pre-spawn characteristics

[perchBgood]

Hi, I've been fishing this 60 acre, max 19 FOW pond with mixed success in medium size crappie and perch.  Of late, I've been into small fully laden males in this one area with very few females.  Seems like a prospective spawning bed-muddy bottom w/ little weeds and about 10-13 FOW.  Any thoughts where the females might be hanging and is this an area of interest with the amount of males that are hanging around?  Not sure if the males attend the beds first or follow the females?

Thx
perchBgood

[Townie]

I'd search the transition zone between basin & shallow. Eggs would be deposited in vegetation, so I'd look for greener pastures

[wax_worm]

Hi, I've been fishing this 60 acre, max 19 FOW pond with mixed success in medium size crappie and perch.  Of late, I've been into small fully laden males in this one area with very few females.  Seems like a prospective spawning bed-muddy bottom w/ little weeds and about 10-13 FOW.  Any thoughts where the females might be hanging and is this an area of interest with the amount of males that are hanging around?  Not sure if the males attend the beds first or follow the females?

Thx
perchBgood

Perch don't make beds like bass or bluegill.  They seek out areas with wood or vegetation to deposit their eggs in strands that cling to the wood or weeds.  If you are fishing an area with a mud bottom and no weeds that does not mean there are no females around as they don't spawn until ice out and the water gets in the 40's.  Usually perch schools are mixed with males and females, but during the spawn time both males and females will be in the same areas, usually shallow 4-10ft flats with weeds.