This is possibly the most sought after game fish that is stocked in farm ponds today. They can reach sizes of four to five pounds and be eighteen to twenty inches in length. The most common size is two to three pounds, which in Ohio is very respectable. The bass fry hatch out in mid-May through the first or second week in June, all depending on the water temperature. Good weather conditions of 60° + warmer water. Bass males, or bucks, will build and guard the nest where fertilization of the eggs takes place. They will guard the eggs for the next seven to ten days. When the bass fry leave the spawning bed, they remain in a tight group. The bass buck will stay close by guarding them from other fish. as the fry grow they feed on the bottom of the food chain on tiny microscopic living things called zooplankton. Eventually they go to bigger prey such as small fish, insects, crayfish, and about anything that will fit into their mouths. They will continue for about two weeks. At this point in time, the fry will be about 3/4" in length.