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Fished Litchfield lake yesterday. Had a good day. Caught 15 fish 10 to 12". Fish are still in 8 to 10ft. of water about 5ft. deep. The question is, do the smaller fish, 9" or less, spawn before the larger fish? The dinks with eggs and the males are in two feet of water. Have caught a couple of larger fish in about 4ft. of water. Thanks for any input on this.
Hey there. I see you say you were catching them in in the deeper waters. I was wondering what kind of set up you use when fishing away fromt the shore like this. I haven't been into crappie fishing long, but I am loving it. Been out on Rend Lake last couple of days and went once last weekend. They were biting pretty good in about 3 ft of water. Thanks for any help you can give.
Bobby
Hey Slab the answer to the question you asked is yes the smaller fish should spawn before the larger fish. I think it depends on the areas you fish and the lake but I believe the smaller fish spawn first. So don't give up on the big ones the should move in soon.
Crappie X.
Slab - Big female crappie move into shallow water to spawn for a short period of time (one to two hours) and then move out to deeper water until their next trip in to shore. They make three to four trips to the bank while they are spawning. I have always taken the bigger females out away from the spawning beds themselves as they spend more time out in the deeper water away from the banks during the spawn. Therefore, the majority of the fish on the beds for longer periods of time are the smaller males guarding the nests. I also feel the bigger females spawn in somewhat deeper water than the smaller females. Perhaps if you backed off some from the beds themselves, you would increase the size of the crappie you are catching. I know of one guide who said he seldom fishes the bank, even during the spawn.
Regarding the question "do smaller crappie spawn first" here is a quote made by guide Wendell Wilson in the article "CRAPPIE ON THE BANKS" written by Daryl Kirby. The key temperature for spawning is 62 to 64 degrees,” he said. “The biggest crappie take over the spawning areas first. In the best spawning areas, the big ones will move in when it initially gets to 62 to 64 degrees.