Thread: 2016 spawn

From the little I have been fishing and from what I have heard form others the crappie haven't spawned yet. Been in and out with the weather changes. Maybe this next week will set them up for the full moon the week after.

Yea 2 weeks ago the water temps on priest on the upper end were about 65 then few days later 50. I havent been out since. So I was wondering.

Hi. I'm new here. Moved from Ky Lake area. I fish Old Hickory now. I caught a few yesterday that had good eggs with a good amount of blood in them. They are getting close, but I think it's still a little cool. Average water temp was 59 degrees. They haven't moved up yet. I was finding them in 15-20 feet.

Some people don't think water temp has as much to do with the spawn as others do nor would I argue the point with anybody either way. What if the spawn has to do with length of days and how they coincide with the proper moon phase or cycle? I do admit I personally lean toward moon cycle lining up with length of days as two of the bigger factors that get the spawn in progress. Some fish spawned last full moon cause they were many big ones found up there in 10 FOW & less, did their thing and have since went on back toward deeper waters while many others are just fixing to this upcoming full moon cycle. I wouldn't take the time to argue with anybody over this as it's a mute point. The water temp will always be in our area of the world in that favorable range most think is the range when the bigger bulk of fish spawn. It's been April & May in middle TN for the bigger bulk of the spawn for several years however I do believe many of the bigger crappie at this time have come & went already. Do believe bigger black crappie spawn very early in the year some years and yet sometimes it's April or May one. Best way to prove any theory is to catch black or white crappie either one when the males have their black coats on. That's a sure sign you are all up in among a spawn in progress. Caught these in this photo in late April 3 or 4 years ago. We had several that had the black coats on that day. Also caught a few females that day in deep water that had already spawned out.

On more than one occasion I have read a pro crappie angler saying that crappie get up under docks for the shade. Is that really true? Other crappie pros will tell you its got more to do with a difference in water temperature or a place to find food. Since crappie are a sunfish, I doubt they are needing to get out of the sun as much as its because the docks are cover, a food source and or a water temperature around them better suited to the fish than just a shady place......Heard Todd Huckabee say one time, if its for the shade we should all take a sheet of plywood out and float it out to where we want to fish and let them gather up under it if they are seeking shade. Me personally I guess I have to agree more in line with what Todd says because I have caught lots of good crappie in 10 to 12 FOW in summer time during very bright days & hot weather when they could of been under docks instead of those shallow flats.

Last Thursday, water was 59 degrees and they were nowhere to be found. Today, it was 64 degrees and they are plentiful in 2-4 feet. They are on the beds.

Cant say I found the same thing at Tim's yesterday. Fished shallow all day with 0 crappie to show for it. Moved out to deeper brush and caught a few black nose.

Slabopotamus