Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1901-06-02

creek is the home of the large mouthed
bass, called the Oswego bass; the same
as in the Potomac. river and other
streams of this State. The open season
for this species varies in different
States. In this locality is from April
18th to June 18th. The young of the
large mouthed species seek animal food
at a very early period of their exist
ence. The spawning season of the two
species of black bass is about the same.
The young bass tie first season grow
to four or five inches long, and at the
age of two years weigh about one
pound. They usually commence spawn
ing at this age and are less than a foot
long.
The spawning bed is prepared by
the female. She deposits her eggs in
shallow water only on a gravelly bot
tom and are adhesive, adhering to
stones until Matched. The males fight
for the possession of the female. The
successful sutton is said to help her
eject the eggs by biting or pressing her
belly, n the operation. may continue
two or three days, after which the fe-
male alone continues to guard the nest
from the numerous enemies of the &
among which crawfish and carp are
considered very destructive to the
spawn. The period of incubation lasts
from seven to fourteen days, depending
on the temperature of the water. and
the young bass remain in the nest about
a week or ten days. At the age of
about two weeks the young measure
nearly three-Quarters of an inch in
length. At three years of age the
large mouth species. in suitable waters,
will weigh from two TO four pounds.
The black bass feed both at the sur
face and on the bottom, and pursue
their prey with wonderful activity.
When surrounded by seines or caught
by the hook this species will often lean
five or six feet above the water. At the
approach of winter the large mouthed
bass seeks deeper water with approach
ing cold. and in the severity of winter
nibernates in the mud. The game
qualities of the two species is quite diff
ferent. The small mouth far excelIs
the other in its fighting qualities. In
fishing where the two species inhabits
the same lakes, the anglers only recog-
nize the small mouth bass as the catch
OF the day, while the latter is not
counted on your string. For instance.
you have a string of thirty bass and
twenty are small mouth, your catch
will be registered for the day as twenty.
The small mouthed black bass is a
native of the upper parts OF the ST.
Lawrence Basin. the Great Lakes and
the Mississippi basin. East of the Al
~leghanies and in the headwaters Of the
C~hattahoochee and Ocemulgee rivers.
and in the region east of the Allegh-
MES and north of these streams they are
in numerous quantities.
This species is smaller than the large
mouthed. seldom exceeding s pounds.
The writer saw one taken from a troll
caught at lie lower end of the canal a
few years ago in st. Clair Lake, Michi-
gan. which weighed 5 pounds. l have
frequently caught them weighing 5h
pounds. The average weight is from 8
to 211 pounds. This species weighing
2h pounds will measure 15 inches IN
length. The small mouth bass is a low
er of clear, rapid flowing streams and
greater elevations than those in which
the large mouth thrives. Being fond