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Are crappie hot and cold during the spawn?
#12714521
04/13/18 06:16 AM
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Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 190
jp24
OP
Outdoorsman
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OP
Outdoorsman
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 190 |
Would you say that crappie tend to turn ON and OFF during the spawn? I’ve been thinking about this because it seems to be happening to me a lot the past few weeks. For a 30-minute period, they go crazy, then for an hour or more, they completely shut down. That seemed to happen a lot on my annual Lake of the Ozarks trips in the 90’s, but I’d mostly forgotten about it because here in Texas, I catch crappie year-round.
If you agree that it does happen, have you discovered ways to wake ‘em up?
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Re: Are crappie hot and cold during the spawn?
[Re: jp24]
#12714597
04/13/18 11:50 AM
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Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 6,950
crapicat
TFF Celebrity
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TFF Celebrity
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 6,950 |
Would you say that crappie tend to turn ON and OFF during the spawn? I’ve been thinking about this because it seems to be happening to me a lot the past few weeks. For a 30-minute period, they go crazy, then for an hour or more, they completely shut down. That seemed to happen a lot on my annual Lake of the Ozarks trips in the 90’s, but I’d mostly forgotten about it because here in Texas, I catch crappie year-round.
If you agree that it does happen, have you discovered ways to wake ‘em up? Don’t know about your theory...but if you want to wake them up, chum them...
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Re: Are crappie hot and cold during the spawn?
[Re: jp24]
#12714720
04/13/18 01:18 PM
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Joined: Feb 2016
Posts: 172
AQUA11
Outdoorsman
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Outdoorsman
Joined: Feb 2016
Posts: 172 |
I would have to agree with you. Don't know about the times you describe but they move around or something.
When fishing the marina they will stop biting for us and my buddy 300' away is catching them, I can see him from my barge. Then vise-versa. That's when we refresh the cold drink and get a snack. I do believe they make "the rounds".
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Re: Are crappie hot and cold during the spawn?
[Re: jp24]
#12715390
04/13/18 07:36 PM
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Joined: May 2007
Posts: 3,695
Ken Gaby
TFF Team Angler
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TFF Team Angler
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 3,695 |
Definitely does happen. Sometimes they move and sometimes they just quit. Crapicat gave some good advice (although I hate to admit it) about chumming. If you have minnows, tossing out 5-6 sometimes gets them going again. Mark Standridge gave a tip a couple weeks ago that he puts several baits close together where he knows there are fish, and teases one to bite and usually the rest start up again. Hanging multiple baits around them just might do the trick.
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Re: Are crappie hot and cold during the spawn?
[Re: jp24]
#12715439
04/13/18 08:14 PM
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Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 16,064
KidKrappie
TFF Guru
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TFF Guru
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 16,064 |
Typical spring crappie. They are just super finicky this time of year and can be super hit or miss. Usually about May they start settling down.
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Re: Are crappie hot and cold during the spawn?
[Re: jp24]
#12717810
04/15/18 10:39 PM
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Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 11,144
Stucky76
TFF Guru
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TFF Guru
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 11,144 |
Worst time of the year for consistency. Give me summer or winter
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Re: Are crappie hot and cold during the spawn?
[Re: jp24]
#12717863
04/15/18 11:40 PM
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Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 10,024
Spiderman
TFF Guru
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TFF Guru
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 10,024 |
Yeah, I catch allot more Crappie from May on. The weather is consistent and the pattern and depth remain the same for weeks.
People think crappie are easy to catch, but usually something weather related will shut them down in the Spring for days at a time.
The Truth is six of the seven Dwarfs are not Happy!
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Re: Are crappie hot and cold during the spawn?
[Re: jp24]
#12718093
04/16/18 02:25 AM
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Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 5,588
Mckinneycrappiecatcher
TFF Celebrity
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TFF Celebrity
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 5,588 |
Spring fishing is rough, there one day, gone the next. I prefer post spawn/summer and winter for steady patterns.
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Re: Are crappie hot and cold during the spawn?
[Re: jp24]
#12718289
04/16/18 11:05 AM
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Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 1,370
hawghoover
Extreme Angler
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Extreme Angler
Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 1,370 |
December is always the best month for me.
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Re: Are crappie hot and cold during the spawn?
[Re: Ken Gaby]
#12722312
04/19/18 03:42 AM
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Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 6,950
crapicat
TFF Celebrity
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TFF Celebrity
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 6,950 |
Definitely does happen. Sometimes they move and sometimes they just quit. Crapicat gave some good advice (although I hate to admit it) about chumming. If you have minnows, tossing out 5-6 sometimes gets them going again. Mark Standridge gave a tip a couple weeks ago that he puts several baits close together where he knows there are fish, and teases one to bite and usually the rest start up again. Hanging multiple baits around them just might do the trick. Marks trick does work...in fact, if you are fishing alone, just fish two poles, use a tandem jig setup on each pole and move the poles beside each other and lift one while dropping the other...it drives any fish in the area mad enough to bite! BTW, when chumming, I always cut the dead minnows into Four or five pieces on a board...once I toss them, I quickly wash the board to release the scales on the board...then drop Jigs into them! Also, put a jig on the lake bottom, just to get any picking up the leftovers...
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Re: Are crappie hot and cold during the spawn?
[Re: jp24]
#12722984
04/19/18 07:39 PM
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Joined: May 2008
Posts: 1,319
redraider4life
Extreme Angler
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Extreme Angler
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 1,319 |
This time last year I had over 200 slabs in the freezer..right now I might have 20! Same lake, same time of the year just crazy weather!!
Life can be best understood looking back, but it can only be lived looking forward !
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Re: Are crappie hot and cold during the spawn?
[Re: jp24]
#12723239
04/19/18 10:22 PM
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Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 7,251
Jon
TFF Celebrity
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TFF Celebrity
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 7,251 |
I fished the spawn a whole lot of years off the banks at night. Sometimes better than others but sometimes not. Cold front, weather change, elevation of water change, temperature change, will definitely put them off whatever had been normal.
I think they move in schools because when things are right and a batch comes by you catch a bunch quick and then they slow down for a bit. Rinse and repeat. I like to fish off riprap because I think the crappie roam around at night looking for bait fish up near those rocks.
Some years, they never seem to move up shallow. Most years they do - close enough to find them within casting distance anyway. I've heard lots of guides say spring is their least favorite time to take clients on crappie trips because of how fickle the crappie can be at spawning time. It sure can be boom or bust depending on lots of conditions.
Much more consistent for patterning the other 3 seasons deeper out in the lake.
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Re: Are crappie hot and cold during the spawn?
[Re: Jon]
#12723885
04/20/18 02:00 PM
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Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 6,950
crapicat
TFF Celebrity
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TFF Celebrity
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 6,950 |
Jon, your night time tactics are spot on...I do/have fished that tactic for years both on the bank and in the boat...
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Re: Are crappie hot and cold during the spawn?
[Re: jp24]
#12724476
04/20/18 09:38 PM
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Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 1,508
TexExp
Extreme Angler
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Extreme Angler
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 1,508 |
Great discussion & useful information! Thanks all. Good luck out there!
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Re: Are crappie hot and cold during the spawn?
[Re: jp24]
#12724909
04/21/18 01:12 PM
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Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 264
SlabNSteve
Angler
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Angler
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 264 |
Just when I thought I had em' figured out, yesterday was a humbling experience. After being very successful on a shallow bite (for me), the wife and I only boated one baby. The fish we caught was by pushing baits in about 12 FOW.
Other than the wind, I thought yesterday had us set up for success. Though we didn't catch, we learned a few things and had a great time together.
With the weather forecast predicting rain today, I'll be installing my side imaging, so maybe I can at least see them. I'm ready to hit em' on the piles where they should be more consistent and less condition sensitive.
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