island lake Smallmouth Spawn

[Coldtrack]

Was fishing Island lake up by Northome this last weekend and the bite was down, my son and I kept a few smaller ones for eating and I was surprised to find they still had eggs in them!! But the eggs were turning that muddy brown look , almost like the fish were absorbing them.

Edited June 17, 2015 by Rick

[BTL]

Wouldn't surprise me. I can't speak for that lake, but where I was fishing a couple weeks ago, the smallie spawn was all messed up. A big cold front came through right after the fish came up to spawn, and the water dropped back down into the 50s. There were empty beds everywhere.

[RK]

Yeah, with this spring it wouldn't surprise me if some fish threw in the towel. If unstable weather or a temp drop chased them off enough times, they will reabsorb their eggs. On a lake I was on this past weekend there were some smallies actively spawning, while we saw others already guarding fry. Unless we have a late-arriving winter a lot of the late hatches don't survive anyhow, as they don't get big enough to overwinter.