The spawn as I've learned it

This is all interesting. I'm no expert on the spawn by any means but I do think we all try to rush it every time we get some warm weather this time of year. I was always told as a youngster that the time to catch spawning white perch is when the dogwoods start blooming and I've found that is pretty true year in and year out. But I also know that perch do move into shallow water much earlier than that for some reason. The last two years I've hammered them on Poverty Point right up on the bank in February but it was a one time event. I went back a few days later and nothing.

Duck Butter, You are right about the female thing. If you fish one day and catch a bunch of females shallow, you have hit the right time for sure. There one day gone the next. A couple of years ago I hit two spots about 50 yards apart on Toledo and caught 50 big females. The next day in the same two spots I caught three fish total. One reason it is hard to harm the crappie population by fishing is that the females are vulnerable for a short period during the spawn. Many more females are caught deep in the winter than shallow in the spring. Most of my spring trips consist of probably 80 plus percent males.

Duck Butter you made sense. But so did Mo,n,back. Just because we have a few good weather days does not mean the fish will spawn. They will spawn when the weather is consistent for a while and the eggs are ready.This could go from early Feb. to mid Apr. Just like pregnant women, some will be early, some will be late and most will be right on time. Some will look like the neighborhood bass not the crappie daddy. (just joking).

So far I have only seen males in ths shallow water I have been fishing this week. I did use one with an hot Orange tail yesterday, but today and last Sunday we only used Chart/Blue/chart which is my favortie color early spring. I do also like that likke Hot Orange tail Raodrunner too though.
Males always come in first and later the femails will start to show up. Last Sunday was one of my better days in a long time, but I fished for one hour yesterday and took the wife after she got off today for an hour. I got 8 yesterday and we got 9 this afternoon. Jusy got back about 6PM.

now i'm totally confused. Gotta quit reading this stuff.nonono

i think water temps are effected by extreme cold fronts and warm fronts sure....but the MAIN thing that "mysteriously" makes the spawn happen at about the same time each year (and it does) is photoperiodism. That, the weather cant control...it controls the weather really. each year the sun stays out a little longer each day this time of year adn the water consequently starts to warm,..cold weather be danged. now, extreme el nino years or freak extended stay cold fronts can delay it a little while, but not much. its happnin. most places that you think of that spawn early each year (in south louisiana where i fish, this is end of january early february;;;every year) it is shallow water. its an oxbow or shallow cypress break that is a mile long and 500 yards wide that wont get 4-5 ft deep anywhere......its happenin NOW! but deeper lakes that are clear or have 20ft plus water....march april...every year...no change....same thing

DB, along those lines I've experienced the same pattern with bass. Every year I would go after bass (in sola) in Lake Verret (north end) and Grassy Lake (Hog Bayou) in Feb. after at least 3 days with low's not lower than 50 degrees when previous days low's might have been in the 20-30's. They would roll that gold rogue without breaking the surface; gives me chills thinking about it. The thing about these locations are they are on the north ends of these areas and they get sunlight all day. Spawning bass have always been caught in these areas before other areas in those lakes. Also I've wondered why folks on Darbonne (Stowe Creek) catch some big ole WP on yo-yo's in shallow water when its below freezing. Makes sense....SLIP

You can catch a female crappie in late January 25' deep and its 'full of eggs' and you can catch a female in early March in 5' of water that is 'full of eggs' also. May even be the same fish, it all depends on what your definition of 'full of eggs' is. Kinda like a 7 month pregnant woman and a 8.5 month pregnant woman, they all look like they 'are about to pop'rotfl

The more we try and understand these things, the less we know it seems! Like the orange jig thing, I think if you put a jig in front of a crappies' nest, a male is gonna hit it. If the water is murky and he can't see it, he can't hit it, and you won't catch him, but sometimes changing color may allow them to see it in the murky water. \

If I catch a big ole female in Jan. in 25' of water and one in March in 5' of water, I promise you, it won't be the same one. LOL

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Tiger

If I catch a big ole female in Jan. in 25' of water and one in March in 5' of water, I promise you, it won't be the same one. LOL

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AInt that the truth:highfive