Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Water Temps - Spawning

Central Miss water temps 4-5-08 72 F - new moon soon - some BG gathering around nest sites. No change in LMB activity wrt spawning yet.

Shorty I will find the link that covers in part what you ask.

Thanks ewest. The water temps here are running in the 45-50 degree range right now so NO spawning activity yet. Just a note, the guys on our NE fishing forum are saying that water temps are averaging 10 degrees cooler now than the were at this same time last year.

Our temps are behind last year also.

Central Ohio April 8, 2008

0.9 acre pond, max depth 9-10 feet

Surface Temp 66.2 deg F
2' deep Temp 60.2 deg F

LMB patrolling shorelines, assume they were after BG which were present in the shallows. No activity closer to spawning behavior than that.

40 degree surface temperature, cats are pregnant, bird life is all knocked up, opossums have pups in the pouch, but no fish sexual activity noted. 04/09/2008

My pond surface temps are in the mid 50's yesterday but have probably drop a little today as it is cooler. We may get some snow this coming Saturday night.

No perch eggs yet. Bill Cody says not to worry. I'm worried!

Smallies are now hitting the fatheads that I dumped in last fall to give them something over the winter while I hold them before sale.

Erik,
Just got back on after being off for several weeks, so I had not seen this till now, but I have gotten data from my pond i can share.
3/23/2008, surface temp 72, LMB on beds
3/30/2008, surface 74, 72 at 10'. LMB spawned.
4/4/2008, surface 76, 74 at 10'. LMB on beds or post spawn. Tilapia on beds but not spawned as far as I can tell. BG are full of eggs.
4/8/2008, surface temp 77, 76 at 10'. Tilapia off beds, BG spawning. LMB in post spawn.
All data from 25 acre lake, clear water (visibility to 6')in new lake with 2 year old fish.

Water temps 73 both BG and LMB nesting activity is much greater than last week. Males are on the beds. Don't think the spawn has occurred yet but very close. Day time temps have been 80ish highs. Low tonight is 44 with high tomorrow of 65. No RES seen shallow yet. BG feeding ravenously. The water is packed with BG at feeding time.

Central Ohio April 18, 2008

0.9 acre pond, max depth 9-10 feet

Surface Temp 66.4 deg F
2' deep Temp 64.8 deg F

Prespawn LMB feeding very actively. BG have moved into the shallows but don't show any sign of egg development yet.

Pond surface temp is 46 degrees @ 1030 this morning. No activity noted.

My thermometer disappeared so I can't report temps today, but the FH spawn keeps on a rolling. I've been seeing fry that were 3/8" (8mm) for over a month now. I saw some that were that size just today and I still see adult FH in spawning colors defending territory on the underside of structure. I only added adults a few months ago so I think I can assume that all of the smaller fish are yoy. The largest of them are almost the size of an adult female guppy.

I'll get another thermometer soon. What depth do you want to have me report about?

For those of you in the south you might see BG spawning now - check the moon phase.

Central Ohio April 20, 2008

0.9 acre pond, max depth 9-10 feet

Surface Temp 67.0 deg F
2' deep Temp 64.4 deg F

Not much temperature change in 2 days, but spawning beds have appeared in the shallows. I have not seen the owners on the beds yet. Based on configuration - about 2 feet in diameter, spaced 2 to 3 feet apart - I presume they are bream beds. Based on location - in 1 to 1.5 feet of water, very near where my shallow water RES nested last year - I suspect they are RES beds.

Theo - This is early in OH for bream spawning. In my experience typically BG will begin spawning first and at a lower temperature of 63-68F. Whereas RES begin spawning at temps of 68F-70F. I suspect your new cleaned nests have been performed by BG or maybe younger bass. Rarely do I see BG on beds before LMB. Have you seen any bass on the beds yet?

Bill, I never see bass beds. Water clarity doesn't allow it.

They are usually 3' - 5' down, aren't they?

I don't know what made the beds (they are in an easy place to check when I feed each night), but they weren't there 2 days ago, or last year.

I will post if I see fish on them.

Cent Miss - water temps have fallen over the last week due to rain and colder than normal air temps. 73F last week now 68F. BG feeding well and some on the beds. Looks like a small first BG spawn in progress. LMB are on the beds but looks like only a small fraction of them are about to spawn. The drop in water temps has set the spawn back or at least reduced the amount of fish spawning. Beds have been newly cleared on all 3 ponds.

Eric this has been one of the coldest springs I can remember here in North Central Texas. We keep getting one cold front with rain after another. The rain has kept the pond muddy and I think that the fish are just in a holding pattern. My surface water temp is still only in the low sixties.

Theo, Yes bass nests are typically located in deeper water of 3'-5'. However I've seen bass create nests and spawn in 2' of water. Most probably your new nests are produced by BG, but it is still pretty early in the central OH season for BG to be building nests. Sometimes bass will build a couple nests before they decide on a final location. You will have best luck seeing the nest builder at morning - mid-day to early afternoon.

I found another "set" of nests 15-20 feet away from the first. The only fish anywhere near them over about a 45 minutes period tonight were two medium-sized (for my pond) LMB in the 15" length range - one at each set of nests.

Could a bass-crowded pond be so full of breeding LMB that some are forced to move into very shallow water to nest?

Yes there can be so many that some don't find adequate nest sites and delay spawning or even don't spawn and absorb the eggs.

My surface temp was 68F yesterday at noon. By late afternoon the GSD spawn had started.

Central Ohio April 23, 2008

0.9 acre pond, max depth 9-10 feet

Surface Temp 76.5 deg F
2' deep Temp 67.9 deg F

Small to medium sized adult LMB (12"-16") occupying many (what appear to be) spawning beds in shallow (approximately 18"-24") water along the shoreline. Occupied beds are spaced every 15' � 20'; some are inhabited by pairs of LMB. They are being pestered by huge hoards of BG in virtually every size, which are accompanied by the occasional juvenile bass.

I have never observed bass on the beds in my pond before. As is usually the case, water clarity prevents observation of other beds in deeper water. I believe the bass spawn is on; the moon phase is just passed full, IIRC, and timing would coincide closely with last year's unobserved LMB spawn which resulted in LMB fry swimming up on April 30, 2007.

Pestering BG are attempting to eat bass eggs. Don't expect to see BG on nests until the bass are finished or about finished spawning. Your central OH water temps are about a week to 10 days ahead of those in northern OH. You are learning grasshopper.