Within two weeks the bass start their annual spawning cycle on Clear Lake and it is one of the most exciting times on the lake. To see the large females position themselves on their spawning beds is a sight to behold. According to biologists, the length of the day and water temperature are what determines the spawning cycle for bass.
During the spring months when the water temperature reaches 60 degrees, the male bass selects a location and fans an area about the size of a dinner plate with his tail. When the water warms up to 62 degrees or more, the females start to stage near the spawning beds. The males attempt to attract the females by swimming around them and actually bumping them. The female positions herself above the nest where the male releases his sperm and the female releases her eggs. The actual spawning occurs when the water temperature reaches about 65 degrees, and the height of the spawn occurs when it is between 68-70 degrees.
The female often spawns above several nests. This act spreads her genes among many fry or bass minnows. It should be noted that largemouth bass aren’t native to California. They were introduced from Illinois in 1891 and are now found across the state.
Water temperature determines how long the eggs take to hatch. When it is less than 65 degrees it can take as long as 12 days. However, if the water temperature rises to 70 degrees, the eggs hatch in two or three days. This is important because the longer the eggs take to hatch the more vulnerable they are to predation from other fish or crayfish. Bluegill and other fish are constantly on the move trying to devour the eggs. Millions of eggs are laid each year but only a small portion actually hatch
If the water temperature never warms up to 65 degrees, most of the females still spawn although the success of the spawn is diminished. This often occurs in northern states.
During cold springs, the survival rate for the young is much lower than in warm months. Even under optimum conditions less than 1 percent of all bass spawned survive. A typical nest sees approximately 2,000 eggs actually hatch but fewer than 20 fingerlings survive to 10 inches long.
Young bass feed on their yolk sack for the first week of their lives. Within two weeks they start to feed on insect larva and other small aquatic creatures. Normally by October the young bass are 2-3 inches in length and are feeding heavily on small minnows or even other young bass. Like most predator fish they are cannibalistic and think nothing of gulping down a brother or a sister. In fact, the analysis of bass stomach content shows that up to 10 percent is comprised of young-of-the-year bass. The later in the year that bass spawn also has an effect on the overall population. If they spawn too late the young bass go into the winter with little body fat and have a lower survival rate.
It’s not only bass that delay spawning when the water is cold. Channel catfish require a water temperature between 70-85 degrees to spawn and one of the prime areas in Clear Lake are the sunken tires off the Nice-Lucerne shoreline. The optimum for spawning success is 75 degrees. Catfish are well into their spawning cycle by the end of May during a normal year on Clear Lake. However, some years the spawn is delayed until well into July.
Other warmwater game fish such as bluegill and crappie also require warm water to spawn and that is already starting to happen. Crappie are being seen on nests all around the lake. Actually, the water at Clear Lake is often considerably colder that at nearby lakes. For example, the water temperature at Lake Berryessa has been averaging from 60-65 degrees, at least five degrees warmer than Clear Lake. One reason the water is colder at Clear Lake is because of its altitude. The lake is at 1,328 feet, which means the nights are much colder than at the lower-elevation lakes.
The one thing we can count on is that when the water temperature finally does rise to 70 degrees there should be bass by the hundreds moving into the shallow water to spawn. It’s a great time to take a small boat or kayak out and observe this act of nature. You should wear polarized sunglasses and move silently through the shallow water.
"cycle" - Google News
April 07, 2021 at 03:15AM
https://ift.tt/31SjUDG
Bass spawning cycle about to start - Lake County Record-Bee
"cycle" - Google News
https://ift.tt/32MWqxP
https://ift.tt/3b0YXrX
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "Bass spawning cycle about to start - Lake County Record-Bee"
Post a Comment