Thread: Lake Eufaula archives

Woo hoo another wall of water heading to the big E. Can this spring get any tougher?

I'm one of those who feel the moon phase has much more to do with the spawn other than water temp. If Crappie had to have a certain warmer temp, you'd never see any Crappie spawn up north or in Canada, thus no Crappie at all. Moon phase, amount of daylight and somewhat stable water levels. If it is rising, they will still spawn but be spread out. If the water is falling, they might hold off and eventually absorb the eggs, it depends on how close they were to spawning before they shut it off. The spawn period lasts a lot longer than folks believe because they look at it when the numbers are great. That's just when the majority hit it. I've caught spawning fish in late February before and late in May. Water temps might play some part but remember, Crappie are sunfish and for the most part are going to hang shallower in most lakes except the clear water lakes. A lot of their depth depends on the clarity of the water.

Key words. . . . Rising and falling of the water. Seen alot of that this year. Hopefully they are spawning off the banks and the rain has given them a spring where they are out of reach of anglers and can do their thing unmolested by fisherman. I don't mind having a bad year so the next three can be great!

Don't say that! LOL This is my first year back here in 7 years and one of the biggest things I was looking forward to was hooking some baskets of crappie. Haha!

I think you make a valid point Reaper although biologists tend to feel that water temp is the determining factor. I have caught several 2 lb Black Crappie in Canada where the water temperature probably never hit 60* F. I never had a way of checking the temps at the time but I can tell you that about 2 minutes of swimming in it was all I could tolerate in July!

Year-class strength is set by reproductive success and recruitment, the process by which fish are added to the catchable population. Spawning success in crappies is tied to habitat quality, as well as environmental conditions during the spawn and egg development, such as water level and weather.

Read more: Crappie Science - In-Fisherman

Came across this after and the only time it speaks about temperature is after the spawn refering to the fry survival. I suggest we ask Jeff himself.


I could be wrong though as well, but do wonder if the water temps in Canada ever hit 55.
403 Forbidden

For years I too have gone by the temp, but to me the timing remains close to the same other than pressure changes that occur tend to weird the fish out.

I suppose I ought to recant. This article discusses the spawn from South to North.

I want to find fish fast. The areas we hunt are huge. The tactical key has nothing to do with rods, reels, lines, or lures. The key is on the console. Following temperature gradients leads you to the hottest prespawn bites fastest. Until water temperatures rise over 60°F, a 1°F temperature change can be pivotal. You need to watch the temp gauge and find the warmest water in northern bays or secluded basins that warm fastest. If the entire bay is 49°F, a spot the size of a dump truck that’s 51°F could hold seemingly every crappie in the area, likely the most dense concentration found all year.

Read more: http://www.in-fisherman.com/panfish/early-spring-crappie-tactics/#ixzz3YbSfgd

Very good info on the spawn I believe that we know very little about the spawn especially with each body of water. I read about a study done in a cove on a lake in Kentucky a few years back. A man kept count of how many crappie he caught in a years time with very little habitat in the cove, I think it was around 500 crappie. The next year he began to put brushpiles up and down the cove in deferent depths of water, he again kept count of how many crappie he caught that year, I think it was around 1500. So the one conclusion I have is that habitat helps your numbers and if your numbers are up your spawns will be sucessful. EB