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How to Build a Nest
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In order to attract nesting bass to your shoreline, you have to know a little
about the life history of bass. Getting bass to spawn successfully is only half
the battle. Helping the fry survive is the other challenge. Food and shelter is
the name of the game. In late May and early June, male bass congregate in
rocky shoreline areas of the lake, vying for clean gravel areas in which to
build a nest. The male creates a nest by cleaning away dirt and sediment with
his tail. Temperatures between 13 and 20 degrees Celsius are typically
required for the initiation of nest-building and spawning behavior.
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A male bass guarding its nest |
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Bass eggs incubating on clean gravel |
Smallmouth bass usually build their nests beside a large object called an
“initiator”. This is often a large rock or rock face and
sometimes a large log. Dock cribbing works good also. Nest
depth is usually in one metre (3’) of water or less and typically
on a gravel bottom.
The male entices a female into the nest and spawning takes
place. As the eggs do not mature in the female all at once,
the female may spawn two or three times before being spent.
The male may entice two or three females into the nest before
mating is complete, thereby increasing the genetic diversity of
the brood.
The male protects the nest aggressively from the time of its
construction, but especially once spawning is complete. When
the eggs hatch four to ten days later, they are clear and
remain on the bottom of the nest. |
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Eggs hatch in a week to ten days and form black larval
schools which begin rising off the nest. Larval bass are
especially vulnerable to predators at this stage.
At about fourteen days, the larvae go through a
metamorphosis and become “fry”; their body shape changes,
coloring turns light brown to near colorless, and the head
enlarges. At this stage, broods become aware of their
surroundings, sending them scurrying for cover when a
predator approaches. As the fry mature, they wander further
and further from the nest. The school of fry the male is trying
to guard becomes less well defined and harder to protect.
Eventually, protection becomes impossible and the male
returns to deeper water and fry are left to fend for themselves. |
Bass sac
fry resting at the bottom of their nest |
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Stones around a nest provides good cover for
bass fry to escape predators. A large boulder,
rock face, submerged log or even dock cribbing
acts as a good “initiator” of nest construction
activity.
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If you own shoreline property, you may want to consider
providing suitable habitat for smallmouth bass to nest along
your shoreline. The instructions on the following page, will
demonstrate how to create a bass nest.
A male bass
guarding fry (the black spots) in its nest. |
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Download this article here: Nesting Bass Handout
Funding for projects like the one outlined above is available
through the Community
Fisheries and Wildlife Involvement Program (CFWIP), please
feel free to use the following documents to help apply for these
grants:
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