Bright orange eggs with big bloodlines

[keeferfish]

Just curious- have you noted the length of the days in May where you fish?


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No but I bet since it's the same timeframe year to year the daylight hours will be very very close to the same.

[CrappiePappy]

Just curious- have you noted the length of the days in May where you fish?


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Kearney, MO ... length of daylight @ 13hrs run from April 10th to May 4th (fyi)

[Takeum]

Only real way to see if fish are ready is when you see eggs running out as you lift them from the water . IMO

Sorta like this fish huh CA?

[DockShootinJack]

Sorta like this fish huh CA?

Figured that otter would have been eating those eggs

[catchNgrease]

I caught some specks yesterday that I figure will spawn in less than two weeks.

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[Ketchn]

I caught some specks yesterday that I figure will spawn in less than two weeks.

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black crappie in these parts are typically on beds by the end of February in lots of our lakes ....this much is fact for sure ...
so it don't surprise me you have fish in the close to doing it range ....

[Ketchn]

Say whatever you want about sun, temp blah blah blah la blah but on the lake I've fished most for the past 30 years it's ALWAYS from right at the first week of May and can be great until the end of May.

Basically from Mother's day to Memorial Day you better be fishing if you want to fish the spawn! Starts on the North end and moves South.

Now during this time some will be Pre and some Post but the On Fire will always be in May!

same here on several lakes except for the date , some lakes ketch totally on fire in April , like stupid good ...
often runs into may as well ....

[Danny Lang]

You know I don’t know the answer to all your questions, but I do know when I see the crappie eggs looking like that, its time to ketchin-em.

[catchNgrease]

Say whatever you want about sun, temp blah blah blah la blah but on the lake I've fished most for the past 30 years it's ALWAYS from right at the first week of May and can be great until the end of May.

Basically from Mother's day to Memorial Day you better be fishing if you want to fish the spawn! Starts on the North end and moves South.

Now during this time some will be Pre and some Post but the On Fire will always be in May!

This year when you whacking them in May count the white to black ratio. I'm guessing it will be very high in white crappie. Your missing the black crappie feed up & spawn. Now if your in an area has just whites then May it is. This is only my experience in N. Alabama and I've only been fishing as an addiction for 7 years. Took me a few of them to realize this. I caught these Wednesday. In two weeks they will have laid. It's gonna reach 80 next week and the waters gonna be stained. It's possible they go then

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[Tom 513]

Correct .... studies have shown that most spawning occurs during the time frame of between 13-14hrs of daylight. But, again ... that's a broad spectrum analysis of averages, and conditions can & do shorten or lengthen that time frame.

I could believe that the time of day is a factor, it is in other animals. I always heard and experienced that the 1st full moon in October triggers Smallmouth to start feeding up for Winter.