Keeper
Red ear/shell cracker spawn
At what water temperature do y'all expect to see red ear on beds?
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Keeper
I fish for them same time that the bluegills are spawning
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Google search says 68-75deg.
Crappie Wall Hanger II
I think why many of us miss the optimum spawning time is we go by the water temp wherever the boat is. Up next to a bank or let's say shallow water at least, the temp could be a degree or two warmer. The best thing is to start trying for them once the water starts getting above 60, and you'll eventually find them. The ones I caught last week are not ready to lay out, but they're not that far off either. Water temps ranged from upper 50s to low 60s. Everything is about 3 to 4 weeks ahead of a typical year in in the eastern part of NC.
The strawberries, blueberries, crappie, bass, etc... Go to your spawning areas and start fishing. They're going to be in the vicinity. Fish shallow and deep. Good luck.
Alphahawk LIKED above post
Crappie Wall Hanger II
im of the opinion that many factors dictate when fish spawn not just water temp. moon phase, length of daylight, weather stability, and water level of a given lake (esp lakes of a river system or hydro-electric dam). i caught 91 yesterday with water temp of 80 that were in full spawn. its been a warm winter for us here in the south and this is about 3 weeks early for us.
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I'm out of Lake Barkley and I'm getting the itch to go. An older fella reportedly caught two huge redear while crappie fishing two days ago.
I think I'll slip out tomorrow and drown some redworms...
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Let me know, Im planning a trip there. Thanks
MEMBER CRAPPIE MAFIA
Slabmaster
A friend of mine said he caught some nice ones today at a lake in northeast MS..all were dark males, he caught them shallow near typical spawning areas..not sure what the water temp was
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Just remember that the fish start into a pre-spawn mode based in great part on length of daylight . You can catch males and females moving in and out,and different year classes of fish,at different times.Some years I catch more in the prespawn then I do on beds...some years the bed fishing is better.Course if you can't go at will then how the weather and work schedules and personal stuff gets in the way effects that . Typically the surface temps I see when I am actually catching fish on the beds is 68 to 78 or so with 70 to 75 being the norm. But I have already caught redear in three feet of water in the low to mid 50's this year. But they weren't there to even fan a bed yet....they were there feeding because the shallow water had warmed more than the deeper water and they moved up for awhile. Here in this geographic latitude of lower Missouri as far as I'm concerned starting in February and ending sometime in May or the first of June fish of nearly all species are in some stage of reacting to the urge to spawn. And I am going to fish every day I can,I'm just going to vary my technique and approach and presentation. For truly bed fishing where I am trying to catch a female that is waiting to lay her eggs or a male guarding it or both...Late April to Late May around 70 - 75 degree surface temps. It doesn't all happen at once.But some years the whole thing is short and other years longer.Everything South of here a few weeks earlier,North a little later.
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