3N | SPAWN

The Spawn

On Monday I hit Lake Palastine to do some scouting after the floods,we have been having. It was great being outside and soaking up the sun.

I don't like to fish by myself, so I texted my friend Clay to see if he wanted to come along.

First off, Clay wanted to fish some skinny water, where we caught some fish last year in 2 foot of water. We fished probably 40 yards bank, Clay caught one keeper female missed one, and I had a hit and miss.

After giving it 15 or 20 minutes we backed out to some deeper brush, in 12 to 14 foot of water. Caught two or three good females about a pound and 3/4 each, then we moved on.

After dropping Clay off at the boat ramp, so he could pick his kids up. I went out to check some stuff and do some more scouting. A lot of spots there just wasn't anybody home yet. I headed north and fished a flat with a brush pile out in the middle of it. To finish my limit, Again the fish were there just waiting there to move up to Spawn. During the spring, Crappie are territorial, and aggressive this is the reason for the hard bites, and they want to knock the Rod out of your hand.

This is my theory of what's going on on Palastine

Water temp is 54 to 62 with the main like 59 give or take some. A big part of what I'm going to discuss has to do with mature fish pound and a half and bigger. So you guys fishing Crappie fest and Crappie masters on lake Fork listen up. Crappie are just starting to move up. Anyone that knows me knows that I don't like to fish shallow 6 foot or less. Because shallow water fish are very unpredictable, shallow fish or affected by weather and fronts more often, than deeper water fish. And as a guide that works against me.

So as a guide I focus on deeper water in the spring, areas I call staging areas. Areas fish sit and wait to go up and Spawn or have spawned and have moved back out to deeper water. A lot of the times this method will produce bigger fish, mostly females.

Now that the water temperatures are good on Palastine. But it takes time for the fish to find that. Just because you find the area with 60° water but you don't get no bites doesn't mean it's a bad spot, they may have not found it yet. Give them time to find it. Give it two or three days and come back and check it again. The good Lord, mother nature whatever you want to call it as to tell them fish to start moving shallow, but not all fish Spawn shallow, but that's another story. For example I cruise by the big 155 bridge and it's loaded with fish. Them are Crappie that just haven't moved yet.

There are fish in the shallows now. I believe these are fish that stay shallow, and live shallow all year. That's why they are there already. Not all crappie go deep in the winter.

Remember, all the crappie don't Spawn at the same time, it comes in waves. That's not to say there's not a peak time for them.

With the moon bight and the nights staying in the 50s or above , you can bet the Crappie are on the move. Remember 2 or 3 days can make a big difference in a spot right now. And it's only going to get better!!

Fish caught on bonehead stump bugs Citrus color. If you haven't gave bonehead tackle a try your missing out. Fish caught in 10 to 14 on brush piles.

If you're looking to get on some spring time Crappie fishing, Or just want to learn how to fish the Spawn, feel free to give me a call.


Take a kid fishing and God bless!!!

Mark at Three Nails Guide
1 903 275 4712

Excellent report!

Nice read and pictures. Thanks for sharing Mark.

Great report and nice looking crappie!

That's exciting right there!!!!
It is fixing to get good.
Thanks for taking the time to give us a good report, Mark

Great info Mark! Will be giving you a call soon.

Great info as always Mark. Been wondering where you have been.

>E

Awesome post and nice fish. Good job.

Good report Mark. Your right about the bridge fish. Pepop and I caught a big mess under there on Monday. Hearing some reports of fish being caught in the usual areas up north already.

I always appreciate when the hardworking guys show up with a story, some pics, and good solid advice...thanks Mark!

I believe that what most of us have thought for many years, that crappie that are hanging around brush in 8 to 17 feet of water are staging and waiting for the right time to go shallow is a myth, those fish are spawning on those areas in the 8 to 17 foot depths. this is why you hardly ever catch big 3 and 4 year old males and females shallow, in 6 inches to 2 feet, its the small immature males and females that go really shallow for some reason. There is a creek that runs thru a cove on a lake I fish, and theres a very large tree amidst a group of smaller trees, with a large flat boulder sitting next to it in 20 feet of water., every year folks go right past it into the back of the cove, and catch a small fish here and there, but if the wind is blowing into the cove, I tie up to the tree, and use a slip cork rig, set at 10 to 12 feet, and catch large males and females .. and plenty of them!!
once I realized that the majority of the nice fish do not spawn shallow, I was able to zero in on areas that were more productive, than fishing hundreds of yards of bankline, to get a dozen or 2 skinny males. Also, In my opinion, paying attention to the water temp is a great waste of time.
moon cycles, hours of daylight, nutrient rich areas, and areas where ive found them in the past is what I pay attention to. areas where shad spawn is great to know as well. Also, the clearer the water is the deeper the fish will spawn.
today I noticed some bluebonnet buds in my yard, and yesterday I saw a few wrens flying around, for me, that has been a good indicator that the fish are getting ready to do thier thing very soon.!!!

Great post Mark, and may your cup overflow this year!!!

Here I am sitting at work, boatless, reading about fishing reports!!!

Good work friend! Them Stine crappie better hide when the new sled arrives!!

To add to this, I usually will put a top either cedar or bamboo out from spawning areas in 6' to 8' of water. For me it was the easiest way to concentrate Big pre spawn fish and have a gps target to go to and not waste allot of time.

Awesome report Mark

good report Mark,..
We're headed to lake this weekend, knock the winter webs of all the stuff, and do a little
scouting and line-dipping.

Thanks for the report! Good info

Well if Mark isn’t at it again!!!

Great Information Gentlemen! Can't wait to put it to use!

You are a bastion of knowledge Mark. Thanks for sharing.

Awesome post thank you. Little off topic question but do you think a lake like Palestine gets over harvested on Crappie or are there more fish in there then you and I could count?

I once asked that question, as a youngster of 6 or 7 years of age, while “catching” some crappie during the spawn. It was pointed out to me, rather harshly, that fisherman could line up along the bank of the entire bank of the lake with boats at every visible stump/bridge/cover and they could keep every fish they catch, and they would still be plenty of crappie in the lake...besides an 8inch crappie is capable of successfully spawning, and the legal limit is 10 inches. So don’t worry, be happy...just concentrate on catching a mess for dinner, and if the fishing is good, so be it! Hope this helps ease your mind...

+1

I learned a lot from this thread. Thanks!

Your Myth was Broken last night.

Got a little wet in the rain storm yesterday evening but, it's close to a full moon. I found a small pocket of warm water at 57 degrees. Caught a few Large but nothing big. Anyways had close to 14 pounds on 7 fish, all caught in 1 foot to 4 foot of water against the bank.

Crappie are always where you find them.

Good Job as always Mark.

This was a male.


This was a female.


This was a male.

I think that covers it all Mark. Keep up the good work and thank you for sharing some very hard earned and valuable knowledge!

Are you identifying the males by the darker fins?

Identified them when I cleaned them.

m

About the only sure fire method for me

Nicely done thank you Mark me and my kids will give you a call once work slows down!

Thank you guys very much. Glad you guys enjoyed it. Hope it helps put more and bigger crappie in your boat.

I don't think a well established or healthy crappie lake, can be out fished, if you abide by the state laws. My clients boated over 7,000 plus crappie last year. I probably see 20,000 plus a year on the graph that don't bite. I don't believe fisherman are even making a bent in the crappie population.

Without the fishing pressure I think we would start seeing a much smaller average size of fish. If we didn’t cull the heard the shad population would suffer with the way crappie reproduce.

Just because you caught them near the bank doesnt mean they are spawning, they do go near the banks to feed on spawning shad in the early mornings, and also during the day. im sure you already know this though, but your theory that you find fish in warm pockets of water is really out there... but regardless you are on the team of folks on this forum that constantly attempt to contradict my posts.. this forum sure runs alot more productive and friendly when you find the time to spread your negativity elsewhere. you never share any useful information, just pics of fish on a scale to prove you catch fish I guess. A braggart more or less .You know, if theres 1.5 or 2.5 lb fish on a lake, it doesnt take any more skill to catch a 1/2 or one pound fish. all your doing is catching a fish. your not solving global warming or anything yet you post pics of fish on the certified bologna scale like you caught a golden fish or something. . lol

this is a shad. they spawn near the banks for around 5 weeks, abt the same time as crappie spawn. the crappie know this, and feed on them when they go to the banks. it is a high probability that you may catch crappie near the banks when shad are there. no warm pockets or full moons needed. looking at the fish on the certified bologna scale, I would bet they have shad in thier stomachs. males that are sitting on beds dont feed much. they gaurd the nest, then fan the nest. they are very busy. So as was stated earlier, those fish are feeding on spawning shad, and that is the ONLY reason they are there. case closed

.

You’re crazy if you think water temperature has no effect on the crappie spawn, while I agree that not all fish spawn shallow, and that just because they are shallow does not mean they are spawning yet(yet being the key word, they’re likely looking around), water temp is THE key factor when it comes to ALL fish species, even if your theory about the shad is true (most shad won’t spawn until the water really warms up, usually the second half of the crappie spawn in my observations), it’s the WATER TEMPERATURE that sparks the shad spawn. There is too much biological research behind the water temperature sparking a spawn to argue otherwise. Granted they are fish, they do adapt, and I’ve seen it happen in spring ranges anywhere from 56-75 degrees, but most spawners do their thing about 65 degrees and that is usually a pretty safe bet.

Im really disappointed in this "Spawning thread"... I don't know why anyone would claim they caught fish "spawning" when they didn't... Some people need to stop all the out right deceptiveness.... After all "warm" and "cold" and "shallow" and "deep" are relative terms that can have different meanings OK GARSH!!.... BTW does anyone know what 3 pounds of bologna is going for these days?...

I was just trying to confirm and share as Mark's report did. They are some fish shallow now. Some fish, not all fish.

Just wanted to share and help others out, this is how we find them every year, by looking for the warmest water within a cove, a small pocket within a cove that has water 57 degrees and above that, will start holding white crappie, this time of year.

Mark's report is spot on, the majority of fish are still in deep water.

Try it, it just might work and remember crappie are always where you find them.

Thanks again Mark for your thoughts.

let me ask you this, do you believe fish can generate thier own heat, even though they are considered cold blooded? you likely would say no, but there is scientific proof that they can.ever notice baitfish turn lighter in cold weather, why do you think this is?

in my experience, at 65 degrees, the party is pretty much over.
back to your post, there really hasnt been much real scientific research on temp spawn relationship, moreso it has been repeated opinions over the years. the mere fact that the warmest water on any lake or reservoir DOES NOT always or usually hold the majority of spawning crappie rules this misinformation out definitively. This misinformation has been repeat so often it has become ingrained in peoples mind, but it simply isnt true. check it out for yourself, go find the warmest creek on your lake, and see if its teaming with crappie. I chased that rabbit down the wrong hole on several lakes over several years and the crappie just were not there. when you quit being concerned abt the warmest water, and start being concerned with the richest nutrient water, you will find crappie at various depth in many temperature ranges. you know, were talking abt a fish that can adapt in 100 degree water or near freezing water. Crappie can thrive in canadian waters that stay on the verge of freezing most of the year. ever see folks icefishing? when they cut an 18 inch plug out of the ice, how cold do you think the water is under that hole, 34. 35. 36? for 5-12 months out of the year?

if you want to locate spawning shad, go cruise the banks abt one hour before sunrise, as soon as first light hits, they stop. when spawning it sounds like crawfish poping around in an icechest and the water is making small gurgling noises. crappie will feed on then heavily until they disperse , sometimes you can do good fishing while this is happening, but sometimes there is so much shad, your one bait in a million. try something with some flash, like a roadrunner.

Because they are deeper in the water column and don't get as much sunlight. Just like every other fish. Shallow fish are always darker than the deep fish? I hope this answers one of your questions.

LeaningPost,

Is crystal clear water the typicaly the richest nutrient water?

This thread was started by one of the most respected fishing guides in the State giving some advice based on his knowledge gained from thousands of hours on the water.

Leanin Post, when you post on a thread like this stating the opinion given is just a myth, that takes a direct shot at the poster. That could account for the negative responses you seem to receive. If you want to argue, perhaps the bunker section would be a good place.

Instead of hi-jacking someone else's thread, start your own thread with your opinions. And maybe show some proof of your opinions. I see the beginning of this thread has a nice pic with some true slabs. And just because someone posts some pics doesn't mean they are bragging. That's why this forum has that emoji "this thread is useless without pics".

And I seem to remember a post from you a couple years ago about the limit of crappie you caught and the picture of the fish and your boat where you stenciled "fifty fillets" on the side. Guess that wasn't bragging back then.