Jan 31 Crappie have eggs developing already in Midwest

Just wanted to get some other members opinion's on the matter cause I had a few old timers look at me like I was telling fish stories considering its still winter in the Midwest. Like I was saying I cut a few nice size Crappie up from the local lake and there was the sack of yellow eggs I was kind of shocked when I seen them. Not that I have a lot of experience in the matter but I have been fishing for a few years. The Old Timers (Local Fisherman) were shocked also so thats why im making this thread. It seems early but then again it has been a mild winter if you can call it that at all. I know fish can carry eggs for some time before they actually lay them but I was just shocked to see them so early in the season. Crazy weather im pulling towards cause they spawn according to water temp. Just thought I would share, wish I had some pics.

Just like the warm weather signals the trees to bloom, so does it for fish to spawn. Here the trees are in full bloom and the grass needs mowing every few days. I can't say I'm alarmed by this but I'm a tad bit concerned.

reply to post by WEALLNEED2KNOW


Yeah the same thing is happening in Florida, when they should be out in deep water in schools. Everyone is frustrated at not being able to catch them in numbers like previous years.

reply to post by WEALLNEED2KNOW




Reasons for the variation are weather conditions, watercolor (turbidity), and surface temperature. Generally speaking, crappie prefer the temperature range of 62 to 66 degrees for active spawning but there are times when a later spawn might occur due to drastic changes in lake levels or adverse effects of cold fronts that push the time line back.

In many northern lakes black crappie spawn in cooler temperatures and clear water while white crappie in the south and Midwest often choose warm conditions and dingy watercolor before dropping their eggs around structure. Here in Illinois, sometimes the crappie spawn in cooling lakes(at nuke plants) year round. I live close to the Illinois river and they spawn usually in April.

reply to post by WEALLNEED2KNOW


Here in north Ga a lot of the fish iv seen the past two weeks have moved up into their pre-spawn areas and schooling kind of loose. The water temp at my local hole has gone from 43f to 52f in those 2 weeks and the bass are up and moving getting ready to go into pre-spawn also. But on another note I have caught bass on bed in late December before.

reply to post by freedom12




I dig gals that talk fish

reply to post by ga-`tv-gi

Been fishin' since I was a kid!

Line 2


Sorry, forgot picture! It's just a little Johnboat, but it's fun to take out on a lake or the local river.

I have also been fishing since I was a young kid, its like some of the fish never left to begin with it is definitly a crazy year and a local lake says its gonna be one of the best years yet for fishing at Carlyle Lake because of an over abundance of shad. They said the numbers were good and the fish were looking really healthy and fat.

It is still too cold to fish...............

The old timers need to get up to speed, it is 2012, th end of the world

I hope they don't lay their eggs and it freezes again.

reply to post by WEALLNEED2KNOW

Yeah, you're south of me by 2 hrs plus, assuming your talking about Carlyle Lake in Illinois.

We have lot's of them damn Asian Carp up here on the Illinois River and some in the Vermillion.



This is like 10 minutes from my house and we can't go water-skiing anymore because of these damn fish, unless you wanna get hurt.

Here in AZ, the crappie run started a month early.

It is usually in January where I go to Roosevelt Lake and tie into some nice crappie, but it seemed to have hit in early December.

Lot's of 20"+ crappie were caught.

The deer rut seems off a bit too.

Originally posted by freedom12
reply to post by ga-`tv-gi

 

Been fishin' since I was a kid!

Line 2


Sorry, forgot picture! It's just a little Johnboat, but it's fun to take out on a lake or the local river.

edit on 2-2-2012 by freedom12 because: forgot boat pic

no joke

I have a 1648 grizzley that is rigged for electric only lakes with a 64lb minn on the bow and 2 50lb thrust on the transom

reply to post by liejunkie01


It's never too cold to fish. I've been on ice on beautiful sunny January morning at -3F in southwest Michigan (not this year), fishing was not spectacular, think 1 bluegill and let it go, but still fun. good year for river fishing with waders. salmon should start appearing in the rivers soon, it is all water temperature related regarding when the fish come into the rivers to spawn. we"ll see how spring goes, pushing year#48 and have never experienced a winter like this in southwest michigan, we always played in the snow, i've been on one of the local lakes on my dirt bike with cleats on the tires in February, not this year!!