I Know But....

[GoneFishi'n]

I know that spawning season isn't here yet (so don't tell me I am dumb lol) but, if I were to catch a male/female bass like maybe a day or two before it drops the eggs or fertilizes them will I ruin a chance of having bass in that lake with good genes? Like will the male swim back to the bed to protect the eggs? Will the female be able to drop her eggs? I was just wondering because me and my dad were talking about it and I thought I could just ask you guys. Any information would be great. I could not find anything on google. I probably didn't word it right.

[MIbassin]

as long as you don't cause any physical damage to the bass, they should be fine

[slonezp]

If a female bass has a suitable mate, she will drop her eggs if you practice C&R. If you fry her up in oil and breading chances are she won't

[deep]

I have a story to share. Early this year, I found a bed about a couple of feet offshore with a really big male (turned out to be 2 lbs 12 ozs), and a decent female (turned out to be 5 lbs 2 ozs). I named them Alice and Bob, since that was the first bed I found with fish big enough to mess with. The next two nice-sized bedding bass I found were named Cindy and Dave by the way; you get the pattern.

I caught Bob once, on a Monday. After I released him, he didn't go back straight to the bed, but went into deeper water. Alice moved in and stayed around the bed, guarding it. The next time I checked back on them two days later, both of them were back on the bed. I hooked into Alice too, on Wednesday; after a lot of effort to *not* catch Bob (I wanted someone to guard the bed). And she did a similar thing. i.e. go back to deeper water and not come back immediately, while Bob took care of the inquisitive bluegills.

I'm pretty sure she was able to lay her eggs. I kept going back to that nest, not to catch them (again), but to see how they were doing. After a few days, Alice was gone, but Bob was still hanging on and around the bed and stayed there for 3 days I think, chasing little 'gills away, and guarding the eggs (I presume).

They were a cute couple.

[SirSnookalot]

Should have named the second pair Ted and Carol........."Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice", no clues, lol.

[RAMBLER]

The real problem is when either or both fish are taken off the bed and put in a live well and taken completely out of that body of water to a weigh in point and then dumped into a completely different body of water. Don't even try to tell me it doesn't happen, I live 7 miles from a resevoir that the Elite Series have fished and this is exactly what happens. Fortunately, the Florida Fish and Wildlife are aware of this situation (in part because I call them and tell them my concerns) and this is not the only body of water in Florida that this happens in.

Hopefully they will be taking some action on this isssure.

[papajoe222]

I grew up fishing with a great guy and a fairly good fisherman and so I adopted a lot of his beliefs concerning many subjects. He once said that if I started cutting down trees to make a house, the house would need to get bigger as my family did and so I'd need to cut down more trees. I'd have a decent house when all was said and done, but not much in the way of game to feed the family.

I'm a LOT bigger than I was then and I consume a lot more when I eat.

I have no idea how this equates to fishing for bedding bass, but I thought I'd share it with you anyway.

BTW, I've developed a few of my own beliefs over the years. CPR is one and leaving bedding fish undisturbed is another. If a lake has any size to it, not all the fish will be on beds at the same time. There are other trees to cut down, you just have to look elsewhere.

[1234567]

I grew up fishing with a great guy and a fairly good fisherman and so I adopted a lot of his beliefs concerning many subjects. He once said that if I started cutting down trees to make a house, the house would need to get bigger as my family did and so I'd need to cut down more trees. I'd have a decent house when all was said and done, but not much in the way of game to feed the family.

I'm a LOT bigger than I was then and I consume a lot more when I eat.

I have no idea how this equates to fishing for bedding bass, but I thought I'd share it with you anyway.

BTW, I've developed a few of my own beliefs over the years. CPR is one and leaving bedding fish undisturbed is another. If a lake has any size to it, not all the fish will be on beds at the same time. There are other trees to cut down, you just have to look elsewhere.

I get what you're saying and agree, leave em alone for the sake of the family!!!

[GoneFishi'n]

So I should not try to catch one? Wait till after spawning has happens?

[1234567]

That's a personal preference. Fish the way that makes you happy man.

[deep]

That's a personal preference. Fish the way that makes you happy man.

Exactly. As long as it's legal, and sporting (in your eyes), that's all that matters. I respect those who are not hypocritical about things.