BROODSTOCK, SPAWNING, AND EGG HANDLING 153 



Figure 46. Spawning and rearing of smallmouth bass in ponds, (l) Male small- 

 mouth bass guarding eggs (arrow) on the gravel nest. (2) Nests are inspected 

 daily with an underwater viewing glass, and (3) a retaining screen is placed 

 around the nest after the eggs hatch. (4) The fry are transferred to a rearing 

 pond after they swim up. (FWS photos.) 



can be readily captured for transfer to rearing ponds (Figure 46). A period 

 of 14 to 21 days normally can be expected between the time eggs are depo- 

 sited and the time fry rise from the nest. Most fish culturists transfer small- 

 mouth bass fry to rearing ponds, although good results have been obtained 

 when they were reared in the spawning pond. 



An alternative approach to smallmouth bass spawning involves the use of 

 portable nests within a pond. These nests are constructed from 1 x 4-inch 

 lumber, 24 inches square with a window screen bottom. A nest of 1-3-inch 

 diameter rocks, held in a 16 x 16 x 2-inch hardware cloth basket, is placed 

 on the screen frame bottom. Fry are harvested by lowering the pond level, 

 and gently moving the baskets up and down in the water, washing the fry 

 through the rocks and onto the screen bottomed frame. The fry are then 

 rinsed into a container for transfer to a rearing pond. This technique also 



