Eggs ready to spawn?

[coyote]

We have all done it. Cleaning crappie and look at the eggs in the female egg sack of an early season crappie and try to determine when they will be ready to spawn. I frankly can't tell the difference in appearance from one that is leaking eggs when caught to one that was caught 2 weeks prior. I know that not all crappie spawn at the same time so eggs from a fish caught 2 weeks ago could look the same as one caught today. Are there any real life fish biologists out there that can give a definitive answer on what to look for? And not to offend any one but I'm not looking for a brother-in-law answer, I have seen and heard plenty of uneducated speculations. Maybe someone has a link to website with an authoritative answer.

[flatfish46]

Well the one's I caught here in texas liked about 1-2 wks as the fish get closer the eggs fill out I normally determine time bythe amount of blood that start's to appear in the sack the main feeder's and afew outlining vein's are showing alot of blood at present when the sac get's spider-webed it's time .

[slabbandit]

I know that you want a professional opinion and I would like to here one too. But, I go by when you lay the big females up on the cleaning station and the eggs just run out freely. No doubt about that!

[coyote]

Slabbandit,
I like your answer!