this issue early this week.

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[FurFlyin]

I'm more of a hands on research guy than a data cruncher. Give me the coordinates and I'll be happy to dive and get my hands dirty getting to the bottom of this issue early this week.

Sent from my E6810 using Crappie.com Fishing mobile app

86.75309 N 3.14159 E

[Special K]

IMO there is a huge misunderstanding among many crappie fishermen as to finding females on or around bedding areas. I believe the males locate and construct bedding areas days or weeks before the actual spawn occurs. The big females only go in to these bedding areas for pre-spawn visits and to (later) lay their eggs and then they retreat back to the pre spawn transition areas where they generally hold until the fry (or what's left of them) joins them sometime later. In the meantime, males guard the beds and try to protect the eggs / fry for a number of days to about a week.

I believe this circuit can be and is repeated in the same area, (bedding area) and (others) more than once, because not all fish spawn at the same time... as you can see from those you caught in the outlying edges that were not quite ready to lay eggs yet. I also do not believe that all crappies spawn in the shallows as you might expect them to... but instead spawn in depths of 5 to 8 feet of water (and deeper) with agreeable substrate material such as sand or fine gravel mixed with grass and semi-cover. Also, I believe that females that do lay go into a bit of dormancy (or lethargy) following laying their eggs when they do not aggressively feed or bite for some time.

You asked and I opined. Great question. Just my theory based on my own research and experiences and nothing else.

[SKs Crappie Catching Adventures]

IMO there is a huge misunderstanding among many crappie fishermen as to finding females on or around bedding areas. I believe the males locate and construct bedding areas days or weeks before the actual spawn occurs. The big females only go in to these bedding areas for pre-spawn visits and to (later) lay their eggs and then they retreat back to the pre spawn transition areas where they generally hold until the fry (or what's left of them) joins them sometime later. In the meantime, males guard the beds and try to protect the eggs / fry for a number of days to about a week.

I believe this circuit can be and is repeated in the same area, (bedding area) and (others) more than once, because not all fish spawn at the same time... as you can see from those you caught in the outlying edges that were not quite ready to lay eggs yet. I also do not believe that all crappies spawn in the shallows as you might expect them to... but instead spawn in depths of 5 to 8 feet of water (and deeper) with agreeable substrate material such as sand or fine gravel mixed with grass and semi-cover. Also, I believe that females that do lay go into a bit of dormancy (or lethargy) following laying their eggs when they do not aggressively feed or bite for some time.

You asked and I opined. Great question. Just my theory based on my own research and experiences and nothing else.

Very good analogy.....

[SKs Crappie Catching Adventures]

On our trip Friday evening, we kept 35 fish. Well over half the fish were 12-14+" Probably had 15 that were 10 1/2 - 11 1/2" Judging by the belly size of the fish, I figured we had 90% males. On the 20 or so largest fish, there was 1 or 2 females. Almost every one of the smaller fish were females with eggs that were a long way off (3-4 weeks, IMO) from being ready to lay. The majority of our fish came in 3-5 FOW on a grass edge. The grass was growing in 4-5 FOW, but apparently the bottom in closer was too hard for grass to grow. My question, where were the big females? What other info can you tell me from what I've provided? I'm a researcher by nature, so I like to digest all the info I can and I don't know enough about this yet to dissect all that I see without some help. LOL

Also, there were no bloody tails on any of the fish, but most of the bigger males were dark. Beautiful fish. This was after spending over 12 hours on ice.

That fella got his best suit on....

Nice catchn....

[Bals gib]

I would say that your smaller females were a school of fish from the same year class that followed each other up in the same area, chances are there is large females in the area but they have not moved in yet, crappie in some lakes will swim in schools with the same year class that’s why tournament anglers search out areas for the bigger females Pre-Spawn because the area is likely to hold more fish of the same size, I’ve found at Weiss that I catch a lot bigger fish the further away from the dam I go and this is normally the case on many lakes

[Cray]

Them youngsters come in first they haven’t figured it out yet. Like SpecialK said it’s 2/3 weeks or more out. I’d back out into about 12 or so feet of water from there and start looking. The larger females are usually the last to spawn. And with water temps and weather we have had it’s slowed em down a good bit.

[FurFlyin]

Thanks for all the replies!

[Redge]

I too like to ponder on these things. Thanks for bringing it up.


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