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is the female smallmouth not receptive to lures. While the male is allowed to stay in the spawning bed, it now is his responsibility to defend against intrusion.
When the female’s eggs are ripe for spawning she lays them in the sand or gravel bed. After the male has fertilized them, he is unceremoniously chased out of the area. The male would make a meal of the eggs and the fry when hatched.
Largemouth bass are much the same as the smallmouth except that the male’s role sometimes extends past the fertilization of eggs. Neither male nor female actually feed during the spawning period, but are frequently caught on live or artificial baits as they pick up these intruders to crush or carry out of the spawning nest area.
Sputter-baits or rattling lures are frequent offenders of the territorial urges of largemouth bass, and account for many super bass in March and April.
The landlocked striped bass react similarly to the smallmouth and the largemouth except that the striper is generally found to spawn in reservoirs and lakes near or in areas of moving water — without making any kind of nest or bed. The stripers simply cast their eggs over a large area in hopes that the spawning male’s sperm will find the eggs scattered along the bottom of the stream or riverbed.
As a result of this haphazard spawning practice, many millions of eggs are not fertilized and many millions of fertilized eggs are eaten by small fish.
Thus, the future of the landlocked striper is assured for many years to come, and the continued supplemental stocking programs of the Virginia Commission of Game and Inland Fisheries will guarantee enjoyment of the fabulous fighters in Virginia waters.
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