Forums59
Topics1,039,181
Posts13,960,471
Members144,192
|
Most Online39,925 Dec 30th, 2023
|
|
Age Class of These Crappie
#10649316
02/26/15 02:05 PM
|
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 2,859
big10
OP
Extreme Angler
|
OP
Extreme Angler
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 2,859 |
This past Saturday I was catching bait to go catfishing on Belton. I pulled into a creek and was catching shad in my castnet. When sorting through my catch I found several crappie only about 2" long. Are these fish a result of a fall spawn or are they from the previous spring and just have a very slow growth rate?
Jerry Dillard
|
|
Re: Age Class of These Crappie
[Re: big10]
#10649320
02/26/15 02:07 PM
|
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 14,308
Ketchn
TFF Guru
|
TFF Guru
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 14,308 |
interesting question
|
|
Re: Age Class of These Crappie
[Re: big10]
#10649326
02/26/15 02:09 PM
|
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 1,526
DFW-fisherman
Extreme Angler
|
Extreme Angler
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 1,526 |
Good question; might want to contact TPWD and inquire. Did you get a pic?
|
|
Re: Age Class of These Crappie
[Re: big10]
#10649338
02/26/15 02:12 PM
|
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 2,859
big10
OP
Extreme Angler
|
OP
Extreme Angler
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 2,859 |
Didn't get a pic, but after I released them I really wish I would have.
Jerry Dillard
|
|
Re: Age Class of These Crappie
[Re: DFW-fisherman]
#10649359
02/26/15 02:19 PM
|
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 14,308
Ketchn
TFF Guru
|
TFF Guru
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 14,308 |
Good question; might want to contact TPWD and inquire. Did you get a pic? the state fish biologists wont have a strong answer on this subject done tried to get that answer from them a few times the website I think indicates multiple spawns though I do know the biologist indicated strongly to me that ALL crappie spawn according to him they will not absorb the eggs if the conditions are not right as I have seen posted before here I think most likely what you are seeing in a fish that short this time of year 1 ............nutrition 2 ............late spawn 3 ............ possibly genetics 3 possibilities that come to mind in combination or as a single factor these could contribute to this scenario
|
|
Re: Age Class of These Crappie
[Re: Ketchn]
#10649640
02/26/15 04:04 PM
|
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 1,526
DFW-fisherman
Extreme Angler
|
Extreme Angler
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 1,526 |
Figures; tax dollars at work, right?
|
|
Re: Age Class of These Crappie
[Re: big10]
#10649663
02/26/15 04:10 PM
|
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 1,508
TexExp
Extreme Angler
|
Extreme Angler
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 1,508 |
Midgets!!
|
|
Re: Age Class of These Crappie
[Re: big10]
#10651392
02/27/15 01:40 AM
|
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 6,923
Lovfldx
TFF Celebrity
|
TFF Celebrity
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 6,923 |
|
|
Re: Age Class of These Crappie
[Re: big10]
#10651406
02/27/15 01:43 AM
|
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 6,923
Lovfldx
TFF Celebrity
|
TFF Celebrity
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 6,923 |
Belton traditionally has always had a good forage base for all its fish, so nutrition is not a very likely reason.
Late spawn but not a multiple spawn sounds reasonable, especially as to how messed up our seasons have been lately with screwy weather and such.
Genetics is always a possibility and mixed with a late spawn, sounds like a workable formula
Aw heck, who knows!!!
Rudy
Last edited by Lovfldx; 02/27/15 01:46 AM.
|
|
Re: Age Class of These Crappie
[Re: big10]
#10651418
02/27/15 01:45 AM
|
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 17,336
Jacob
TFF Guru
|
TFF Guru
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 17,336 |
Could be baby bluegill. They look a lot like crappie.
|
|
Re: Age Class of These Crappie
[Re: big10]
#10651423
02/27/15 01:46 AM
|
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 3,695
Ken Gaby
TFF Team Angler
|
TFF Team Angler
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 3,695 |
Spring spawn for sure.
Ketchn, I've caught crappie in late May and June with small eggs sacks that are very dark yellow or light brown. What is that??
|
|
Re: Age Class of These Crappie
[Re: Jacob]
#10651451
02/27/15 01:57 AM
|
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 7,009
leanin post
TFF Celebrity
|
TFF Celebrity
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 7,009 |
Could be baby bluegill. They look a lot like crappie. bluegill spawn in spring and fall if conditions are right and they are hard to distinguish from baby crappie.
COMING SOON! .. THE STICKLE HOOK " the stay level sickle hook". sits level in the water with all knots.! Provides better hook sets and more natural jigging motion. No more adjusting the knot, gluing , or tying loop knots that cause the hook point to tangle in the loop, or worse knick the line.. The jighook that will make all others obsolete !
|
|
Re: Age Class of These Crappie
[Re: Ken Gaby]
#10651504
02/27/15 02:10 AM
|
Joined: Nov 2013
Posts: 275
texsam
Angler
|
Angler
Joined: Nov 2013
Posts: 275 |
last year I caught and released several 2 inch or less crappie in a bait trap in september or later.always get several agegroups of sun fish indicating multiple spawns . also caught very small white bass late in the fall , indicating a second late spawn. I enjoy me bait traps much more than biology class.
SAE
|
|
Re: Age Class of These Crappie
[Re: big10]
#10652115
02/27/15 12:16 PM
|
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 2,859
big10
OP
Extreme Angler
|
OP
Extreme Angler
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 2,859 |
These were crappie, not bluegill. Iv seen my fair share of both.
Jerry Dillard
|
|
Re: Age Class of These Crappie
[Re: big10]
#10652123
02/27/15 12:29 PM
|
Joined: Nov 2014
Posts: 266
All Tint & Upholstery
Angler
|
Angler
Joined: Nov 2014
Posts: 266 |
I noticed a bunch of 2-3 inch channel cats in a pond a couple weeks ago. I was wondering the same thing. I'm pretty sure that Channel cats, that were hatched last year, would be bigger than that. There were also very small sunfish. Do all fish have multiple spawns?
|
|
Moderated by banker-always fishing, chickenman, Derek 🐝, Duck_Hunter, Fish Killer, J-2, Jacob, Jons3825, JustWingem, Nocona Brian, Toon-Troller, Uncle Zeek, Weekender1
|