Finding eggs in cold water crappie

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11-21-2009, 09:59 AM
Jignjim

Finding eggs in cold water crappie

I know that this has probably been kicked around several times before, but I really need someone who remembers to enlighten me one more time. While fishing the Tenn-Tom River last Wed., I caught 22 crappie from around 13 to 16 inches long. They were all fat and in real good shape. When I cleaned them, I found that over half of them were full of eggs that had blood streaks running all through them just like it was early spring. The water temp. is around 50 to 55 and I know they are not going to spawn again, but what is going on. I have seen eggs in crappie in winter months all of lmy life, but never developed like this.
11-21-2009, 12:00 PM
Cane Pole

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jignjim

I know that this has probably been kicked around several times before, but I really need someone who remembers to enlighten me one more time. While fishing the Tenn-Tom River last Wed., I caught 22 crappie from around 13 to 16 inches long. They were all fat and in real good shape. When I cleaned them, I found that over half of them were full of eggs that had blood streaks running all through them just like it was early spring. The water temp. is around 50 to 55 and I know they are not going to spawn again, but what is going on. I have seen eggs in crappie in winter months all of lmy life, but never developed like this.

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They start cooking up eggs bout 6 months before the hatch. I cleaned some last weekend that were starting to "egg up".:) No blood though.
11-21-2009, 02:23 PM
Gamblinman

Just wondering if stress in the livewell or basket might trigger this?

Eggs developing, yes, but no blood in the fall.

Gman
11-21-2009, 06:46 PM
WestTennCrappie

I caught some out of the river last Friday that were big crappie like that and the two biggest females had huge egg sacks, that were clearly developed well and looked like it was full spawn. The others had eggs as well but about where I would expect them to be for thier size in mid november. I dont want to specualte why they were like that. Who knows
11-21-2009, 08:18 PM
Jignjim

Normally the cold weather crappie are like you just described, but when these looked like it would not be long until they spawned, it really threw me. Thank ya'll for all of the info. I think I will tell my wife that I need to go back to the river pretty quick to check and see if any of the other crappie are like that. You can't tell, it might work. Thanks again.
Jimmy