Male or female?

[Clackincrank53]

I know no question is a dumb question but can u tell the sex of a bass just by looking at it? Besides when they're full of eggs or when on beds?

[Turkey sandwich]

Size is generally a good a fast ID.  If you're catching bass over 16", odds are very good it's a female. 

[roadwarrior]

Very difficult for biologists, let alone "regular" guys.

 

 

[runt4561]

male bass are generally more streamlined. I disagree with the 16 inch rule. caught many 4 lb males in florida. I do not have the ability to look at any fish and tell male or female. I generally can only tell during the spawn.

[Airman4754]

The smaller ones no, the bigger ones yes. My buddy caught this last year during the peak of the pre-spawn. This is the biggest Northern Strain male I have ever seen and it fought like you wouldn't believe. They just look like a little bass, blown up.

 

 

 

[long island basser]

Not me. No idea.

[RoLo]

Distinguishing a male bass from a female bass is extremely difficult, even for an ichthyologist.

There are several suggestive features like body shape, color and vent shape,

but all are highly prone to error.

 

Naturally, if white milt is present it's a male, and if roe is present its a female, but those are no-brainers.

For the angler, the ultimate weight of the bass is the best indication.

If the bass weighs 4 or more pounds, the likelihood of it being a female is extremely high.

If the bass weighs 6 or more pounds, you can bet the ranch it's a female.

If I'm not mistaken, the heaviest buck on record weighed just 6 pounds.

 

Roger

[Catt]

3 hours ago, RoLo said:

If I'm not mistaken, the heaviest buck on record weighed just 6 pounds.

 

Roger

 

Texas ShareLunker has a male almost 8 lbs

[RoLo]

43 minutes ago, Catt said:

 

Texas ShareLunker has a male almost 8 lbs

 

 

Wow, that's huge, and it's also a shame.

Now the naysayers are going to call our next 7-pounder a 'ladyboy'

 

Roger

[Airman4754]

48 minutes ago, Catt said:

 

Texas ShareLunker has a male almost 8 lbs

 

You would have to assume Texas will produce the next world record fish. They are breeding enormous fish together.

 

I still don't understand why this isn't being practiced everywhere. The results are already amazing.

[RoLo]

2 hours ago, Mosster47 said:

 

You would have to assume Texas will produce the next world record fish. They are breeding enormous fish together.

 

I still don't understand why this isn't being practiced everywhere. The results are already amazing.

 

 

I wouldn't think the weight of 1 buck bass has much bearing on the next world-record.

World-records are set by female bass, and world-class weights begin at 18 pounds.

Texas has produced very few bass over 18 pounds (I'm only aware of 1).

 

Roger

[Catt]

@RoLo & @Mosster47

 

"Past genetic research focused mainly on the female but the ShareLunker program is showing the equally important role of the male's genetics.

2014 Nacogdoches Texas, a lake record of 12.54 lbs was caught on Lake Naconiche; genetic research showed some interesting facts.

The mother was ShareLunker #370; 14.28 lbs from Falcon Lake.

The grandmother was ShareLunker #187; 14.05 lbs from Lake Fork.

The great-grandmother was ShareLunker #9; 16.13 lbs from Gibbons Creek.

Plus ShareLunker #305; 14.67 lbs from Lake Fork.

All 5 were from the same father; an almost 8 lb male."

 

ShareLunker research shows how rare a 20 lb plus bass really is!

[Airman4754]

10 hours ago, RoLo said:

 

 

I wouldn't think the weight of 1 buck bass has much bearing on the next world-record.

World-records are set by female bass, and world-class weights begin at 18 pounds.

Texas has produced very few bass over 18 pounds (I'm only aware of 1).

 

Roger

 

Outside of California and Texas no one has. I don't buy George Perry's fish tale for a second. 2+2=4, no fish, no witness, no picture? Try that angle today and see what record you come home with.

 

California has Northen/Florida hybrids, trout, and perfect growing weather 365/24/7 with deep water. The south is hot and shallow. To dismiss using a giant male breeding with giant females would go against genetic studies and history. Texas is deliberately trying to grow world record fish. Eventually it's going to happen.

[RoLo]

On 4/21/2017 at 7:13 AM, Mosster47 said:

 

Outside of California and Texas no one has. I don't buy George Perry's fish tale for a second. 2+2=4, no fish, no witness, no picture? Try that angle today and see what record you come home with.

 

California has Northen/Florida hybrids, trout, and perfect growing weather 365/24/7 with deep water. The south is hot and shallow. To dismiss using a giant male breeding with giant females would go against genetic studies and history. Texas is deliberately trying to grow world record fish. Eventually it's going to happen.

 

 

In 1992, Texas produced it's one and only bass over 18 lbs. Although Florida produced

several bass that were officially weighed and documented over 18 lbs, none have been certified

by the state of Florida. Florida's former state record was a 19-lb bass taping 31" taken from

Tarpon Lake, Florida. All the same, the state saw fit to rescind this record, and in two

other instances, certification was denied because a biologist never identified the species.

To be sure, California "used to" turn out bass over 18 lbs, but their production of late

has slowed to a crawl, and for all practical purposes has halted.

 

There's never been any mystery about the gene pool of world-class bass; they are ALL

Florida-strain bass. The normal longevity of a Florida-strain bass depends on its

geographic latitude (water climate), not mystical genes. Too far north and you shorten

their growing season, too far south and you shorten their lifespan, but in order to produce

a world-record, both attributes must be present. The growth-rate of a Florida-strain bass

hinges on the forage-base of the waterbody in which it dwells, where an abundance of

high-fat prey is a must (No, not high-protein). When Florida-strain bass are transplanted

into a foreign waterbody with ideal conditions, the population generally burgeons for the first

10 to 15 years. Over time however, a species living where nature has not intended

will undergo a slow but sure process of genetic poop-out. In that regard, the Texas department

of resources has done a far better job than California. Texans are excellent stewards

of their Florida-strain resource and are determined to maximize the mileage,

which is no easy task...Kudos to Texas!

 

Every world-class bass on record has come from a relatively narrow latitudinal band that wraps

around the globe. In that narrow world-class band, at least one 18-lb plus bass has been taken

from Georgia, Florida, Texas, California and Japan. Waterbodies situated above and below

the optimum latitude are highly unlikely to produce a world-class bass, let alone a world-record.

Owing to their rapid growth rate, many tropical latitudes yield hordes of double-digit bass,

yet world-class bass (18+) are conspicuously absent (World-class is 80% heavier than double-digit).

 

On an old thread many years ago, I was the only member who offered 'Japan'

as a possible candidate for a new world record. I based my prediction mostly on latitude,

and the rest is history. In that same thread, most of the members choose tropical climes

such as Cuba, Mexico & Puerto Rico. In my opinion at least, those countries are too far south

of Florida to provide the long lifespan necessary for a Florida-strain bass to attain world-class.

The problem being, bass living in tropical climes are destined to die young due to thermal burnout,

the same as pushing plant growth with grow lights. No mystical gene pool can compensate

for an animal living outside its natural range. It would be interesting if we could all

reconvene 100 years from now, I believe we might all be somewhat surprised.

The more things change, the more they stay the same   

 

Roger

[Catt]

@RoLo exactly right

 

One thing ShareLunker biologist learned early on about genetics is that just because a bass was Florida-strain does not mean it will attain double digit status. This is the sole reason for having a 13 lb minimum for acceptance. 

 

There are independent researches which have been rumored to have 19 lb bass but being from Missouri ya gotta show me!

 

18 lbs is one thing but 20+ or another 25+ & yes I believe Dottie was 25 lbs 1 oz!

[Bluebasser86]

Jimmy Houston says if you kiss them and they kiss back, they're female. 

[lonnie g]

I say just catch a bigun , and we wont argue when you call it a her

[blckshirt98]

I did some internet searching this past weekend for this very reason.  Three things I found through various posts/videos by non-scientist people, which are probably wrong -

 

1) Males will have a more pointy head shape vs the femail which will be more rounded.

2) Females will have two holes in their belly - one for waste, one for eggs, males will have just one hole, for waste.

3) Anal fin on a male will be translucent where you can see your finger through it.

 

Probably all wrong but one thing I think I notice at least in the local reservoirs are male LMB tend to be lighter in color and more torpedo shaped, where the female will have more of the "classic" bass shape.

[WRB]

Agree with Rolo, size is the only indicator, males rarely weigh more than 1/2 the largest females in any waterway. No differences in outer physical shape, coloration or vents.

During the spawn it's easy, females are full of eggs. The only way for average angler is a fillet knife.

Tom