Strange Spring!

Water temps last evening were 58-60. I’m thinking banks or at least close, right? We marked fish, hanging dead on the bottom, in 15-20 FOW. They can’t be crappie, right? Well, who knows, because I couldn’t stay with them in the hurricane we were fishing in! Found some sheltered areas, where I think they should be....nothing. Just before dark, fished some brush in 18’, and you had to let it sink deep. You either caught a fish, or got hung. I couldn’t distinguish them in the brush, just got lucky fishing where they shouldn’t be. We kept and cleaned nine. The females had bright yellow eggs. The males are not wearing their tuxes. The black crappie were all egg laden females. Aren’t they supposed to spawn first? Puzzling to me.Attachment 298257


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Nice fish! Definitely a different year! They sure are deeper that you would think! Crazy weather got em all mixed up!

Yeah, ET ... generally speaking Black Crappie spawn earlier and shallower than White Crappie. But, since there are instances of crossbreeding going on, creating hybrid Crappie, that's not a set in stone rule.

I've been on Watts Bar around this time of year, and water temps pushing 70deg ... and caught unspawned females out in 25fow & 50yds away from the nearest spawning bank + there were NO males on the spawning banks, at all. :scratchhead (normally, in that area, we'd be catching them against the bank in 8-10fow)

And another time we found them in the outer reaches of a laydown that tops out in 25fow ... small & large females w/eggs & small males, and even the small males were 6-8ft deep & in close to the bank/tree trunk (& females came from deeper water, down in the branches, or suspended out over the top of the tree @ 8-10ft deep). Normally, in this area, people would be catching them trolling the flats next to the channel, if not in the back end shallows in < 6fow. :Doh:

Both of those times there were no real yo-yo weather patterns to blame .... so I can't imagine what the situation is this year.

Too windy here. Ima waiting for better weather. At one time, weather didn't matter. Now, weather is a big matter.

Nice mess! Maybe there were baitfish hiding in the deep brush? On my electronics, I find it hard sometimes to tell if there is food lurking in the larger brushpiles. However I have noticed the older I get the more I have a good meal on my mind, so maybe they were putting on the feed bag while hiding in snag city? Good catch though, keep that skunk away!


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Weird is the word, very strange, but maybe next week or the next.

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Originally Posted by trypman1

Weird is the word, very strange, but maybe next week or the next.

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Personally, I’m ready for the “spawn” to be over. Although summer is not my favorite time to fish, they usually do what I expect. Deep, shade, etc. Now, I enjoy a good hunt, and finally finding a few is my reward. However, this time of year is supposed to be so easy a caveman can do it!

I’m glad I’m not the only one that is experiencing these strange things. I have been fishing Cherokee and just like you I keep thinking the fish should be moving in shallow but the biggest fish I have found are in 30’-40’ and most are close to the bottom. Seems like you reel for 5 minutes before you get the fish to the surface ��. Water temps yesterday started at 57-58 and it was almost 63 before we stopped and still couldn’t find many any higher than 25-30’.. we did catch one fish that weighed 1.7 lbs on a brush pile that was barely visible on the surface but went down to almost 20’. It was caught deep to! With the warmer weather coming it has got to change right? Guess we will see. At least we are able catch some!

I fished South Holston from the bank yesterday and caught 13 in shallower water 3 to 8 ft deep... they are moving up on South Holston... had a pretty even split on males to females and I did catch a few males with tux on right beside of the bank... no monster fish but had a few 13” to 13.5”

Look for them to move up quick and go fast on the next warm spell. Been the same thing here until yesterday water had jumped up to 65 I found males in 3’ on a tree top and females were in 5’ on the same tree top some of the females had almost spawned out others were real runny !

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Originally Posted by Slabprowler

Look for them to move up quick and go fast on the next warm spell. Been the same thing here until yesterday water had jumped up to 65 I found males in 3’ on a tree top and females were in 5’ on the same tree top some of the females had almost spawned out others were real runny !

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That’s what I’m thinking, as well. It’ll happen fast and be over before we know it. I’d much rather that I miss the spawn, than have the spawn not happen!

Most of the fish we caught Friday were on the bottom and felt to the touch they had come out of the freezer so that tell me they are just moving in. Water temps still aren't up to stuff for spawning 58 degrees. Last year most folks had packed it in and I was still catching white fish that had not spawned on May 27th on The Chick.