Behavioral Differences Between Bass Species

[Nave]

Very interesting read! 

[aceman387]

  I just stumbled upon this topic, amazing stuff !  Man we have some talented people on this site. You can surf other bass sites and you will never find such talent and knowledge and information. This place has the best of the best.    Great job you guys!

[Nitrofreak]

I think I am intellectually challenged !!  LOL !!

[KyakR]

 

Perhaps the single most impressive aspect of this entire thread - Is The Passion.

 

A-Jay

Hit it on the head What else would make us live and breathe bass fishing enough to accumulate all this?! What else would make grown-ups cry over hard water in the wintertime? 

[Catt]

Just out of curiosity coryn h. fishowl since January 1 st to December 5 th how many bass have you caught?

50? 100? 250? 500? 1,000? More?

How many over 5? Over 8? Over 10?

Well!

[Catt]

I guess he don't want to answer!

[A-Jay]

 

Just out of curiosity coryn h. fishowl since January 1 st to December 5 th how many bass have you caught?

50? 100? 250? 500? 1,000? More?

How many over 5? Over 8? Over 10?

Well!

 

 

 

I guess he don't want to answer!

 

Looks like he logged off before your post & hasn't been on since - so I don't believe he's seen it yet. 

 

And I'm betting whatever the numbers, they'll be something less than yours.

 

A-Jay

[Paul Roberts]

Well ... I agree this has certainly been a passionate discussion. What intrigues me is the possible reasons for such passion.

 

I've been very interested in how we perceive and understand nature, and I think, I wonder if, the passion generated here centers around the fear inherent in "insanity" -the loss of an understanding of the world around us. I've come to think of identity (possibly consciousness itself) like a house of cards. When someone tugs at some of those cards (esp the foundational ones) it can make us passionately defensive. Fishing takes us out there to the edge of our knowledge, our identity, -consciousness. Fascinating. Mebbe, likely, I'm alone in that. I've been growing used to "insanity" -or it's getting more and more familiar the more I look. Too much time in the woods I guess.

 

"Science" has a repeated habit of threatening that "house of cards", to even tug at those foundational ones. Many of us may think of our foundations as being on much firmer footing, but all you have to do is practice good science -with passion- for a while and you'll almost certainly find your understandings are on shakier ground than you previously thought. Or I should say, than I thought as that’s been my experience. From terror to enlightenment, to terror once again. Strange critters we are.

[Catt]

The falsifiable aspect of science is the human!

What we learned today changed what we thought we knew yesterday & what we learn tomorrow will change what we thought we knew today.

So do we really know anything?

[Paul Roberts]

The falsifiable aspect of science is the human!

What we learned today changed what we thought we knew yesterday & what we learn tomorrow will change what we thought we knew today.

So do we really know anything?

 

Yes we know a lot. I think we take for granted what we know. Look at the myriad ancient mythologies conjured to explain nature. Moving to much more recent times, the world was deemed flat. Check out the increasing accuracy of world maps over time. They get more accurate the more we know. (Ever tried to map your hunting turf on paper? It can be pretty comical at first). Mythologies worked I think bc how we thought wasn’t what was most important. There’s underlying stuff. That’s the important stuff of nature. And we aren’t likely to get down to it, to explain it accurately, without appropriate intellectual tools.

 

"Falsifiabllity" is a tool, a safeguard against dogma. In other words, the rule is: one cannot propose a lone hypotheses (explanation) in an experiment without proposing alternative possibilities. This is a tough nut for many to understand intuitively, I think bc of the fear factor mentioned in my prior post. We'd rather have it simple, and agreeing with how we think and feel. Science requires more.

 

Looking specifically at angling, imagine starting all over again: as an infant, or as a brand new angler. Knowledge, gleaned from many sources, can help us in our quests quite a lot. Imagine having to learn what you know now without any outside help. Some fundamental information is exportable, say, across the entire geographical range of largemouth bass, other info is more regional, other confined more locally. Then there are time scales: "seasons", "sub-seasons", weeks, hours, into moments. Things get pretty hairy about then. And yes, we are fishing in the moment; flying by the seat of our pants. But how anyone got where they are at that moment is not a random event -unless maybe you are a complete newb going it alone. Maybe a better question: Can we predict? And at what resolution?

[RoLo]

Well ... I agree this has certainly been a passionate discussion. What intrigues me is the possible reasons for such passion.

 

I've been very interested in how we perceive and understand nature, and I think, I wonder if, the passion generated here centers around the fear inherent in "insanity" -the loss of an understanding of the world around us. I've come to think of identity (possibly consciousness itself) like a house of cards. When someone tugs at some of those cards (esp the foundational ones) it can make us passionately defensive. Fishing takes us out there to the edge of our knowledge, our identity, -consciousness. Fascinating. Mebbe, likely, I'm alone in that. I've been growing used to "insanity" -or it's getting more and more familiar the more I look. Too much time in the woods I guess.

 

"Science" has a repeated habit of threatening that "house of cards", to even tug at those foundational ones. Many of us may think of our foundations as being on much firmer footing, but all you have to do is practice good science -with passion- for a while and you'll almost certainly find your understandings are on shakier ground than you previously thought. Or I should say, than I thought as that’s been my experience. From terror to enlightenment, to terror once again. Strange critters we are.

 

A lucid analogy that.

 

 

This topic has been covered thoroughly and thoughtfully, and I can only reiterate what's already been implicated.

Telemetric studies performed in the wild differ from tank studies in two major ways:

> Tank studies are conducted in a controlled environment (microcosm).

> Bass in the wild have more available options than captive subjects (macrocosm).

This doesn't mean that we can't learn from tank studies, because we can and do.

But it also means that the results are suspect and require intense cross-examination.

Roger

[KyakR]

I think it might be easy for us to forget coryn h.fishowl's  age, and all that goes with it. If he was 20 or 30 (or 60 like me!) yeah, guess we could take a few shots if he sounded too big for his britches. But not, in my opinion, bang up a teenager publicly. He's gifted, yes......but that's often a way he doesn't fit in already and can be a burden at that age. Please let's remember one of the important things about this site, that we encourage youngsters in our sport and provide them with guidance and a safe place to speak up.

Having said that, I must add that men guide and nurture differently than women, and a father who loved his boy would no doubt use a different way to guide his almost-a-man son than I might.  Love this thread....has everything

[KyakR]

Well ... I agree this has certainly been a passionate discussion. What intrigues me is the possible reasons for such passion.

 

I've been very interested in how we perceive and understand nature, and I think, I wonder if, the passion generated here centers around the fear inherent in "insanity" -the loss of an understanding of the world around us. I've come to think of identity (possibly consciousness itself) like a house of cards. When someone tugs at some of those cards (esp the foundational ones) it can make us passionately defensive. Fishing takes us out there to the edge of our knowledge, our identity, -consciousness. Fascinating. Mebbe, likely, I'm alone in that. I've been growing used to "insanity" -or it's getting more and more familiar the more I look. Too much time in the woods I guess.

 

"Science" has a repeated habit of threatening that "house of cards", to even tug at those foundational ones. Many of us may think of our foundations as being on much firmer footing, but all you have to do is practice good science -with passion- for a while and you'll almost certainly find your understandings are on shakier ground than you previously thought. Or I should say, than I thought as that’s been my experience. From terror to enlightenment, to terror once again. Strange critters we are.

We each passionately do defend our views of the world, our understanding of it. Humanity has a long track record of fearing new ideas and perceptions, as you said so well. And this generates everything from little tiffs here to war and bloodshed through the ages. But I think our passion for fishing comes not from an existential terror, but from love. BigBill's posts on BR come to mind! People love better the more we know......love not as sentiment, but as insight. And insight feeds imagination, and the world changes insofar as we re-imagine it! (more and bigger bass  )I know that learning from you guys here (enlightenment) means I get bit more! And the more I get bit, the happier I am and the more I want to know! But the less I get bit (terror) the more I want to sleep in and pull the covers over my head 

Have to admit, though, that fishing gives me joy and being outdoors calms my soul beyond my understanding. 

Hey, did we leave spotted bass out? Any info on their differences? I've never caught one but am headed cross country after the Roadtrip and want to try!

[Catt]

Science is about facts not assumptions, all advancements mentioned, pharmaceuticals, accuracy of world maps, physicians, mathematics, & the likes are groynded in hard facts. The study of animals in controlled environments are in itself an assumption; we are asked to assume this is how bass react in the wild.

[Brian Needham]

I think it might be easy for us to forget coryn h.fishowl's  age, and all that goes with it. If he was 20 or 30 (or 60 like me!) yeah, guess we could take a few shots if he sounded too big for his britches. But not, in my opinion, bang up a teenager publicly. He's gifted, yes......but that's often a way he doesn't fit in already and can be a burden at that age. Please let's remember one of the important things about this site, that we encourage youngsters in our sport and provide them with guidance and a safe place to speak up.

Having said that, I must add that men guide and nurture differently than women, and a father who loved his boy would no doubt use a different way to guide his almost-a-man son than I might.  Love this thread....has everything

 

 

are you impling we should give a kid a pass because he is a kid?

That would not be doing him a favor, IMO..... if anyone had taken unfair shots at anyone, which they haven't.

 

it dont matter if you are 6, 16, or 60..... this has been a rational disscussion where people have stated points, and other have stated counter points. Anything else would be spilt milk, so lets not read so much into it.

 

Coryn, seems to be smart enough, have enough vocabulary and man enough to handle himself..... what I would find embarrassing is a stanger trying to play momma bear on the internet.

 

in the south we call it ...... if ya gonna run with the big dogs...

 

I am not calling you wrong, and not saying what your feelings or Coryn's feeling should be. I do however find your post interesting.... I do because I like the people dynamic of life. The interaction between people, mostly male and female...... The Game, some call it.

[KyakR]

Actually, young men would be without true guidance if it weren't for fathers and other men willing to take them out and let them have reality teach them, learn how to take the buffeting and not only survive, but grow stronger. I mostly agree with you, Brian It must be a balance, the right guidance at the right time. I was a single mom with a son who's dad was gone. At a certain point (13 or thereabout) my approach wasn't enough! I'm not a father, period. So I swallowed hard and got him karate (goju) lessons with a strong, no nonsense sensai (master). I was terrified. But he took his falls, got into brawls, lost a tooth and some fights, and now he says it was one of the best experiences he had. Now he does run with the big dogs. If I'd had a daughter, it'd be much the same.....a father shows his offspring how to cope in the larger world. Actually, a father's involvement in his daughter's life is the major determinant of her confidence as a woman.

Grown men are warriors in their way, no matter what vocation they settle on. I have the deepest respect for this. But women are warriors in their way, like a mother bear is, but the timing must be right. 

My gender had nothing to do with my comments. If someone had implied sarcastically that you were writing checks you couldn't cash and they weren't joking I'd still find it inappropriate on this forum. Think about the difference in how you would have commented on what I said if I'd been a man.

But I can see how Coryn might have been embarrassed, and you might be right there. Sorry Coryn. I have too hot a temper at times. And Brian, I do like your bluntness ! You Irish?    

[bait__Monkey]

ou-ee...dat sum good stuff, butt mi head is spinning!

 

i tink i ned 2 see da vet, maybee Dr. Raul explain sum

of dis 2 me.  

 

used guys r really good, tank u!

[KyakR]

Spotted bass info (says hopefully....) ?    

[WRB]

Spotted bass, there are a few posts in this long thread.

Like LMB, spots come in 2 species; northern or Kentucky and southern or Alabama. Spotted bass were river bass that have transitioned to being lake bass when the rivers were dammed back in the 30's for power generation and navigation.

Spotted bass are very similar to smallmouth bass, the southern spot and smallmouth are about the same size on average, the northern spot is about 1/2 the size. Spots are very aggressive bass, stronger fighters than LMB, however not as aerobatic as smallmouth.

Spots tend to prefer soft plastics with highlighted tails like green with chartreuse tail or brown with pink tail.

Crawdads and small bait fish make up the major diet source.

Spots like to hang around deeper water with rocks, similar to smallies. Spots also roam a lot like smallies.

Spots will declaw a crawdad by hitting the claws and shaking the crawdad, before engulfing it. This trait can lead to missed strikes thinking a bluegill is striking the worm or jig and hook setting too quickly.

Tom

[Brian Needham]

I am not irish......but I am Southern.

 

would I have responded different if you were male?

based on the fact I try to judge people on merit I would like to say no...... but the simple fact is us as humans and more so the male/female  interaction relationship there are certian things hard wired into us.... so indeed if you were male I would have been more harsh, not that mean to be less harsh, its the whole nurture vs alpha male pack animal deal.

 

did your response have anything to do you being female?

of course it did, you are female. your motherly insticnt kicked in, because you percieved a youngling was been attacked (real or unreal is of no matter), that response is hard wired into you from nature. You have it whether you like it or not....... or perhaps, and this is just a perhaps, you and coryn have PM'ed enough or talked outside the boards and have become parabonded, not outside the realm of human interactions yet somewhat a strech given the distance that separates.

 

back to fishing...... all the above and earlier statements are curious. I say that because in Human life it is the male that is most often labeled non caring (lack of a better term) or stand offish. yet in fish it IS THE male that hangs with the offspring more so than the female. where in humans the male are labeled as the ones to just "seed and go" it is the female that does it in fish. interesting indeed.

 

 

so anyways, about the spotted bass. They are agressive and hearty spwaners. Smaller than others, but probably eat the most. They like cleaner water and often deeper as well, often to be found in current or around current. I really enjoy catching spots, though many find them almost a trash fish due to their high spawning rates. They can and will over time, outcompete large or small mouth bass in many settings.

The TN river has plenty of them but georgia is probably the most well know for its magnum spots(at least in the south). There and the Coosa River in alabama

hope this helps.

[roadwarrior]

A lot of guys on the Tennessee River keep all spots to eat or give away, even those of us that

are otherwise C&R ONLY. In Tennessee they are classified as a "game fish", otherwise they would

all be kept. Some lakes in Alabama and Georgia have been taken over by this species, dramatically

reducing largemouth populations.

[RoLo]

We lived in Georgia during the 90s and often fished West Point Lake & Lake Lanier.

If I were looking for a trophy spot, I'd make a beeline for Lanier, but they're the bane of West Point Lake.

In a mere 6-year period, we seen the decline of largemouth bass on West Point Lake,

countered by the explosion of spotted bass. I felt sorry for the fishing guides who were running out of alibis.

Eventually, the only real good largemouth fishing we found was near the headwaters of the Chattahoochee,

but spotted bass can be taken throughout the entire reservoir at nearly every boat stop.

 

Roger

[WRB]

You shouldn't lump both Kentucky /northern spots with Alabama/southern spots together, same in name only like NLMB vs FLMB.

A mature male Kentucy spotted bass may never reach 12" length, the females 15" and these northern spots are very aggressive and prolific spawner's. CA has a few lakes with Kentucky spots and a winning tournament weight is often less than 8 lbs for 5 bass. CA also has several lakes with Alabama spots and the world record spots from lakes Perris, followed by the current record from Pine Flat, may be eclipsed by Pardee, where spots over 8 lbs show up each year. Lake Perris no longer has a spotted bass population, displaced by FLMB and red ear sunfish; the FLMB eat the young spots and the shell crackers (red ears) eat the spawn.

Not all spotted bass are pests!

Tom

[coryn h. fishowl]

Just out of curiosity coryn h. fishowl since January 1 st to December 5 th how many bass have you caught?

50? 100? 250? 500? 1,000? More?

How many over 5? Over 8? Over 10?

Science is about information...more importantly the interruptation of that information!

You have a lot of knowledge but no wisdom!

Sorry I've been on hiatus, (final exams/end of semester season) and to answer your question, I don't know.  I was too busy having fun and trying to heave them from the water.   P.S. wisdom is not only intelligence in the context of many years' experience, it is also a synonym of knowledge. I can tell you however, that it was a good season, (given my fanaticism, it is surprising I'm not hacking at the ice with a pickaxe right now trying to get in "one last bite") despite my having been landlocked, and only capable of bank fishing save for a choice few outings.  

Oh, one more thing, MAY YOU ALL HAVE A MERRY HOLIDAYS!!!

[KyakR]

Anybody here ever catch a "Tiger" or "Gorilla" bass?