Spawn

[NoMinners]

The water temp. on my lake in central Tx. is 54 degrees. You guys think they will spawn any day or still a little early?

[Gansett]

I have what is more than a theory on the best time to go crappie fishin. I know the precise time to go, no guess work involved, and I guarantee it. OK, here it is, the best time to go crappie fishin is whenever you can.
I don't mean to be flippant, just joking. I do think it may be just a small tad early, but obviously very close. Heck, give it a shot.

[CrappieClint]

Here is southern Illinois when that is the temp they start moving shallow to spawn. If it was 54 here the males would be making beds in the shallows and the females would be close. Im sure its the same there. A few more degrees you should be on.

[Cane Pole]

The water temp. on my lake in central Tx. is 54 degrees. You guys think they will spawn any day or still a little early?

Yes, but that is the temp at where bouts on the lake?

[grubby]

water temp of 58 in OKLAHOMA is what the old timers say.

[crappiefarmer]

I always look for the dogwood bloom as the sure fire sign. Whatever weather conditions are right to start the bloom seems to be bout the same conditions to start the spawn. If it only looks to be a week till bloom, I will look for the big ones that spawn early. 58 degrees would also be the water temp I would look for. You are getting close. I'm sure they are staging up and in prespawn mode full blown right now where you are. the bite should be good now. CF

[beenfishin?]

I will probably get laughed at for this, but here goes. When the water temp hits 50 for several days in a row, the bigest fish will start spawning. They only need a few minutes to spawn and a few days to hatch. There will be spawning activity from that point until the temp gets to the mid 70s. For this reason there are always fish shallow and always fish deeper. That is why there is some disagreement as to "when" the spawn starts. Those who are better at catching the deeper fish say it starts later, those better at catching the shallow fish say it starts earlier. I have been catchin fish in less than 3 fow for more than 2 weeks now and, according to an older gent, I missed the "big" fish spawn by about 1 week. Water temp here is high 40s am and low 50s pm. Another reason some say it starts so much later is the fact that the males "get there spawnin color". These colorations have nothing to do with spawning. They are a result of the males spending days on end in the shallow water in bright spring sun. If females stayed that shallow gaurding a bed, they would get the same colors. This info comes direct from Mississippi State biologists.

[coastal bend]

Down here in South texas the water temp has been around 60 -63 all winter. last week it dropped to 57 and is now back up to 62 today. Being a rookie I don't know when it will start here. I think around first part of March. I caught these at the last of March. Which I think was the tail end of he spawn.

[NoMinners]

This temp. was taken in a creek. Surface temp. on the lake is 50.

[Arkie John]

I read exerpts from a biologist's report that another variable in the spawn issue is the amount of daylight. That report stated the greatest spawning activity was on the days that had from 13.2 to 14.6 hours of daylight.

I don't know this to be gospel, but I filed it away in the ole' memory banks for future use.

No matter what, it is fast approaching and I can't wait for another good Speck Spring spawn. <><

aj