Bright orange eggs with big bloodlines

[Ketchn]

are often a sign of things to come in the crappie hanky panky dept.
so tell me your version pretty please with all the scientific data about how far away the spawn is when this occurs in the fish.
hear lots of versions of what it means to be in this actual development stage and for sure from my wanderings don't adhere to the "scientific" findings .
every year on some fishing forums folks say it is mostly water temp. driven , but this can't totally be the case as it varies dramatically in these parts on similar lakes within 20 miles of each other.
2 spots I know of have a white crappie run in February and I get told every year the water is too cold and they are just chasing bait, and every year folks complain on those 2 lakes about the poor spawn and the small fish , because they missed the first run of the big fish ...
and then as well, why would fish in a rather shallow water body go to short water after the fish in a deep water lake too ....
and currently our area waters are very cold , low 50 range on a warm day
so do tell ...

[DockShootinJack]

Interesting

[NIMROD]

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

[Alphahawk]

You know I used to think it was all about the water temps also...but fishing in the Caney Fork...a trout river.....taught me better. It was a great crappie and bluegill fishery also. And they both spawn there in water temps around 54-58 degrees. I think in colder waters fish have a clock and that tells them when. Of course that is an opinion of mine...but what is a fact is crappie and bluegill spawn in that river at those temps. Back in TN I knew several TWRA biologist, and when I brought up about how crappie and bluegill spawn in the Caney at those temps no one had a definitive answer.


Regards

[gillchaser999]

I think it’s got to do with the amount of daylight . As the days get longer it triggers something.

[CrappiePappy]

I think it’s got to do with the amount of daylight . As the days get longer it triggers something.

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.

[GreenLine]

First let me say, every body of water is a little different and personally don’t pay much attention to egg sacks.
From my observations on 3 different lakes that have similar cover. Water temp 58+ combined with a 1-2 foot rise in water level = spawning white crappie. In 1-4 fow.
Black crappie will usually be deeper 4-8 fow. ( these lakes have 70 % white crappie)
Also big cold fronts that push water temps back down or rapidly dropping water level will usually shut down the bite and make them move back to deeper water.
Luckily as soon as it gets stable or rain returns to bring the water up, spawn activity in skinny water returns.
Nothing more fun than swimming a jig around a cypress tree on the long pole with only 2 ft of line in the water.



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[DockShootinJack]

It is certainly fun times

[keeferfish]

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!

[BroKenneth]

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!

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


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