The crappie are in

[taxid]

At least the males anyway.  Was fishing a natural lake in northeastern Indiana and the crappie were in the dead bullrushes setting up shop. They were biting so well using two poles (crappie minnow 2 feet below a slip bobber) was a mistake. As I was baiting one of the poles the float would go down on the other one.

Took home 16 for brood fish for the fish farm (yes it's legal for those that question it as long as I have a fishing license and follow fishing regulations.)

The thing is I thought a fish like this was a female but none of the lighter fish I thought were females were bulging with eggs. And several of them turned dark just like spawning males once I put them in a bucket and carried them back to the hatchery pond. Maybe just not as far along as some of the males I caught that were already dark?



Sorry forgot to take a picture of one of the dark males.

Here they are in my tank in the boat.



Averaged about 11 inches with some smaller and some a little larger.

I'd rather not devulge the lake as it's not that large, and heavy fishing pressure has reduced the average size of crappies over the years according to someone I know.

[abishop]

So you got some blacks. Are you still looking for some whites?

[taxid]

So you got some blacks. Are you still looking for some whites?

Not anymore. Thanks for asking. Now that I have probably both male and female black crappies in the pond it would't make any sense to add whites. Would be impossible to tell which are hybrids initially.

I may want to get some later in the year and just hold them in an extra pond for sorting next year. That way I don't have go looking again next spring. First I need to establish bait minnows in that pond for the summer. A few dozen and I'll have thousands later in the summer.

[Bronzebacker]

noticed the same last night, while bowfishing sunday night I saw one big black male setting up shop.  so last night I took the wife and kid out and the three of us sat on one break from 6:30 till dark whacking them. the males moved up Monday and by the time we got there the shallows were covered. the females were crusing the break over deeper water and even watched some move up and start to dance with the boys.  we had a blast on just tube jigs and bobbers site fishing them.  figure we caught over 100 and all were 10-13".  females were bulging and very willing to eat.  all released to do their thing but it was non stop the entire time.
best part of the night was to watch a bass over 4# roll up thru the beds and well those males let her have it.

[taxid]

A friend tried to tell me it's all over and that's why the fish I thought were females weren't bulging with eggs. Bull****! They weren't there a few days ago and the waters been too cold up until now!

[fishinator]

Every body of water is different. The crappie spawn is done in one lake i fish.

[RobertFitz]

That's what we were catching Sunday when I took my boy out. Threw back about 5 females with eggs and kept 2 that didnt have any eggs. Assumed they were females since they were the only non black ones in my basket all day. Actually sight fished all 13 I caught.

[taxid]

Every body of water is different. The crappie spawn is done in one lake i fish.

How far south in the state are you?

[fishinator]

How far south in the state are you?

I'm far north west but the lake I'm talking about is south central. 3 weeks ago males were black and shallows were full of crappie. So many you couldn't not catch them.

[taxid]

I'm far north west but the lake I'm talking about is south central. 3 weeks ago males were black and shallows were full of crappie. So many you couldn't not catch them.

Yeah big difference between water temps in south central vs. northern. That would explain it.

[Bronzebacker]

and the cold front knocked 'em off!  went out last night and hit about 25 but the beds were there and the males that were in 3 fow were hanging off the break and off the beds and the females were out over 10 fow.
and after todays warm up we shall see lol.
gin clear water lagrange/stuben co

[SHaRPS]

What water temp are you guys dealing with for them to be spawning already?

[taxid]

What water temp are you guys dealing with for them to be spawning already?

I don't know what the lake was as I didn't bring my fish finder but one of my ponds was 60 F. that day. I would guess the lake was a few degrees cooler as it obviously takes a large body of water longer to warm up.

[Bronzebacker]

52-54
area was vacant last night. Hard east wind blowing into the spawning area. water was still gin clear and never even saw one shallow.  so just went and caught bluegill.
did see the first two bass beds on the main lake show up last night.

[abishop]

Correct me if I am wrong , but, in our neck of the woods isn't 65 to 68 degrees the ideal water temp for crappie to spawn and 68 to 72 for gills?