How do Crappie spawn?

[Hanr3]

We may have three spawn seasons per year around here. Typically twice in the spring and once in the fall. This year would have been a prime candidate for three seasons, the temps have been well above normal this winter and we had a longer than usual spring with cooler temps and lots of rain.

[CrappiePappy]

We may have three spawn seasons per year around here. Typically twice in the spring and once in the fall. This year would have been a prime candidate for three seasons, the temps have been well above normal this winter and we had a longer than usual spring with cooler temps and lots of rain.

I seriously doubt that. Your "twice in the Spring" spawn is likely an extended spawn period or an interrupted spawn. Any Fall egg sacs will likely be next Spring's spawn ... seeing as how they'll quickly go into their Winter mode as soon as the temps start dropping back down to a normal level for your area.

Biologists say that, not only does water temps have to be in a specific range, but the length of daylight is also a key factor (some saying it's a bigger factor than temp alone). I believe I remember it being something in the 13-14 hours of daylight range. Since the water temps have to be above a certain level for spawning to take place, as well as fry survival, and the temps have to be stable within that range ... it would seem to make sense that the length of daylight would factor in at keeping the temps stable & within that range.

... cp

[INTIMIDATOR]

I seriously doubt that. Your "twice in the Spring" spawn is likely an extended spawn period or an interrupted spawn. Any Fall egg sacs will likely be next Spring's spawn ... seeing as how they'll quickly go into their Winter mode as soon as the temps start dropping back down to a normal level for your area.

Biologists say that, not only does water temps have to be in a specific range, but the length of daylight is also a key factor (some saying it's a bigger factor than temp alone). I believe I remember it being something in the 13-14 hours of daylight range. Since the water temps have to be above a certain level for spawning to take place, as well as fry survival, and the temps have to be stable within that range ... it would seem to make sense that the length of daylight would factor in at keeping the temps stable & within that range.

... cp

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!

[CrappiePappy]

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

[INTIMIDATOR]

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!

[CrappiePappy]

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

[badaxed]

"And don't equate "evolving" with "adapting" .... evolving takes millennia, whereas adapting can occur daily (even hourly)."
I am adapting right now> Thanks CP.