crappie spawn?

[fish2live]

what kind off bottom do you guys look for when finding spawning crappies? also what temps do they spawn at?

[schr0563]

If I am reading 62 degrees on my depthfinder (surface temp) then the monster slabs will be in the rushes. I have caught them in cooler and warmer water, but 62 has been my magic number for big fish. A lot of luck plays into the timing, the truely big fish (14"+) only seem to be around about a day or so. I've taken notes over the last 3-4 years in hopes of narrowing my chances at getting a 16"+. This was mostly in the Alexandria area. Make sure to let the big girls go!

[fish2live]

as for the bottom make up does it matter? the place i have in mind has a mudd bottom. should i try to find sand and rocks or doesn't it really matter?

[schr0563]

I target lakes with bull rushes and that's where I find them. Not near or along, but right in the rushes. Deeper rushes are better than shallow rushes. And often times they will only be holding in a small concentrated portion of a large expanse of rushes. Many times I stumble upon them because they get spooked by my boat. Just need to back off, give it a few minutes rest, and slowly sneak back in. Sight fishing is a blast!

[Fish&Fowl]

Mud bottom with bullrushes, logs, and other structure. 58-60 degrees is go time.

[Corey Bechtold]

Muddy bottom bays warm up faster, especially if it is on the north side of the lake. Now put some type of standing vegitation (rushes, cattails, lilly pads, etc) and Crappies should be there.

Remember Selective Harvest ,

Corey Bechtold

[fish2live]

thanks for the replies it helped alot.

[schr0563]

I'll add that my response was specifically for spawning crappies. If you are looking for crappies just after ice out then the mud bottom bays as mentioned above are the places to be. The warmer water will hold the fish prior to spawn. This isn't necessarily the area where they will spawn however. All of the bullrushes I target are found on hard bottoms - sand and gravel. The crappies will clean out small depressions in the silt covering the bottom similar to sunfish. They are very territorial. If you see a fish and can't get it to bite, leave it alone for an hour or two and then try again. Often times you can catch even the most difficult biters, it's just a matter of time. And like I said earlier, remember to put the big fish back. The fish are extremely vulnerable during these conditions and over harvest would be easy. Keep a few for a meal but otherwise just enjoy the hunt and let the rest go.

[Fish&Fowl]

Quote:

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All of the bullrushes I target are found on hard bottoms - sand and gravel.

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Yes. That's what my post was meant to say. In my experience, if you find bullrushes they're in gravel.

[Schloogs]

From what I have read and experienced, schr0563 is right on the money.