I have thought a lot about this subject over the years and after yesterday I am a little more convinced about my theory. I think all things mentioned above do factor in to when crappie spawn. I think water temp, water clarity, and moon phases all have a part in it. Now for a little different wrinkle than I have ever heard mention. Please don't laugh at me, this is just something for thought.

Every other animal that I can think of has a gestation period, that is how long they carry their offspring before they give birth. I know that we are talking about fish who are not carrying their offspring like humans, cows, dogs.......you get the picture. The females are only carrying the eggs and the fertilization process is done after she lays the eggs. Here is my question, is it possible that a fish needs to carry her eggs a minimum number of days before they are mature enough to be viable? Lets go back to other animals, the gestation period is a time frame, a pig is 114-118 days. Could it be that a fish has a time frame from the time she starts making her eggs in the fall until she lays them in the spring? The time frame would allow for the other conditions listed above to get right then she goes and lays her eggs. The way to explain a 2 month long spawn is not all fish will start making eggs at the same time. Some will start making eggs on this day and some will start 2 months later with most somewhere in between. Not all doe deer come in to heat on the exact same day, so is it possible that female crappie all have their own time frame when they start growing their eggs?

I am more convinced than ever that fish do have a time frame to carry their eggs. Yesterday creek water temps were 63-65 and hardly any fish in them. My theory why, the eggs aren't mature enough due to the lack of time since they began to grow. Water temps are not supposed to be 63-65 degrees in Oklahoma on March 14th. You take any other animal and introduce them to this world before their gestation period is up and they don't survive, unless we are talking about humans, where medical science has progressed. I don't think fish eggs are any different, they need a certain amount of time in their own element, then when water conditions are correct the female lays them.

Like I stated earlier, don't laugh this is just food for thought!!!

Odie