I read this several times here and Im not to sure I buy into this winter spawn idea at all. Reason I dont is because why do crappie go up into creeks to spawn? Looking for warmer water at the perfect temp! I live on a power plant lake and the water is warmer there or used to be back when they use to generate all the time and they still went up creeks. Ive caught crappie when the weather was all goofed up cold warm cold warm cold with no end like last year. and seen them in late late may cleaned them and the eggs in them looked milky like they were dissolving and getting mushy. so if they spawn in winter why didn't the do it? warm water at plant why didn't they go there? Ive seen this in sand bass in may too I remember one year bad cold fronts kept coming and the female sandies stayed in the river here for way way longer than usual. was a fun year!!. JMO What you think?

Fall spawn was great last year. The winter spawn is about over. Getting ready for the spring spawn now. We joke about it for fun. Catching crappie year round is fun!

OK Im green here. You telling me all the reading is all joking? Guess jokes on me huh.
Ok duh I get it now. I think!

Yeah I think they`re yankin your chain my friend

I'm pretty sure right now is the secondary fall spawn. I don't think the winter spawn starts for a couple of weeks. I will double check this weekend.

Yea, Dieago, if you go back in the thread postings, you will see where someone posts about the spring spawn, then someone will mention a fall spawn, then a winter spawn...it is a subject we have a lot of fun with..In some climates, crappie can/do spawn twice a year...once in the spring and once in the fall, assuming the weather/water temps/and stars align...but mostly they only spawn in the spring.

Crappie are structure fish and ambush predators. They will roam around following the shad and other prey species, but they prefer to hide in/near structure and let the shad come to them. It is easy to catch crappie some of the time and difficult most of the time. Locating crappie is the hardest thing to do, until you get good at it...which takes decades to accomplish, normally. Moreover, if you can find crappie, you then have to come up with a bait that they want and a presentation that they like...Occasionally, they will change what bait they want and how they want it every 10 minutes or so. Once accomplished they become easy to catch, assuming you can wait around until they start feeding. If not, you have to fool them into starting a feeding frenzy, which can be easy or difficult...otherwise, you have to drop the bait on their nose and hope they bite it. In summary, locating crappie is a key, then figuring out what bait they want, how they want it , then getting them to bite it is why many fishermen like to fish for crappie. Most crappie fishermen/fisherwomen have fished for multiple species of fish before taking up the challenge of crappie fishing...It can be an extremely frustrating endeavor...but it is vastly rewarding. I hope this overview helps.

I think we are in a transitional spawning period myself .....
its an early spring late winter thing ....
I think they call it the..... "sprinter" spawn ...?

I don't know why the females develop eggs at the wrong times, as I've documented here in the past, But as it has been pointed out & I firmly agree, if the males don't have the white sack, it was all done for nothing.
I've caught alot of females with eggs sacks in different stages of development at the wrong times of the year, but have yet to clean a male with that were ready. Poor guys!

Ok Ok Im tough but saddened a little so let the ribbing begin on this ole country boy

No worries, it's a 3" crappie thang!

we aint ribbin you brother .....
its just me me me ....
yeah like he says .....its a 3 incher thing ....
an since I ketch mostly 3 inch fish ....
.... it makes me look at them a lot
and then I wonder ....and then I hypothe.......size
and then there you have it ....
the "SPRINTER" spawn has begun ....
KABOOM

Dieago, no ribbing intended towards you.

No worries, Brother! We appreciate your willingness to accept your 'ribbing.' These posts usually go WAY off topic somewhere, usually about the second reply.
There are a WHOLE bunch of theories on the fall or winter spawn. I personally don't think there is one. I think the spawn is based on water temp and daylight. And by daylight I mean the amount of sun available and angle of the sun. Spring equals longer days, and the angle of the sun starts to change. Not unlike what triggers trees and plants to bud.

I fished Graham one time and caught one crappie, shooting a dock. I will be back some time to try and my luck again.

Welcome to the Forum, Dieago!

By now, I thought everybody knew they spawn year round.

Summer spawn is my favorite Dutch.