Spawning habits of the largemouth are not nearly as restricted as those of 

 the smallmouth. Largemouth bass will spawn over muddy bottom which makes 

 them more successful in some waters. Nesting and spawning habits are very 

 similar to the smallmouth. The largemouth matures at lengths of 1 to 1 2 inches 

 and at an age of three or four years. They exhibit a faster growth rate than the 

 smallmouth. Spawning takes place during the months of May and June and in 

 northern sections may extend into July. The young hatch in a few days depend- 

 ing on the temperature. They behave in a manner similar to the smallmouth 

 with the exception that the young remain in the school for a longer period and 

 the male continues to guard them for a longer time. The first year of their life 

 they spend in weedy shallow areas. 



Food of the adults is similar to the smallmouth with more of a leaning 

 towards fish. They are more frequently caught in the winter than the small- 

 mouth. 



YELLOWBELLY SUNFISH 



Lefomis auritus (Linnaeus) 



The yellowbelly sunfish is distributed from Maine to Florida and Louisiana 

 with the greatest abundance being east of the Alleghenies and south of New 

 York. This is one of the two species of "sunfishes" which are widely distributed 

 in Maine. It is far outnumbered by the common sunfish or pumpkinseed. Since 

 it rarely reaches a length much over 6 inches it is little sought after by fishermen. 



Like the other members of the sunfish family the yellowbelly sunfish pre- 

 pares a nest in shallow water easily recognized since it is an evenly scooped out 

 hollow with gravel in the center. The nests average about 1 2 inches in diameter. 

 The males begin to make these nests during the period of the first two weeks in 

 June depending on the temperature which should be up around 65 F. or 70 F. 

 The male escorts the female into the nest where after a few minutes' courtship 

 the eggs are spawned and fertilized. The adhesive eggs drop to the bottom of the 

 nest among the gravel. The male attends the eggs and the young for a short 

 period. 



The yellowbelly sunfish does well in warm-water lakes where the aquatic 

 vegetation is relatively thick. They are commonly associated with the common 

 sunfish and yellow perch. 



PUMPKINSEED 



Lefomis gibbosus (Linnaeus) 



The pumpkinseed is distributed from southern Canada south to the Gulf 

 States. It is common in the Great Lakes region. Schools of the pumpkinseed 

 may be found swimming around weedy areas or over and around rocky bottoms. 

 They seem to prefer weedy lakes and ponds containing warm waters. 



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