Spawning success

[Eyezcrazy]

I have a question, it's not about walleye but bass and how the closed season for them was started? Was it for the spawn?

I believe it is for the spawn and the main difference is that bass aggressively protect their nest from predators like gobies and such.

[cycleguy]

Very good read..... I found it very informative! Thank you for posting.

[West Basin]

Yes, Smallmouth Bass create a "nest" on the bottom and stay on the nest to protect the eggs after they are laid, and sometimes even for a time after the eggs hatch. Whenever the bass is absent the eggs are vulnerable to predation. When the round gobies invaded the Great Lakes, including Lake Erie, they became a top predator of fish eggs. They will even eat the eggs of other gobies (male gobies also protect the eggs, which are usually laid under a rock or similar surface). If a Smallmouth Bass nest is left unattended for any length of time the gobies can quickly eat all the eggs, as many as a hundred gobies at one time descending on the nest. While scuba diving in Lake Erie I have seen Smallmouth Bass protecting their eggs, numerous gobies ringing the outside area of the nest, just waiting for a change to dart in and get some eggs. The time a Bass is off the nest when being caught, even if catch and release immediately, is plenty of time for gobies to decimate a nest.

[Afishhawk]

Very good information for all. Thanks to Wakina and everyone else that shares accurate info to the rest of us wanting to understand this great fisherie we have in Lake Erie.

[Hoytman86]

I have a question, it's not about walleye but bass and how the closed season for them was started? Was it for the spawn?

Bass actually guard their nests whereas walleye spawn and leave. Not sure how or if this matters but I'm no biologist.

Edit: I missed page two. Very informative, West Basin. I can't stand the damn gobies.

[wakina]

Walleyes are broadcast spawners, they drop their eggs closer to the surface in most cases while being surrounded by several jacks that fertilize the eggs and the eggs then sink to the bottom substrate to incubate, so there are no nests made or guarded. I also believe pound for pound walleyes lay more eggs that a small mouth does. This helps compensate for the lack of a nest and the guarding of such nest.

Small Mouth bass the males clear a area circular in shape and then entice as many females as they can to deposit their eggs within the confines of the nest. The male then guards the nest until the eggs hatch and the fry can fend for themselves somewhat. The building of the nest and the guarding of that nest is the main reason for the no possession limit during the time of the spawn. I do believe that large mouth and small mouth bass are actually members of the sunfish family and are not true bass as their name implies.

True bass are the white bass and white perch as well as the stripped bass and the hybrid wipers which are crossed between white and stripped bass.

[gregnwtf]

Wakina is right on ! The lake is plenty busy and most of the fish are in a confined area during April. Fish can be caught fast ( on a good day )and there have been plenty of cases for people overbagging. The marina parking lots are full every morning with empty boat trailers and the gut dumpsters are full. This doesnt happen in late summer. I have no problem with the 4 walleye per day in March / April. The smallmouth bass numbers have declined over the years, simply the bass numbers are down. There are some big bass out there and if people only kept one nice big bass to mount and let the rest go, it would help alot.