Bream are renowned for bedding on a full moon. A male will make the nest, a shallow depression in the sand or silt on the bottom of the lake. A new moon causes a similar but lesser bedding period.
The male will then attract a female to his lair with sudden darts and a series of grunts. Once the female has succumbed to the male’s advances she will deposit her eggs as the male fills the bed with sperm. He will then guard the nest until the fry have reached sufficient size to leave the nest. Studies have found that a male will entice several females and multiple couples will use the same nest.
It also appears bream, like bass and other sunfish, like to construct beds on a flat bottom. According to Brown, the edges of a lake are often where the bedding takes place because that is where the most desirable sites are found. In some lakes, it may be 8-10 feet deep.
“Bedding will occur from spring to fall, as long as water conditions are right,” Brown said. “Some of the best fly fishing I’ve seen in our state lakes is on a full moon in September.”
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