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During the spring and summer we catch bluegills and red ears on the bank in shallow water.
I assume they are spawning?
If so how often do they spawn?
Sometimes they are there sometimes not.. When they are not, try again the next week and they are back..
How does this cycle go about?
The red-ear sunfish will reproduce when it is one year old. This fish nests in colonies similar to bluegill and if submerged plants are available it will make a nest in the midst of, or near this vegetation. In the spring (May-June) of the year when the water temperature reaches 68 to 70 degrees F. the male red-ear goes into the shallow water areas of the lake to make a nest. The male fans out the nest with his fins and tail. Nest building may last as long as a day or two, after which he locates and drives a female red-ear to his nest. The two fish swim around over the nest in circular fashion and form a V figure with their vents pressed together. The female then emits eggs and the male simultaneously releases milt. The eggs are fertilized as they fall into the nest. Several spawnings may occur after which the female leaves and the male red-ear takes a position over the nest to guard the eggs from predators and to fan the water above the eggs so it will circulate and aerate the eggs until they hatch. The eggs hatch in 6 to 10 days depending upon the water temperature. After hatching, the fry will stay in the nest for about a week with a male still standing guard. After this time, they leave the nest in search of food and then they are on their own. The female red-ear may lay from 2,000 to 10,000 or more eggs depending on her size and condition. Breeding males can be distinguished from the females by the darker colored head, gill covers and body, and lack of a pot-bellied appearance.
The red-ear seems to have fewer young than the bluegill. This is probably due to the fact that they have a shorter spawning season than does the bluegill. The red-ear usually spawns right after the largemouth bass.
Bluegill spawn multiple times a year, generally at least three or four times from April through September. Everything I've ever read about redear says they only spawn once a year, and this has also been my observation. A female bluegill also lays many times more eggs than a female redear - up to 100,000, one fish. (This, and the multiple spawns yearly, is why they're much more prone to overpopulation than redear.)
Redear aka shellcracker seem to be a little harder to catch than bluegill IMO but that may be because of the above statement. There are not as many........
You're right, Young Gun, there are not nearly as many shellcracker, as a rule, in any given body of water that also has bluegill, as there are bluegill, due to the reproductive difference. And since there are far fewer of them, they're harder to catch.
So...
When I catch 25-50 bluegills on a bed, in 5ft of water.. Is this the spawn?
By definition, if they're on the beds, they're spawning. :)Quote:
Originally Posted by JigginPoleJoe
So I guess different fish spawn different days...Quote:
Originally Posted by deathb4disco
So there is no way to know exactly when they will be on these beds?
All I know is most of the time during the summer I can find them, certain weeks they seem non existent.
The days I can't find them I have been told the moon is not right!?!?!?
A few days before and after the full moon have been the best days for myself. The day of the full moon has been tough in my experiences. By the way, I never saw you mention that all of the fish you are catching came from the same spot. Bream can be caught in shallow water, close to the bank almost all the time, that doesn't mean it's a bed or they are spawning. You know it's a bed when you can see the bowl shaped beds (if the water is clear enough), you are catching multiple fish in the exact spot, and the males will piss when you squeeze them.
Going fishing is the best method of determining anything for yourself. That's the best way I form an opinion, and the best way to learn. Good luck.
As SYG said, they spawn around the full moon once the water temp hits about 67.Quote:
Originally Posted by JigginPoleJoe
The fish are still there. They're just not on the beds. They bite year round.Quote:
Originally Posted by JigginPoleJoe
Grew up bream fishing for bait(flatheads catfish) and to eat.In our area we catch them around the full moon starting in may,june,july and can still catch a few in august some years some of the biggest bream,redear,shellcrackers of the year!!! We catch them on a little 1/48 oz or 1/32 oz rodarunner orange ,chart,crappie tube.Just throw it in the bream bed they will pick it up in the bed and start swimming with it.Don't know if its the spinner they don't like in their bed or the orange,chart tube but it works.Lots of fun!!!!
So they spawn every month once the water temp is warm enough?Quote:
Originally Posted by deathb4disco
Yes, I have 6 or 8 holes I fish to catch trotline bait.Quote:
Originally Posted by Southern Young Gun
Either they all are hot or they all are dead.. No in between...
Ummm.... Yea, not real helpful here buddy..Quote:
Originally Posted by wademaster
They do here.We live and fish on the famous White river(Trout).Cold water the bream don't have a natural spawn in the river.But spawn in the feeder creeks depending on the river level.We catch them from the Full moon in may until august somtimes as late as the full moon in Sept.
Ok, well get out there on the water and LEARN by DOING. That'll always stick with ya better. Like I said previously, go fishing if you wanna learn about fishing. You can only learn so much from forums. Nothing beats hands on experience.Quote:
Originally Posted by JigginPoleJoe
Yes.Quote:
Originally Posted by JigginPoleJoe
Basically they spawn around the full moon every month once it warms up. There will often be a small spawn in April, but the big one is in May with monthly spawns until August with decreasing numbers each month.
The best time to catch them on the bed is the full moon period in May and again in June.
Sky Hawk is pretty spot on. Down here in FL where I am they start a little earlier because of the warmer temps. Back in my home state of SC they usually don't start until May, with the exception of the shell crackers who usually start in April.
Up here in PA, they dont start until June and go on again in july. But we catch them all season around downed trees around the shorelines and most are the bigger males.
Well there little buddy... I catch lots of bream but I just can't get them to tell me WHY they are on the beds when they are!Quote:
Originally Posted by wademaster
Thanks folks for all the info!
When these fish are not on the beds... Do y'all still catch them?
If so are they in the same area? How do you target them?
I catch bluegill from February or March through October or November. They sometimes may be in the general vicinity of where they bed when not bedding, but definitely will not be on the beds, and generally are not going to be as shallow at other times as they are when bedding. In early spring and late fall they tend to be deep; in summertime good places to look are flats in the three- to six-foot-deep range, especially ones that are close to deeper water; banks that drop off quickly to water six to ten feet deep and that have heavy cover can also be good. Weedbeds can be good places to look, depending on the water body, though if they're too shallow they won't be used outside of the spawn. Patterns can vary widely at the same time of year from water to water, depending on water clarity (fish tend to be found deeper year-round in very clear lakes), fishing pressure, general topography of the lake, etc.
I usually find them in deeper water ajacent to or nearby the spawning beds.Quote:
Originally Posted by JigginPoleJoe
I catch 'em year round and agree with the guys above on location.
You all are missing half the spawn. In Oklahoma the first spawn is normally on the 6+ days of the full moon phase AND the same time period of the dark phase in May. Followed by June July and some in August. I have known and followed this for many,many years.
I agree with Cricket George
Of what month?Quote:
Originally Posted by cricket george
Of every month that they spawn. Here in KY mosty places that is May through August depending on weather. Cricket is saying twice a month during the spawning season. Look at a Soluner table for the month when water temps get to mid 60s and look at Full moon phase and Dark moon phase.
Good question and helpful answers. Thanks for asking!
When is the Dark moon phase? I never heard that term before.
I believe he is referring to the new moon phase, somebody correct me if I'm wrong. Here's a calendar for the next couple of years. Cross reference water temp with moon phase and it's a good start.Quote:
Originally Posted by wilbur
Moon phases 2013 & 2014
Oh, and this is my first post here. I've been lurking awhile and picking up LOTS of valuable info...great site! :)
Thanks Clay and welcome to the site.
Short answer yes New Moon phase is Dark Moon Phase. Everything you might want to know about the Luar phase is Lunar phase - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Luar=Lunar BTW:Doh: