The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1880-06-19
of acus,rine waters but botn species readily
adapt themselves to waters of various condlt-

Oh IucustTIUe waters Uut bbtu SpttiNS
adapt themselves to waters of various condit
ions, when transplancd easily accommodating
themselves 10 their surroundings, and nave a
happy faculty of making themselves at home
wherever placed - that in some localities
their habit. ire II, anomalous as their cOlors
which may he Of any shade Of black green, OF
yellow
As before stated black has, are very prolific
the females welding fully oneiouith Of thcil
weight IN spawn. The period OF spawning eX
tends from early sprn- until midsummer, ac
COrdng TO the section OF county or temper
AZURE OF water; IN the south, occurring rs early
as March, aud IN the North and West, from
the middle of May until the middle of July
always earlier in very shallow waters anu
somewhat later IN those OF great depth
The bass leave their winter quarters, in deeI
water, about mouth or six weeks previous tC
the spawning season, at which times they can
| be seen running up streams and in the shailo"
portions of lakes IN great numbers. Soon al
terward the males aud females pair oil, and
prepare for breeding. They select suitable
spots for their nest usually upon a graveliy OF
sandy bottom or on rocky lodges in water from
eighteen inches 10 three feet deep in rivers
and from three to six feet deep IN lakes and
ponds; and, if possible, adjacent TO deep water
or patches Of aquatic plants, to which the par
cnt fish retire il disturbed.
| The nests are circular, sauccr-likc depress
| IONS varying from one 10 three feet usually
about twice the length of the fish in diameter
which are formed by the bass by tanning and
securing from the pebbles all the sand, silt and
Vegetable debris by means of their tails and
fins, and by removing large obstacles with their
mouths this gives the beds a bright, clean
and white appearance, which, in clear water,
can be seen for hundred yards or more.
Sometimes the nests are formed upon muddy
bottom, with q pavement or foundation Ot
small sticks and leaves, from which the mud
and slime have been washed and secured and
As this often seems to be a matter OF choice
there being beds upon gravely situations IN
the same waters-the writer has sometimes
thought that this discrimination in the loca-
ton of the nest might be owing to some differ
cnce OF habits IN this respect IN the two species
Of the bass, but Of this he Is by no means sure.
The females deposit their eggs upon the bot
tom of the nests, usually IN rows, which are
formulated by the males, and become glued to
the pebbles and sticks contained therein. The
eggs are Matched in from one to two weeks,
depending on the temperature Of the water, but
usually in from eight to twelve days. When
Matched, the young bass are almost perfectly
formed from One-fOurth to Onc-half OF an inch
in lenth and cover the entire bed where they
can be easily detected by their constant mo-
tion. After Matching, the young fry remain
over the beds from two to seven days, usually
three or four when they scatter into the deep
water, or take refuge IN the weeds, stones, logs,
or other hiding places.
During the period of incubation the nests
are carefully guarded by the parent fish, who
remains over them tanning the eggs with her
fins, creating current which washes away all
sediment. But after the eggs are hatchcd and
while the young remain on the nests, her vigil
anCc becomes increased and all suspicious and
predatlng intruders are driven away.
After the young bass leave The spawning
beds their food at iirst consists IF animalcup,
larver, insects and the ova OF other fish; rs
they grow older and larger they devour worms,
tadpoles, small fish, etc; and in later lite they
vary their diet with crawilsh, frogs, muscles
and watcrsnakes. Where food is plantitul
they grow rapidly, reaching length of two
inches in few months after Matching, and at
n year old will measure at least four inches.
At two years of age they will be found form
eight to twelve inches in length, weighing
about pound, and will grow nearly or quite
pound year thereafter until they reach their
maximum weight They arrive at maturity
in from two TO three years, according AS the
conditions for their growth are favorable or
otherwise.
Black bass grow with wonderful rapidlty
where an equable temperature OF food obtains,
and will increase in weight, as before stated
about pound year; but under adverse cir.
cllmstances or uniavorablc conditions their
growth Is much slower, therefore no rule of
general application can be established from
any single instance, or rs the result OF any eX-
clusively local test or experiment. Their
growth is effected not only by the supply OF
food and temperature of water, but also by the
extent of range Bass in small ponds do not
thrive so well nor grown so fast; the smaller
the extent of the range the slower will be
their growth and indeed, this is true of any
other fish, for it is well-known fact that fish
confined IN aquaria, in springs or wells, grow
so very slowly that their increase in size Is
hardly apprecIable from year to year, even
though their supply Of TODD be abundant. An
equally wcll-attestcd fact is, that the largest
bass are found IN the largest bodies Of water,
or where the range is extensive extreme depth
of water seeming to be more favorable to their
growth than mere extent of surface.
From the foregoing account of the breeding
and growth of the black bass 1t will readily be
seen that there is no necessity for Matching il
artlfcially IN the manner practiced with the
salmon trout, or shad nor would the method
be successful, for reasons well known to fish
culiurisls The black bass, being Matched
with but small or rudimentary umbilical
veslcle or yolk sac, needs the fostering care of
and attention of the parent fish, who teaches it
how and where to find Its food and protects IL
from its cn0mcs, in the same way that a hen
cares for her brood.
All that Is required to stock n stream or
pond with black bass Is to procure a small
number of fish, at least a year old, and place
them in the waters. 1t the water is of SUIT
able character and possesses sufficient sup
ply of food, the bass will propagate naturally
and rapidly increase in number. The Poto
mac river and its tributaries, which now
swarm with this desirable game fish, were or
lginally stocked with less than thirty young
bass from Wheeling creek, West Virginia.
The only considerations to be looked after
M. tho haracter and condition of the waters