At spawning the male makes from one to four nests and defends them until the females lay their eggs. Females lay fewer eggs than largemouth or smallmouth bass. But once the eggs are deposited in the nest, she will remain to help guard the nest for another day before leaving. The male then guards the nest(s) against Bluegills and other raiding fish. They continue to guard the fry after hatching. Unlike other black basses, spotted bass tend to group together and form schools. They are sometimes seen chasing schools of shad in open water.