Does water temp matter as much for redear and bluegill as it does for crappie, if so what is the best water temp
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Does water temp matter as much for redear and bluegill as it does for crappie, if so what is the best water temp
Water temp not only matters, it is the key. Bluegill generally spawn when the water gets around 68 degrees, and usually their spawns coincide with the full moon. This time last year they had already spawned once in most of the ponds I manage - no trace of beds this year due to the cold spring we've had.
what about larger lakes? like ky lake and barkley. with the weather the way it has been this year it may be june before water temps get to 68 degrees...
Different parts of the big lakes will warm at different rates. Up here the bite starts in earnest on the warming sites well ahead of spawn as both crappies and sunnies move shallow to take the sun in the warmer mud bottom areas, and graze the insect hatches that come off in those spots. On the bigger bodies of water you move upstream and into the back bays and backwaters especially those exposed to the south and west that warm up soonest. The big lakes will end up with spawn moving down stream and across to the the west side as the season progresses. None of those big waters go to spawn all at once.