Pre - Spawn sunfish?

[irishwalleye]

63 degree water 20 feet of water hitting big walleye-mix minnows...

some alot fatter then ive seen before..

were these sitting just outside the shallows waiting to spawn?

[Corey Bechtold]

Sounds like pre-spawn fish to me. Sunfish like temperatures in the mid to upper 60's for ideal spawning.

Good fishing,

Corey Bechtold

[SWMuskeye]

-Sounds like pre-spawn fish to me. Sunfish like temperatures in the mid to upper 60's for ideal spawning.

I disagree, everything I've ever read about the spawn is that it starts around 69 degrees and peaks around 75 degrees. Definitely not mid-60s.

[palisade1kid]

Quote:

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-Sounds like pre-spawn fish to me. Sunfish like temperatures in the mid to upper 60's for ideal spawning.

I disagree, everything I've ever read about the spawn is that it starts around 69 degrees and peaks around 75 degrees. Definitely not mid-60s.

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I agree as crappies spawn in 65-68 drgree water then the gills move in for some pre spawn eating .Then when the water gets into the 70's they'll drop which is in mid June normally.

Keep in mind that when you are reading water temp it's most likely the surface temp.That's way different then the real water temp.

[Corey Bechtold]

"Bluegill spawn from late May or through much of the summer in water temperatures of 67 to 80 degrees."

I got this information right from the DNR's HSOforum.

Not all fish spawn at the same time. It is just that they will begin the spawn once they get favorable water temperatures. Often you will be able to see Sunfish sunning themselves with their backs slightly sticking out of the water. They will do this to warm their eggs and when they are ready they slide up to their beds and begin the spawn.

Good fishing,

Corey Bechtold

[palisade1kid]

I think what I need to look at is I'm up north were we are colder longer than say MPLS.

We have a lot of spring fed lakes too which hold those crappies off longer than other areas of the state.

[riversmallmouth35]

"Often you will be able to see Sunfish sunning themselves with their backs slightly sticking out of the water. They will do this to warm their eggs and when they are ready they slide up to their beds and begin the spawn."

Quote of Corey

Last friday I saw hundreds of sunnies doing this same thing. I have never known why they did this, I just figured they were eating bugs on top of the water.