Tons of fish, no keepers!!!

[SEMOmike]

Went out to my home lake (Lake Kinkaid in SW IL) and the crappie are really biting. We managed to catch about 150 crappie from 2:00-6:30. Nearly all were in >4' of water w/ water temp around 65 degrees on the surface, and I don't think that we caught a female all day. Did the spawn already happen and I missed it, I haven't fished out there in a couple of weeks. The locals that I talked to, don't think that the spawn has happened yet, but what is the deal? I know that there are plenty of keeper sized crappie in that lake. Do the males move into the shallows first?

A little help and advice on how to catch some for the livewell.

Thanks,

Mike

[Tube4Slabs]

The males will move in first and stay longer then the female. She will move in and out to lay her eggs. A similar situation happened last few weeks to me with this cold snap.

The males moved on the bed and a few females started to come up and lay. Well I believe the cold snap pushed the females back off but the males remained to look after the nest. This past week with warmer temps the females were back and all was good.

Another theory: They already laid the eggs and the males are still up there gurding the nest and the females are long gone.

Keep after them,

[chaunc]

Mike, turn around and fish..... those females aren't far away. When they back off, they hold at the first change in depth. Could be only 10 ft away from the rest of the males. Give it a shot and post your results for us.

[crappster]

Very good point chaunc. I had success doing that a few times this past spring.

[TwainGang]

I fished Mark Twain last Thursday and also today- limited out both days. Four out of five of the keepers I caught were females with eggs. Nearly everyone else was beating the banks and catching 6 inchers. I had the best spots of the creek I fished all to myself- and they were hitting jigs hard!