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Are the females waded up on the banks where you are fishing yet? How do the eggs look in the fish you have cleaned?
Please post a general geographical area and the dates you witnessed this.
Let's use this post to analyze the spawn behavior across Arkansas this year.
All the crappie I'm catching in my nets are about to bust. Bunched all up, at least 50-60 big ole slabs per net. Had 1 net Sunday that we stopped counting at 125. All the eggs are bright orange and blood veins are thick and very red.
Arkansas river. Little Rock pool. 4-6 feet of water behind rock jetties.
Hey LA,
Was there any size to those crappie you caught in your nets? I'm guessing it was various sizes, but any big ol slabs?
At Merrisach Lake they were spewing eggs when you grabbed 'em about 10 days ago. Heard a report from Horseshoe yesterday that they are doing that there now.
Got the boat out of the shop yesterday and hope to check the status somewhere in central AR this weekend.;)
The throat on my nets are around 4 inches x 4 inches, so anything under around 10 inches long or so will pretty much swim back out. You'd be suprised how many 3-3 1/2 pounders are swimming around in the river. Not uncommon this time of year to get in a big run of them that are all over 2lbs. I mean 25 or 30 of them that size all in 1 net!! I know I was shocked the first time I pulled up a net up and all them silver suckers were in there. It was night and I thought they were a bunch of drum at first, then 'bout fell out of the boat when I realized what they actually were.Quote:
Originally Posted by ski trip
and then u throw them all back in......right?? lolQuote:
Originally Posted by LA yard dog
MG,Quote:
Originally Posted by MGDUCK
Aw man, it's illegal to keep crappie. $100 per fish is what I've been told.:eek:
I would like to go fish around your nets, where did you say they were again???;)Quote:
Originally Posted by LA yard dog
Those fish are like that behind most of the jetties and pilings where there's current. We've had them like that in 4 feet of water this time of year all the way up to 30 feet in the hot summer or dead cold winter. As long as there is current in the main river, they're always moving. We'll get into them like that up Maumelle Creek this time of year to when there's some current. No current right now to keep the nets straight so we don't have any nets in there, but I figure the fish are still there.
I would assume the same would be true between 430 and Conway?
soswine,
I've tied trotlines on every stump and dropped nets on every mussel bed and hump between Fourche La Fave and Tar Camp and the fish are in the same places each season. I've never fished any back water unless there's current, but the river has always been the same for us. Find the right current at the right depth at the right time of the year, and the Arkansas River is hard to beat...regardless of the species your chasing.
I've actually never drowned a shiner or crappie dobbed in the river, but pretty much know where they are moving most of the year. In 20 years, I can count the number of people I've seen perch jerking in the main river on 1 hand. Those 4 or 5 don't need a freezer. They need 2.
The Crappie were hitting the buckbrush on Monday at Nimrod. That is till the wind, cold temps, and the US Army Corps of Engineers opened the dam to lower the water out of the brush.:eek: Who knows what they're doing now, probably headed back to deep water till things settle down.:confused:
Out of 19 fish, only 2 were females last Saturday, then last tuesday it was just the opposite. The eggs had red veins and ready to pop. Temp was 63 degrees. Don,t know what this mornings cold noth wind will do to them but I know it will keep me in the house.