I think the two most important factors leading to the spawn are (1) weather and (2) lake levels. With all the radical temperature changes we had this year, I know that effected the spawn and the heavy rains kept the shoreline elevated and the crappie just didn't have the chance to group up in shallow waters. All in all, who knows what happened, I've been trying to figure it out for 20 years and I can't tell anyone anything they do not already know.