We have only blacks up north here and I find eggs in them all year long. I think the ones that don't spawn just keep their eggs and spawn them if they get the chance next year.
Ken
Caught a mess of crappie for Breakfast. They have started getting eggs. Has your crappie started getting eggs yet. Been fishing all winter once or twice each month of the year. First eggs in 2009. I live in Idaho.
We have only blacks up north here and I find eggs in them all year long. I think the ones that don't spawn just keep their eggs and spawn them if they get the chance next year.
Ken
I don't think they hold them until the following year. What they don't lay in the Spring spawn, are absorbed, and a new egg sac is developed. In your colder waters, that's probably spread out over the warmer months, making it seem like they have eggs year around.
Around here (KY) we usually start seeing small egg sacs in late Summer to early Fall. They slowly develop over the Winter months, and quickly get larger and more viable during early Spring. Even after the water is too warm to have a viable spawn, many Crappie may still have some or all of their eggs. Those eggs will be absorbed as "food" (protein). During the early to late Summer period, you can catch a female with no egg sac, or one small enough to be easily overlooked. They're obviously female, as they do not have any milt sacs.
Right now, in this area of the country, we are experiencing all phases of the spawning proceedure (pre-spawn/spawn/post spawn), depending on what part of the state and what lake. Water temps are mostly in the low to mid 50 degree range, with the lakes of the Southwestern part of the state being in the high 50's. I'm sure that most all our female Crappie, of spawning age, are full of eggs ... and just waiting for the water temps & conditions to get right.
... cp
Ken,I'm about 200 miles north of you (downriver) on the Snake. I had my first trip out Monday. 41 deg water in the morning warming to 43 in the afternoon. We had 162 crappie . When I was filleting them I was surprised at how few were holding eggs, maybe 10-15%. I was hurrying thru them and didn't pay a lot of attention but I don't remember seeing any milt sacks either. If I go next week I'll pay more attention.
siskoken- Thanks for the reply. Like I mentioned when I posted this, that I have fished every month this winter for crappie and this is the first indication of any eggs. One of the posts answering my post, indicated that Crappie that don't spawn absorb there Eggs. I didn't know that. Gary, I'll be looking for your post. Were you fishing brownlee or Owyhee Res. or Bully Creek. Ken
Caught some Friday that were absolutely full of eggs.
Here in Arkansas like crappiepappy says in Kentucky, females tend to have at least a small amount of eggs pretty much year round.
The egg sack was very small and the eggs were tiny a long ways from spawning. Surface temperature was 45 degrees. Water still pretty cold. Ken
Last edited by Ken Jones; 04-05-2009 at 03:39 PM.
Caught a couple females yesterday that had eggs. While I dont know how big they are(released them) they definitely had eggs. Water temp is in the low to mid 40s.
I've caught crappie in Missouri in November that were starting to develop egg sacks.