Getting a small 1/10th acre pond ready to spawn some black crappies. Going to catch the brood fish via hook and line on one of the local lakes (I have over 100 in my county). The small 1/10th acre pond however is thick with Chara so I'm in the process of pumping it almost completely down to dry out the Chara and refill. From my experience with other species the decaying Chara creates a bloom, which I will also feed with fertilizer. I would drain it completely down but the the pond is full of thousands of fatheads which I want to remain for forage for the broodstock crappies. I'm sure they will finish them off in no time.

Anyway from my fishing experience the crappies seem to spawn just before the largemouth bass. Sound right to you guys?

Seems the magic number to initiate spawning in the low 60's? Apparently sand or gravel is not as important to them as i.e. bluegills?

Hope to get the brood fish very soon a few weeks before the actually spawn. Hopefully the females will be bulging with eggs soon to sex them from the males.

Anybody have any information to share? I know there is a lot of info on the net, but I've found it's not always accurate. I've even seen bad info and broad generalizations in Wiki pages regarding fish.

Mine have already spawned. The males were really dark and colored up and the females were gravid. They quit biting for about a week to recover.

Thanks although your are little farther south than me. You did remind me of the sexual dimorphism of crappies which I forgot about!

Cecil, get a move on. For us here, when the Forsythia bushes are in bloom, the crappie are doing their thing.

I'm just a tad bit south of you Cecil and they're spawning in my pond right now. Water temps haven't hit 60 yet that I've seen. 56 yesterday.

Thank you gentlemen. Hopefully get out any day now and collect broodfish.