Striped Bass spawn in water of 58 to 69 degrees from April through mid-June in flowing water of Rivers. Broadcasting millions of eggs without affording any protection or parental care.
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During spawning, seven or eight males surround a single large female and bump her to the waters surface. While the males jockey for position they create a lot of splashing sometimes called “rock fights.” Near the surface the female turns on her side with rolling and splashing. The males continue bumping her to release her eggs. As the eggs are discharged and scattered the males release sperm turning the water milky white. Spawning can last several days. During spawning, a female can releases between one-half to three million eggs. Striped bass will continue to consume food during the spawning cycle, stopping only long enough to release their eggs or milt. Adult striped bass offer no protection or care for these eggs, and will move back to the lake once the eggs are laid and fertilized. While the eggs are still in the female, they are only about 1/25 inch in diameter, but after release, they absorb water and increase to about four times the original size and possess a tiny oil globule. This change makes the egg approximately the same density of the surrounding water. The eggs become somewhat buoyant and are easily carried by the water currents. The eggs are transparent, making them virtually invisible.
Fertilized Striped Bass eggs need to be carried by
water currents until
hatching (about 48-72 hours) to avoid suffocation.
Studies have shown that greater than 80 percent of the eggs are usually fertilized. The eggs at the time of fertilization are very small and nonadhesive and settle toward the bottom. If the egg sinks to the bottom they die. The sediments reduce oxygen exchange between the egg and the surrounding water. This is the most critical period for young stripers. The water current must be strong enough and the river distance long enough to keep the eggs and young from settling to the river bottom.
The hatching time varies from
65 hours at 60 degrees F to 36 hours at 70 degrees F.
Egg mortality is high,
especially in water temperatures above 70 F,
but many eggs are laid to
increase survival.
Less than one percent of the eggs will survive the fist
two months.
Successful reproduction occurs in only a handful of reservoirs and rivers
in the United
States. The
Arkansas
River in Arkansas being one.
Once the egg hatches, the fingerling feeds on its yolk sac for approximately one week. After that, they feed on zooplankton as they move downstream.
The eggs hatch in about two days, although the length of time may be somewhat shorter
or longer depending upon temperature; hatching is quickest in warm water.
The
newly-hatched bass continue their development while being carried along by water currents.
At first, the larval bass are forced to subsist on their yolk, but in about a week they
start feeding on tiny crustaceans which are just visible to the naked eye.It takes about
a month for the fry to reach two inches long and they start feeding primarily on mysid
shrimp and amphipods.
Because striped bass eggs must remain suspended in a current with a high
salinity level until hatching, the lakes
in Arkansas are unsuitable for natural reproduction.
The
biologist
of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission maintain
the populations in Arkansas by
stocking fingerlings.
Striped bass grow fast reaching a size of 10 to 12 inches during the first year and can
live
20+ years.
Male stripers mature at two or three years.
Females first time to spawn is at five or six years.
It takes several years for spawning
females to reach full productivity.
An average six year old female produces half a million
eggs
while a fifteen year old can produce three million.
When stocked in fresh water, they inhabit open-water areas
for most of the year.
True to their nomadic nature, striped bass will follow
their preferred prey,
the Shad, instead of holding to cover or structure.
They
are less likely to be found near the shore
unless they happen to be chasing
a school of baitfish.
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