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Heading to Gville this weekend for a week of fishing - keep hearing crappie have not spawned (at least that's what my gang is claiming, not that they'd admit to missing it). Any advice or confirmation? Going to try bream, but would like some crappie too.
I have caught some with eggs and some without lately. If or when I did happen I as well as allot of other folks have missed it. Been a strange year for them
I fish Wheeler, not Guntersville but have seen the same thing. Limited numbers of Crappie on the bed or spawned out, but most seemed to have never spawned this year. I guess there's still time since the fish are shallow and haven't moved off, but I don't think it's going to be a good year in Northern Alabama for the Crappie spawn. Of course the real story won't be told for two to three years when you feel the loss a year class of fish. :banghead
The spawn has been off/whacky for 2 years now on Guntersville in my opinion. # years ago was one of my best ever years. Last year was one of my worst ever and this year has not been much better.
Don't really think it has been that weird but maybe a little different... On years like this, I believe a lot of the fish spawn in deeper waters and don't really make it to the shallows. The fish have to be fished for a little differently. Last year was fairly typical spawn from what I saw, it just happened fairly quickly when it did happen due to the quick warming. I am speaking for Gville...
I agree callshy. I think some of those fish never move shallow. I think some of them have been spawning in 8 to 12 feet of water, at least that has been my experience with some I have been catching. I do not get to fish as much as I use to so that might be one of my issues. However the last 2 years have been my worst 2 years
I've been catching fish all spring in that 8-12 FOW range. And like CS, I believe most of these fish are spawning that deep on stumps and other structure. It seems I am finding a lot more white crappie these past two years than previously. The ones I do catch are real quality fish 14-17".
I think I am completely stymied by the spring spawn crappie thing. I really haven't chased the crappie spawn for many years so my experience is really a head scratch. The crappie seemed to follow all the rules until the hard cold spell and then after that they just made it up as they went along. I heard of big catches in early March in areas like upper Roseberry and Chisenall but then they were gone. I saw catches over 10 foot where crappie were schooled up around bait in places like Belefonte. But it seemed like they just spawned one at a time during the dark of night and never appeared to get on shallow stuff when they should be according to moon and water temps. I am just befuddled.
But I'm going tomorrow anyway.
Back in Texas I've seen Crappie spawn in tree tops. These were large trees in 30 to 40 feet of water with the Crappie spawning 8 to 10 feet deep because of the clear water. All you can do is start shallow and work deeper following the natural highways like creeks, channels and ditches across shallow flats. Any stumps, brush or weed edges are rest stops that will concentrate the fish along those highways. The nice thing for the fisherman is the Crappie seem to be actively feeding when you find them.
Hey guys, got this off the MS board and Sardis lake. Might help explain what we are seeing on Guntersville:
Notice what it says about late spawn in later May and no one fishing for them. Fish may still be deeper and scattered due to high water this year. Old habits are hard to break. May have to change the areas you fish this year are wait till later May. Maybe the sky ain't falling after all.
MDWFP electrofishing last week found numerous crappie 1 – 3 ft deep between Clear Creek and the dam finally spawning after a cold winter and a cool, cloudy spring. Most fish were 1 – 2 pounds. Females were either still full of eggs or flowing; only a few had spawned out, and those likely that day. Fish on beds will stay put even with the water rising; fish deeper for them. Expect another wave of crappie spawning shallow as soon as the lake quits rising so fast. They have held off so long it may be over pretty quickly. This year is similar to last year; after the cold 2013/2014 winter, MDWFP sampling found crappie still shallow spawning in good numbers May 19 and nobody was fishing for them.
That is why I said I felt like the past two years have been down
Good post Bob D. All I can say is that the spawn is less obvious this year than I have seen in the past. Word is that bream & gills are on the beds NOW in the Scottsboro area.
Fished the lower lake this weekend and the upper portion of the lake as well. Fish still had eggs from both ends of the lake. I think it's the trickle effect this year. They're sneaking in week by week and no big move at any one time. I was catching fish in migratory routes.