Thread: crappie holding their eggs

Fluctuating water levels & early hot weather has many lakes experiencing the same thing. Now, there is a slim possibility that some will still try and spawn, but that depends on whether the males are still willing & able. The surface temps may be high, but several feet down it may still be spawning temps. But, yeah ... time is definitely running out for them to have a viable spawn. Once the conditions are considered (by the females) to be too risky for the survival of the eggs/fry .... they'll simply absorb the eggs and begin the process of developing a new egg sac. They instinctively know that their survival is as important as spawning, and the eggs provide nutrients that get returned to the body.

You can usually tell when the spawn has been interrupted too often or too long, as the eggs will not be in good shape and/or be an off color. There will always be some that have eggs that still look viable in some of the fish you catch, but those fish are usually still in the pre-spawn feeding process ... but, normally they too will eventually have to give up the idea & absorb the eggs.

Crappie can spawn more than once.

Originally Posted by JCCLARK

Crappie can spawn more than once.

Not around here. At least not more than once 'a year'. Many people "say" they caught "spawning" Crappie in the Fall, just because they caught females with good sized egg sacs (& possibly in shallow water), but the fish aren't spawning ... just feeding up for the long Winter, where the water is likely warmer & the baitfish are holding.

But, yeah .... they can spawn "more than once" ... if you're referring to "in their lifetime" or "on more than one bed" or "over several weeks, if interrupted by water & weather conditions".

Now, there was a 2012 In-Fisherman article that documented Florida Crappie spawning in the Fall ... but, that's the only time/place it's been documented as having happened (that I've ever heard of). And it was such a rare occurrence that even the Fla F&W biologists didn't have an answer as to "why" it happened, saying only that "rising water levels" could have triggered it.

Me and my brother in law fished Malone yesterday, caught fish suspended over 20-30 fow. Most were females with eggs. Last few years have caught fish in June, still with eggs. Not unusual. Still eat good...

"Crappie, like most fish, spawn once per year. However, a female may spawn with multiple males over several weeks during a spawning season."

At least that's what it says here

Crappie Spawn FAQ - How to Catch Spawning Crappie (Best Crappie Fishing Times) | Crappie Fisher