Quote Originally Posted by LRJoe
Jerry,

That was a great article in the Ark Dem Gaz today. I hope to get to fish with you soon.

I did not know that crappie would spawn twice in one year. That is something new I learned from the article.
Thanks Joe:

Brian gave me some good press there for sure. It's just some of the "Free Press" we are getting from hosting the AG&F Commission's Media Event at the end of Crappie Camp.

I think crappie start spawning as soon as they can in the spring and spawn as often and as long as they can. I think the number one required condition for their eggs to mature and hatch is water temperature. With the unusually early spring we had they started spawning in mid-March but backed off when the water got too warm (over 70). Then we had "THE SIBERIAN EXPRESS" and the water temps fell way too low (in the low 50s).

In the past week or so we've had water temps back in the low 60s, which is just right for spawning. Lake Greeson is at an unusual level for this time of year and the water has been much clearer than usual, which has them spawning at a depth where there is very little cover.

The natural cover - buck brush, willows, grass, etc. are all to shallow and a lot of the cover we, the C.O.E and G&F Commission have put in is too deep. So, they are under a lot of stress trying to find and compete for adequate spawning habitat and we're seeing very significant weight loss, injuries, sores and fungus on a lot of the fish we're catching. We've seen a lot of white males that have rubbed their chest's raw, which may be due to them hugging the bottom so close for cover because the water is so clear.

But, crappie are very adaptable and determined to reproduce and we're still seeing a significant but gradual reduction in their egg mass - especially in the past week - so I think they are having a successful spawn. Another critical condition for a successful spawn is stable water level and Lake Greeson has been very stable through the spawn so far this year.

I've read that it takes 5 to 7-days for crappie eggs to mature and hatch so they should have had time to produce a batch or two in the last two weeks of March and they've had time recently to get another batch or two and hopefully if the weather, lake level and water temps remain stable for the next week or two they'll still get off another batch or two.

Most of the females of both species still have plenty of viable looking eggs to lay and the males are still busting their rear ends making, maintaining and guarding beds so they'll get-r-done - it's what they do - their one and only purpose in life.

All that being said the "catching" has been pretty tough the last few days and I think that's because they are way too busy and stressed to worry about eating right now. Once they finally finish up spawning though it's gonna be ON!