my Okoboji images

A smallmouth bass finds shelter within the timbers of the Milford Tower. Fish begin to arrive at the tower mid-April. Bass live in the lower half and around the base where the water is colder and dark. Pan fish live in and around the upper structure where the water is warmer and the plant life provides food. An occasional northern or musky patrols the perimeter. Small schools of little walleye appear at the bottom, usually in late June and early July. They too are brief visitors.

Bass nest among rocks, stones and the occasional cement anchors or old tires lost on the bottom. They do not nest in groups and they are nowhere near as vigilant as bluegill tending their eggs. This bass, near a large stone, shares its nest with a glass bottle.

Debbie Skarin, of Milford, Iowa, approaches a smallmouth bass. Bass, after spawning, are curious fish and will gather around divers, even swimming up to their masks. Divers sometimes have to shoo them out of the way as they cross the bottom of the lake.