What Stage Of Spawn Is This Bass In?

[hooah212002]

Is he getting ready to bless a she-bass with his fry potion? Or, if he(?) is not getting ready to get his groove on with a lady bass, what is this red mark? He was a very angry fish and fought like he weighed MUCH more than the ~2 pounds that he did. He gave my new setup a nice breaking in.

 

[hooah212002]

Come to think of it, spawn is likely in full swing. The shore was littered with dead bluegill and I chalked it up to poor fish management by the starving masses that frequent this place (it is a good place to take your kids fishing and it attracts bucket fisherman because of the plentiful just barely legal trout that get stocked). But just now I realized that it could possibly be the bass that are killing them. Right?

[MichBassMan]

Judging by where you are from I'd say IF it's a male it's guarding fry. The active spawn should be done in your area. Now about the dead gills. Many Wisconsin lakes as well as many lakes here in the U.P. experienced larger than average winter die offs of panfish this year. Lakes being frozen longer and deep snow preventing sun light to penetrate slowed down oxygen production from the vegetation. Over population exasperates the problem. Many of these fish sink in the cold water. As water warms up gasses build in them and they float up and wash to shore.

[hooah212002]

Makes sense about the bluegill.

 

This article seems to indicate that it was a female, but not what point of spawn. You're probably right, though, that the spawn already happened. Judging by how thin she was, I'll second that.: http://www.americansportfish.com/?option=com_content&view=article&id=52&catid=18&Itemid=45

 

 

Examine several bass and closely observe the opening toward the tail, this is where eggs are extruded by the females, and milt by the males. Is this opening reddened or swollen? If so, it is very likely a female. This swollen area on females is called the genital papillae, and it will remain red and distended prior to spawning and for many weeks after spawning. Bass do not deposit all of their eggs during their first spawning attempt and will remain ready to spawn again for a month or more after their first spawn.

 

Males do not have a genital papillae and their vent is seldom red and almost never swollen.

 

Good thing I am not a bass. Otherwise I'd have a very awkward adolescence.

 

Thanks for the reply.

[MarkH024]

Come to think of it, spawn is likely in full swing. The shore was littered with dead bluegill and I chalked it up to poor fish management by the starving masses that frequent this place (it is a good place to take your kids fishing and it attracts bucket fisherman because of the plentiful just barely legal trout that get stocked). But just now I realized that it could possibly be the bass that are killing them. Right?

I'd be wiling to bet the kill was from weed treatment. Even the "safe" ones kill smaller fish. Its far too long after ice out to see winter kill.

[hooah212002]

I'd be wiling to bet the kill was from weed treatment. Even the "safe" ones kill smaller fish. Its far too long after ice out to see winter kill.

 

All I know is that it is recent. I go to this place a couple times a week and this is the first I have seen this many dead fish. As a matter of fact, I didn't even know there were bluegill IN this pond.

[MarkH024]

There are bluegill or a form of panfish in just about every body of water by us Hooah. I have witnessed the same kill on my lake. The bluegill will injest the weed killer pellets and its obvious that's not good. Usually a day or two later we see floaters along the shore. For the record, we don't spread that stuff, the lake association does. The junk doesn't even work so we asked them not to spread it by our pier.

[slonezp]

I'd be wiling to bet the kill was from weed treatment. Even the "safe" ones kill smaller fish. Its far too long after ice out to see winter kill.

I was out on my favorite panfish lake today wondering why the dead bluegill and why no weeds. Saw multiple foam buoys with Do not remove. Weed something or other printed across them.

 

Spawn is ending on the Fox Chain. You're about an hour north so I'd bet it's the same.  

[MarkH024]

I was out on my favorite panfish lake today wondering why the dead bluegill and why no weeds. Saw multiple foam buoys with Do not remove. Weed something or other printed across them.

 

Spawn is ending on the Fox Chain. You're about an hour north so I'd bet it's the same.  

Yeah, they (weed killer) never work without killing off a bunch of fish. I've never seen any large bass or pike floating dead from them but it seems to do a number on the bluegill/panfish.  Come to think of it, the times they did treatments it didn't do squat to the weeds either.  

 

Last time I was up at my place, spawn was just about done with a good amount in post spawn already. That was 2nd to last week in May. However, my lake is very shallow, weedy and clear so it heats up fast. We had temps break 70's already there.