Thread: How do Crappie spawn?

Originally Posted by INTIMIDATOR

Why would you and G seriously doubt him??? Especially when research proves him right!
Han3 said, they MAY HAVE 3 spawns per year....We do here in SW OHIO also!
Yes, the Spring spawns can be extended and interrupted for weeks or Months, which will result in different classes of fry...he didn't specify, he said 2 in the Spring!...then you have research showing fish netted in December that were found to be hatched in OCTOBER! Other Sates are finding the same, our lake spawn temps was interrupted twice in Spring and didn't hit spawn temp again until late July and again in September! So Han3 is actually right!
Mother Nature WILL ALWAYS FIND A WAY and she doesn't always follow the rules!

The same thing goes for where fish will spawn...sure, they have PREFERRED areas, but when the time comes, they will USE ANYTHING AVAILABLE TO THEM!
FISH EVOLVE, just like anything else!
That's why it is important to keep up with new research, ideas, etc!

I "doubted" him because the "research" does not prove him right. I gave him an "out" by explaining that the Spring "spawns" could be extended or interrupted ... giving a false impression that there was more than "one" spawn.
The "Fall spawn" idea was also proved wrong, in that there isn't enough daylight to sustain water temps within the acceptable range. The only possible Fall spawn research results came from Florida, as far as I know. And that was only from one test done at Orange Lake (as reported in In-Fisherman in Apr 2012), and it's in the middle portion of Fla. That's a statistical fluke, IMHO.

It's very unlikely that his Crappie are actually "spawning" during an extended Fall, but are more likely taking advantage of the extended length of "warmer than normal" water temps and scouring the shallows (possibly around spawning banks/areas) for food.

And don't equate "evolving" with "adapting" .... evolving takes millennia, whereas adapting can occur daily (even hourly).

And no, it's not "rude" to question another member's comments, or express one's opinion on them. Disagreement with potentially inaccurate statements is merely a way to bring out the truth by discussion or debate, while following the unwritten rule to "agree to disagree, with civility". And I "agree to disagree, with civility" your statement that multiple spawns occur in SW Ohio, as well ... for the same reasons I doubted Hanr3's statements.

The current length of daylight in Hanr3's location is almost 9.25hrs .... in mine, it's about 9.50hrs ... in yours, it's a little over 9.25hrs. I don't believe that's enough time to counter the upcoming daily temperatures of 30's & 40's (highs) and 20's & 30's (lows).

... cp

according to a man who wrote his college thesis on crappie behavior and a well known and respected fish biologist working for the state here in Texas ....
many of the things i have seen posted here were shot down after several conversations with him on the crappie spawn
so to keep the peace here on this thread .....pretend all the facts are facts ...
because in the end somewhere they probably are .....

I AGREE WITH THE ONCE A YEAR SPAWN,ALSO CATCHING FISH SHALLOW DO NOT MEAN THEY HAVE COME IN TO SPAWN,NOT FALL NOR EARLY SPRING,IN EARLY SPRING IN MY AREA AS WELL AS MOST AREAS THE FISH COMES IN TO FEED WHEN EARLY SHADS MOVE IN AT FIRST WARMING TREND,THEY WILL FEED A FEW DAYS THEN MOVE BACK OUT AND MANY THINK THEY CAME IN FOR THE SPAWN AND MOVE OUT.IF U WILL KEEP A CLOSE WATCH AT THE FISH TO TELL U WHEN THEY SPAWN ,ONE IS A CHANGE IN THEIR COLOR AND ANOTHER IS AFTER THEY SPAWN THAT MOST OF THE EGGS ARE GONE,I HAVE WATCH CLOSELY AND AS MUCH AS I FISH IN SPRING,5 DAYS A WEEK IT SEEMS THAT I NEVER BEEN ABLE TO CATCH A FISH THAT HAD MOSTLY LAID OUT IN EARLY SPRING NOR HAVE I TALK TO ANY THAT HAD CAUGHT AND THAT EARLY EVEN WHEN THEY HAD SAID THE EARLY HAD ALREADY SPAWN OUT,KEEP A CHECK ON IT THIS SPRING TO SEE WHEN SOMEONE IN YOUR AREA CATCHES THE FIRST FISH THAT HAS LAID OUT AND LETS POST IT TO SEE WHAT TIME IT IS IN YOUR AREA,BY PROOF AND NOT SPECTULATION,THANKS

Originally Posted by CrappiePappy

I "doubted" him because the "research" does not prove him right. I gave him an "out" by explaining that the Spring "spawns" could be extended or interrupted ... giving a false impression that there was more than "one" spawn.
The "Fall spawn" idea was also proved wrong, in that there isn't enough daylight to sustain water temps within the acceptable range. The only possible Fall spawn research results came from Florida, as far as I know. And that was only from one test done at Orange Lake (as reported in In-Fisherman in Apr 2012), and it's in the middle portion of Fla. That's a statistical fluke, IMHO.

It's very unlikely that his Crappie are actually "spawning" during an extended Fall, but are more likely taking advantage of the extended length of "warmer than normal" water temps and scouring the shallows (possibly around spawning banks/areas) for food.

And don't equate "evolving" with "adapting" .... evolving takes millennia, whereas adapting can occur daily (even hourly).

And no, it's not "rude" to question another member's comments, or express one's opinion on them. Disagreement with potentially inaccurate statements is merely a way to bring out the truth by discussion or debate, while following the unwritten rule to "agree to disagree, with civility". And I "agree to disagree, with civility" your statement that multiple spawns occur in SW Ohio, as well ... for the same reasons I doubted Hanr3's statements.

The current length of daylight in Hanr3's location is almost 9.25hrs .... in mine, it's about 9.50hrs ... in yours, it's a little over 9.25hrs. I don't believe that's enough time to counter the upcoming daily temperatures of 30's & 40's (highs) and 20's & 30's (lows).

... cp

Starting out a debate or discussion with, "I seriously doubt that", is meant to belittle or sway him under pressure, to agree with your point!
Do you actually think that things are exactly the same in your area of Ky or His in Texas, or mine in OH...my almost 2500 acre lake is totally different than anything else in Ohio, let alone somewhere else.

So someone posts something that may be credible, but then you disagree with it right away....it was not debated or discussed...And why would you provide him with an "Out" if you weren't trying to fold him back into your line of thinking!
"Ye of Little Faith"...People can Blindly Believe in Religion, but are Supremely Skeptical of anything that they haven't seen, witnessed, or that goes against their thought process! Funny Huh???
If he doesn't fish like you is he wrong? If he catches more fish than you, are you going to change to his style because it's better??

First of all the research in FL was solid and still viable...the SW district of the ODNR is also looking into this because we are getting out of season fish that go against the known norm.
Shad are also being questioned....right now guys who are ice fishing the Marina docks are catching Crappie that should be in your home aquarium....guys have been netting and posting pics of 2 inch shad in December. Just like the FL research, the fish would have to be hatched in the Fall.
Our lake is very fertile over populated by baitfish, fish grow fast under these conditions for the North.
We had no Spring last year, and very little Summer....the temps did not reach and consistently stay in spawning temps until late Summer....TEMPERATURES NEVER REACHED A POINT TO TRIGGER THE FEMALE HORMONE TO ABORT THE EGGS AND ABSORB THEM! IT TAKES HIGH TEMPS TO TRIGGER THAT HORMONE! SO, since that didn't happen, and water temps were perfect in the fall with sustained 65 degree water in September and October....why is this not plausible??? Our water temp was 48 degrees all last week...we just added 3.5 inches of warm rain on top of that...perfect way to start a discussion of 2 inch shad and 3 inch Crappie IN LATE DECEMBER!

Evolution can also be Generational...Scientists are studying species specific adaptations, that they think are actually genetic evolutionary improvements to groups of the same species in different areas or environments.
They are also learning that Species Evolution is happening at a faster pace now then ever before....due to Man made influences.
But religion has no place for Evolution, so Adaptation is a word that Religions can use in place of Evolution!
So Yes, the fish are adapting at a faster pace than normal, due to the increased influence of Man, or Man Made impacts to their environment!

Good Fishing!

Originally Posted by INTIMIDATOR

Starting out a debate or discussion with, "I seriously doubt that", is meant to belittle or sway him under pressure, to agree with your point!
Do you actually think that things are exactly the same in your area of Ky or His in Texas, or mine in OH...my almost 2500 acre lake is totally different than anything else in Ohio, let alone somewhere else.

So someone posts something that may be credible, but then you disagree with it right away....it was not debated or discussed...And why would you provide him with an "Out" if you weren't trying to fold him back into your line of thinking!
"Ye of Little Faith"...People can Blindly Believe in Religion, but are Supremely Skeptical of anything that they haven't seen, witnessed, or that goes against their thought process! Funny Huh???
If he doesn't fish like you is he wrong? If he catches more fish than you, are you going to change to his style because it's better??

First of all the research in FL was solid and still viable...the SW district of the ODNR is also looking into this because we are getting out of season fish that go against the known norm.
Shad are also being questioned....right now guys who are ice fishing the Marina docks are catching Crappie that should be in your home aquarium....guys have been netting and posting pics of 2 inch shad in December. Just like the FL research, the fish would have to be hatched in the Fall.
Our lake is very fertile over populated by baitfish, fish grow fast under these conditions for the North.
We had no Spring last year, and very little Summer....the temps did not reach and consistently stay in spawning temps until late Summer....TEMPERATURES NEVER REACHED A POINT TO TRIGGER THE FEMALE HORMONE TO ABORT THE EGGS AND ABSORB THEM! IT TAKES HIGH TEMPS TO TRIGGER THAT HORMONE! SO, since that didn't happen, and water temps were perfect in the fall with sustained 65 degree water in September and October....why is this not plausible??? Our water temp was 48 degrees all last week...we just added 3.5 inches of warm rain on top of that...perfect way to start a discussion of 2 inch shad and 3 inch Crappie IN LATE DECEMBER!

Evolution can also be Generational...Scientists are studying species specific adaptations, that they think are actually genetic evolutionary improvements to groups of the same species in different areas or environments.
They are also learning that Species Evolution is happening at a faster pace now then ever before....due to Man made influences.
But religion has no place for Evolution, so Adaptation is a word that Religions can use in place of Evolution!
So Yes, the fish are adapting at a faster pace than normal, due to the increased influence of Man, or Man Made impacts to their environment!

Good Fishing!

No ... "I seriously doubt that" was meant as my opinion, only. I didn't say he was "wrong", I just said there may have been "other" circumstances occurring that may have given a false sense of multiple spawns. That "out" was not meant to persuade him to think like me, it was meant to explain my reasoning behind my doubt. Maybe "out" wasn't the most proper terminology.

I wasn't referring to the "occasional" spawns at odd times, but the majority of the normal spawn times ... relative to the areas in question ... Springfield, Oh. - Lexington, Ky. - East Peoria, Il.
And I still "seriously doubt" that 3 separate spawns of Crappie occur in one year, anywhere in the USA.

I wasn't being "religious" in any sense of the word, when defining the differences between evolving & adapting. Again, just stating my understanding of the definitions.

Maybe your 3" Crappie in Dec were spawned in early Summer ?? Normal growth rates, even for high fertility rate midwest lakes, is 9-10" in three years ... so it is possible for a Crappie to reach 3" in 8-10 months, given the proper circumstances.

Again ... this is all just my opinion, as I am no expert on the matter. I just agree to disagree with his contention that his lake has three spawns per year, basing my opinion on my assumption that Crappie don't (can't ??) usually produce eggs that fast/often ... even in the most fertile lakes of the mid-deep South.

... cp

As none of you can actually "prove" your concepts, beliefs, and theories either way, and just because a few biologist or a couple of researchers release "findings" does not "make it so", the major point is "who cares how many times they spawn?". Just go fishing

Originally Posted by ibmack

As none of you can actually "prove" your concepts, beliefs, and theories either way, and just because a few biologist or a couple of researchers release "findings" does not "make it so", the major point is "who cares how many times they spawn?". Just go fishing

and here in lies the truth ....I hit em 5 to 7 days a week year round on 20 er so different water bodies
and have yet to see anything that backs up anyones findings or studies or theories consistently ...
so in answer to the original question of "how do crappie spawn" ....
I can say this one thing with the utmost of certainty.... ALOT of it happens at night

Crappie Science - In-Fisherman

Fishing in Illinois-Crappie

Illinois is a long state and we can run several months for Spawn season. We also have cross over where days in the spring and fall can be about the same in length 10-14hours per day, and spring and fall can experience similar temperatures. Around my neck of the woods we have numerous power plant cooling lakes, these lakes have artificially higher temps than natural lakes in the area. The In-Fisherman article does a pretty good job explaining how a spawn season can be extended. Notice the In-Fisherman article calls for 65 degree temps for spawning, Illinois IDNR calls for 56 degree temps. 65 may be normal for down south, however up here, we wont hit 65 until almost summer unless your on a power lake. However we can have 65 degree water temps in the fall. For the last several years, our first Crappie Tournament, held the last weekend in March, we had 32-35 degree air temps and the ice came off the water a week before our tournament. This was on the power plant lake. Having a spawn in April is tough around here, closer to May-June if its not extended by mother nature.

The article also goes into a fall spawn, while the research they cite has been for Florida, it doesn't mean other parts of the country aren't experiencing the same thing. People used to think the world was flat too, until someone proved them wrong. Just because there isn't scientific evidence, doesn't mean its not real! There is no scientific evidence Santa exists, but ask any child and you will get proof.

Edited to add:
Interesting that Iowa states the same thing. Crappie spawn when water temps reach 56 degrees.
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