Bass Spawning 



CHAPTER VII. 



PROPAGATION. 

 Spawning. 



THE spawning season is in the spring of the year, but 

 varies with climatic conditions, as well as with the 

 temperature of. the water; and, although cases are 

 recorded of propagation taking place during the summer or 

 even in the early autumn, yet the general law is that, as soon 

 as winter is over and the sun begins to warm the water, 

 the male and female bass "run" in large shoals, and proceed 

 to choose a suitable place for the important function of 

 spawning. 



It is now a well-established fact that the male bass pre- 

 pares the nest or spawning bed, usually on coarse sand or 

 gravel in a protected spot close to shore, and preferably 

 where the water deepens suddenly, so that the nest is on a 

 sort of ledge, from which the fish may make observations 

 in all directions. 



Sometimes he chooses a ledge of rock in two or three 

 feet of running water, one side of which is close to shore and 

 forms a little bay, while the other side is bounded by water 

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