Finding Beds

[HookRz]

2 hours ago, Catt said:

 

Or you can go & spend hours going through file cabinet after file cabinet of research data at your local Wildlife & Fisheries office (they'll let ya). And you can spend hours working with Biologist on your home lake building spawning beds. And you can spend countless hours attending meeting of the Sabine River Authority learning your body of water.

 

Oh by the way where ya get your info?

No need to rifle filing cabinets these days. Peer review published papers are largely available on-line. The worst flaw you will see in "promotional review" science is the claim that because only X% of fry survive in a given year everything will be ok if X% of the beds survive. That ain't how it works. You'll find a few peer review studies from the literature below.

  https://scholar.google.com/scholar?start=0&q=micropterus+spawning+success+mortality+tournaments+peer+review&hl=en&as_sdt=0,33&as_vis=1

 

[Catt]

24 minutes ago, HookRz said:

No need to rifle filing cabinets these days. Peer review published papers are largely available on-line. The worst flaw you will see in "promotional review" science is the claim that because only X% of fry survive in a given year everything will be ok if X% of the beds survive. That ain't how it works. You'll find a few peer review studies from the literature below.

  https://scholar.google.com/scholar?start=0&q=micropterus+spawning+success+mortality+tournaments+peer+review&hl=en&as_sdt=0,33&as_vis=1

 

 

Ya late done read all of em!

 

You'll arguments on both sides which is why each states regulations differ.

 

The research never say there no impact on the spawn it shows it's not "severely" impacted by large tournaments. 

 

Right now on all waters down here there's more non-tournament anglers per acre than tournament anglers. Few states research includes this anglers keying rather on tournament anglers. Texas Parks & Wildlife includes every anglers.

[mllrtm79]

Delaware will close certain areas during the spawning period, especially off of the Nanticoke River. They also limit Stripers to catch and release from 1April to 31May in spawning grounds. 

[scaleface]

Bass lay thousands of eggs for a reason .To insure the survival of the species .   Changing water levels can have a big impact . I'm not concerned about fishing pressure too much .

[J Francho]

On 2/22/2017 at 0:36 AM, MikeWright said:

Is there any tale tell signs to finding a bed if you can't actually see into the water and bank fishing? I want to fish beds...I just have no clue how to locate them because I can only see 3-4 feet down from the shores...or are beds everywhere and anywhere? 

 

The original post is asking how to locate beds. (See question quoted above)

 

Let's stay on topic, please.

 

Every year, during the spawn, these threads come up, and the replies become littered with debate on whether or not it's right to fish bedding bass.  It's like asking which Daiwa reel to buy, and being told to try Shimano.

 

If you'd like to explore the topic of ethics and morality of bed fishing, or share research, start your own topic.

 

The previous comments can stay, but any new comments that do not relate to the OP will be removed.

Thanks!

[WRB]

I agree with Catt on his post, they are based on facts that concur with my own experiences. 

No replies to the Iconelli / Zona series? The reason I posted that is it shows that bass don't always bed where you would think, although considering the depth, water temps, and cover it a classic spawning area.....just miles off shore  on a big flat in the middle of Chesapeake bay on the Patomic River. Bass usually bed near shore with some type of wind break and something to protect their back side.

When I am looking for beds the first thing to look for are bass, then any lighter spot like a pebbles and then try to make out a dished out area. When you see a bass swim away from a spot and return in a few minutes that clearly indicates a bed is nearby during the spawn season.

Our lakes are clear water and easy to spot spawners in shallower water, sometime these bass make beds in deeper water at the edge of depth of light, not so easy to see at 10 to 15 feet or deeper.

Bass will spawn if at all possible and will find a way to do it, sometimes not in your normal locations.

Tom

[Catt]

Depending on bottom composition the bed is easily spotted, other times all you'll see it the bass, & other times you'll not see the nest or bass but you'll hear them back  in heavy cover.

 

In this picture there's a firm bottom with no vegetation, you can easily see the female, the male on so much...how see the bed?

[SPEEDBEAD.]

LOL, that's a tank too. ^

[soflabasser]

 

Bass like to spawn in areas where the floor is firm,not muddy, and they are protected from the elements.Usually you will find a male on the nest and the big female might or might not be nearby.These spawning bass are much easier to catch than a free range bass and almost any lure worked well over the nest is enough to catch a spawning bass. I saw several bass beds earlier this month in the Everglades.The bass population is extremely healthy there and anyone can catch +20 bass in a day in the Everglades,even from the shore.

[ww2farmer]

In my home lake, finding smallmouth beds is easy..............they are everywhere in 2'-12' feet of water. They make nice huge beds, that stand out like sore thumbs in clear water, and almost with out exception are next to something on the bottom, like a boulder, car tire, stump, rail road tie, etc......And as our smallmouth population  has boomed over the last decade, they are now starting to spawn in areas that in years past you just didn't see them too often.

 

Largemouth beds are a little more difficult to spot for me here, as they are not as good of "housekeepers" as smallmouth, and their beds often don't look like anything special on the bottom. They are also not as picky of where they bed. They do tend to stay shallower than smallmouth, but don't have a preference for being next to a hard piece of cover. I have found them in just random spots on soft bottom flats. Smallmouth, while not "colony" bedders like bluegills, tend to not be so concerned with other smallies bedding close by, largemouth however seem to want plenty of space between them and the next largemouth bed. 

 

We have a nice little progression of bedding here (not counting random late spawners which happen with both LMB, and SMB every year) usually about two big waves of smallmouth and crappies, with random largemouth, and hoards of rock bass showing up at the tail end of the second smallmouth wave. Then a big wave of largemouth, intermixed with random smallmouth. Then about the time smallmouth completely pull off, little lazy pumpkinseed sunfish make use of all the old smallmouth and largemouth beds that are not being used by random late spawning bass. Then the bluegill colonies show up, and bass still on beds are few and far between.

[Paul Roberts]

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[N Florida Mike]

I generally fish the same lakes and therefore know where fish usually bed.I'll start seeing aggressive little males in the shallows, and about the same time beds will start being scooped out.The male will be on them more than the female.I have a bed this year right off my property that is in the same spot as one last year where I caught the 6.3 pound female.I looked for her nearly every day once the nest went in and never saw her until I caught her.Im starting to think that the the females have become nocturnal in my home lake because I can't tell you the last time I saw one during the day.A nother thing many people don't realize is that very small females can spawn.I caught 2 small females ,both were no bigger than 1.5 pounds.Both were full of eggs.( kept them not believing they were egg laden, trying to cull some of the small fish out )So there are many,many more fish that people never see that are reproducing.

I respect bedding fish and don't keep them BUT I don't have a problem if someone keeps them in a live well or whatever for awhile.

I used to KEEP bedding fish in the 70s and 80s like most others then and we always had plenty.Ive changed since then and don't advocate keeping them now but as long as you're obeying the laws in your area it is ultimately your decision what you do with the fish.

[Paul Roberts]

On 2/21/2017 at 10:36 PM, MikeWright said:

Is there any tale tell signs to finding a bed if you can't actually see into the water and bank fishing? I want to fish beds...I just have no clue how to locate them because I can only see 3-4 feet down from the shores...or are beds everywhere and anywhere? 

 

I've done a lot of looking for spawning beds. I actually spent several years observing and recording timing data on spawning activity. I am close to finishing up a video documentary on largemouth spawn season behavior.

 

The beds can be tough to spot, even for professionals in scuba gear. LM's, bc they are often willing to spawn on soft bottoms (which they clear to something firm) can be lost in local cover/debris. A paper came out describing the challenges for researchers and managers in trying to identify beds. Being on shore, and low to the water, is doubly difficult.

 

Your best bet is to hoof a lot, and look during peak spawn times for your area. Bass spawn in the same places year after year (even reusing the same beds) -something called "site fidelity", and they do so bc... it just plain worked. There are always adventurer individuals though. You'll likely need high banks, (I've climbed trees), and some good water clarity. Keep looking.

 

On 2/23/2017 at 9:17 AM, Catt said:

Depending on bottom composition the bed is easily spotted, other times all you'll see it the bass, & other times you'll not see the nest or bass but you'll hear them back  in heavy cover.

 

In this picture there's a firm bottom with no vegetation, you can easily see the female, the male on so much...how see the bed?

 

I am going to take a stab...

The bed is the pale patch just ahead of the female. Looks like possibly the male is down there tending it. Or, the bed is a short distance away and shallower. Either way, she's facing it. She appears to be in what I call "classic pose" -she holding just outside the bed, awaiting a spawning interlude. She is girthy enough that she is still carrying a lot of eggs.

 

Here's a pair in "Classic Pose". Male on right, bed out of picture on right up on shallow shelf. Female on left, holding and awaiting a spawning bout:

 

[J Francho]

12 minutes ago, Paul Roberts said:

I've done a lot of looking for spawning beds. I actually spent several years observing and recording timing data on spawning activity.

 

I'm not capturing data, but I love going to some local ponds and just watching the bass on beds.  It's also an eye opener to see just how large some of the biggest fish are.  One particular pond comes to mind.  It's funny, it gets a ton of pressure, totally visible, lots of non angling foot traffic, and it's loaded with slobs.  It's just interesting to watch them - they definitely display lots of body language.  Not as dramatic as dome of South American Cichlids in my aquaria, but interesting anyway.

[Paul Roberts]

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[MikeWright]

@J Francho Thanks! I got overloaded..