Crappie with egg sacs

Just wondering if it is common for the crappie to have eggs in them this time of year? I have caught several the last few weeks that had egg sacs in them.

No they wont. They're building a mass of eggs for the spring spawn. Crappies only spawn one time yearly. Read up on them.

ORIGINAL: ddubs3

Crappie will sometimes spawn in the fall if the conditions are right.

Read thousands of articles on them and never once have i read about them spawning in the fall. I have a pretty big collection of IF magazines. Which one did i miss it in? I'd really like to know as much as i can find out about these fish. This old dog ain't afraid to learn some new stuff. It can only make life better.

them egges are good eating .[ dream on]

ddubs is correct!!! It is mostly prevelant in the southern states, but it does happen. I will try to find the article that I read...and will post it!!!

I agree. I fished Okeechobee several times and the crappie and largemouth in there spawn all year long. There is no "its April, the bass are spawning now" or "its April, the crappie are spawning now." Groups of fish spawn at different times depending on water temperature and how they are monkeying with the water levels. I've been told by a couple of guides that this happen with crappie and largemouth spawns in lakes all over the South. As for up here, I'm not sure.

I just ran a 4.5 second search for bass or crappie "spawn year round" and got 3,470 hits from various state agencies, fishing message boards, and guide websites about the subject. Call a guide in Florida, I think they'll tell you the same thing. I don't know whether or not it happens up north.

Paste the link that says crappie spawn in fall too.
I would like to read about it. Thanks,John

Do you have an e-mail address? I have a study from North American Journal of Fisheries Management called "Off-Season Spawning of Black Crappie in a North-Central Florida Lake." I'll see if I can make a jpeg out of it and post it. You are very welcome, RC.

In florida lakes, the crappies spawn in feb. The bass in late march. Then the water starts to get in the 80* range and both spawns are done. Doesn't matter if it's a northern or southern crappie. They spawn when the water temps reach a certain point.

ORIGINAL: RhnstnCowboy

ddubs is correct!!! It is mostly prevelant in the southern states, but it does happen. I will try to find the article that I read...and will post it!!!

I agree. I fished Okeechobee several times and the crappie and largemouth in there spawn all year long. There is no "its April, the bass are spawning now" or "its April, the crappie are spawning now." Groups of fish spawn at different times depending on water temperature and how they are monkeying with the water levels. I've been told by a couple of guides that this happen with crappie and largemouth spawns in lakes all over the South. As for up here, I'm not sure.

Finally found article, Infisherman March 2010. Page 55 ,
named Crappies good news bad news. Scientifically documented. Read up on it.

double post

Cowboy, are you a member of "North American Journal of Fisheries Management "?
If so, go to Aprils files.

Never said or implied that at all. I found and posted the article info as a direct result of you saying " no they won't". Apparently they do. The article even says they heard rumors about Fall spawning crappies that is why they did the study in the 1st place. If it makes you feel better to think it only happened once in a lake in Florida 10 years ago, then knock yourself out.

ORIGINAL: chauncy

No they wont. They're building a mass of eggs for the spring spawn. Crappies only spawn one time yearly. Read up on them.

ORIGINAL: ddubs3

Crappie will sometimes spawn in the fall if the conditions are right.

Spawn has to do with the water temp and moon phases in spring. I doubt very highly that those crappie were spawing this late in the year this far north....Could be wrong. I'm a hardcore bassfisherman, not a crappie guy. Fish spawn based upon patterned moon phases in conjunction with warming water temps. Is it possible with the late warm weather some fish were spawning now Maybe, but my magic 8-ball reads very unlikely.

Okay, next question. Can anyone find an article about the crappies spawning in the fall, north of the mason-dixon line? That article proves they have below it. Done arguing. Proven wrong. Now looking for as much more info as i can find. Can anyone help?

Chauncy,

Thats what I said. It happens down South and is more likely the further south you go. I have no evidence that it happens up here. I doubt that it does.

There are far less seasonal temperature and light differences the closer to the equator you get. There are far greater seasonal temperature and light differences the further from the equator you get. On June 21 in Pittsburgh, PA the length of the day is 15 hours and 3 minutes and on December 21 the length of the day is 9 hours and 16 minutes, a difference of 5 hours and 47 minutes. On June 21 in Miami, FL the length of the day is 13 hours and 45 minutes and on December 21 the length of the day is 10 hours and 32 minutes, a much smaller difference of only 3 hours and 13 minutes. As you go further south, the differences virtually disappear to where near the equator the length of day is nearly 12 hours no matter what time of year. The earth's axis is tilted, so its not exactly on the equator where the day is evenly split, but its somewhere close. Temperature differences are similar. On record, in Pittsburgh, PA the record high is 103 degrees and the record low is -22 degrees, a maximum difference of 125 degrees. On record, in Miami, FL the temperature has never hit 100 degrees and it has never dipped below 30 degrees, a maximum difference of less than 70 degrees.

Bringing this back to the top because there's a debate going on, on the crappie.com website about this very issue and i wanted the guys to be able to read this very good, and civilized, debate and the results thereof. Thanks again to everyone involved. Smitty