Smallmouth bass nest approximately 10 days after spawn. Small fry are visible on the bottom and there has been a healthy hatch from the nest. In another few days they will start to freely swim above the nest, staying close for another week while the male continues to guard the nest.
This nest was an early pair of bass that came in to spawn this spring, and was at the 10 day or so mark when the rest of the bass came in to spawn June 12th, 2013. Each year you get some early spawners before the water temperature reaches optimum spawning temperature for the egg hatch rate and the majority of bass come in to spawn. Both early nests did remarkably well along our shoreline with a good hatch rate. Sadly, this nest was mostly destroyed when anglers catch the male that was guarding the nest and didn't release him back to defend from predators. Although the bass season is open, the fry are nowhere near ready to be left alone due to the late spawn and cooler spring. Rock bass moved in quickly and ate a good number of the small defenceless fry. I managed to try and save about 70 by moving the fry to another nest site being guarded by a male, and they seem to have settled in there. Wish I had thought of it sooner...