Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Evaluating and adjusting fish populations Bass spawning

Does anyone know what size bass is the most efficient spawner?

Do large bass (>7 lbs) contribute significantly to the spawn or are smaller bass larger contributors?

Interesting question Dwimr, experts?

The bigger the bass (LMB or SMB), the more eggs she will have.

Cody had a chart in his article in (the latest) issue of PBMag that showed typical # of years for different sizes of females.

That is one of those it all depends deals. Large bass hold quite a lot more eggs but small bass are usually more abundant. A female bass can lay as many as 2,000 to 40,000 eggs depending on her size. So I guess to answer your question yes size does matter in this situation. But if you only have one or two big bass and 35 smaller bass then its going to equal out.

Thanks for your replies.

As a follow-up: Have there been any studies to compare whether a larger (and therefore older) bass's fertilized eggs develop into healthy fry in the same percentages as a younger bass's eggs?

The condition of the eggs a fish produces is influenced by the condition of the fish. Healthier, fatter fish (high Wr) are more likely to have larger healthier eggs.

So if somehow you had a pond with crowded 6 lb skinny bass and just a few super chunky 2 lb bass, they 2 lb bass would produce eggs with a better chance of hatching/surviving.

This is vastly oversimplified though; other things matter too. Larger males are most likely to get the best nest sites and larger females are more likely to breed with them. Larger males are generally older and probably better at protecting the young and may lead to increased survival of initially poor condition eggs in the hypothetical situation above.

So I guess it all depends.

This is a real “it depends” question. Condition , condition , condition and then size and then , pond status. See this fyi.

SRAC
Culture of Largemouth Bass Fingerlings

A
thick tail, relatively small head,
and chunky appearance usually
indicate good body condition.
Good condition is essential
because spawning and nest protection
for several weeks without
food is stressful, and fish in poor condition often die before the
cycle is complete.
The size of broodfish to use
depends on facilities available.
The broodfish should be sexed
during the late winter and males
separated from the females.
Normally, smaller broodfish are
easier to handle and maintain.
Males under 1 pound tend to
mature earlier and grow faster
than females. Above this weight
females are normally larger for
fish of the same age. Some producers
use older females for
genetic reasons but fish 2 to 3
years of age and 12 to 18 inches in
length are normally the most
dependable spawners.
Broodfish commonly lose 10 to 30
percent of their body weight during
the spawning period.
Adequate food during the previous
year is essential when the
eggs are developing and for a
buildup of fat and muscle in the
males. Supplemental feeding of
live forage (baitfish) is usually
necessary unless the broodfish
have been trained to take pelleted
feeds. About 7 pounds of live forage
per pound of body weight is
needed for annual maintenance.
For growth, 10 pounds of forage
per pound of bass growth is
required.

SRAC
Largemouth Bass
Biology and Life History
Females normally
release about one-half of their
eggs during the first spawn and
half of the remaining during the
second spawn. A third spawn up
to 1 month later is common.
Females average about 4,000 eggs
per pound of body weight, but the
number can be quite variable.
Reports of up to 80,000 eggs from
one female have been reported
but the average is much smaller.
Larger fish tend to have larger
eggs and therefore larger fry but
fewer eggs per pound of body
weight. Usually at spawning the
weight of eggs in females will be
10 percent or more of her body
weight.

Interesting point in that one Eric about a small male bass dying. I always figured they gave up and abandoned the nest.