When is a 4lb bass not a 4lb bass?

[OCdockskipper]

Answer - when she gulps down a catfish prior to eating your jig!!

 

This nice prespawn female was just short of 20" long and should have been in the mid 4 lb range.  However, she had a hankering for catfish and still hadn't digested it when she thought she would add a small crawdad-looking jig for desert.  She ended up weighing 5lb 2 oz, but didn't look odd or misshapen with the whisker fish on its way to her belly.  She looks to have the frame to continue to grow over the years, especially if she continues to gorge herself like this. 

[CroakHunter]

That's impressive!

[Bluebasser86]

Man I'd think a channel cat would be a tough fish to swallow with that trio of sharp spines to get down. 

[OCdockskipper]

8 hours ago, Bluebasser86 said:

Man I'd think a channel cat would be a tough fish to swallow with that trio of sharp spines to get down. 

That is what I thought, especially how sharp they are on small catfish.   It definitely had no chance of coming back out once she committed to eating it head first.

[12poundbass]

I asked this question last year when someone posted the video of an aquarium bass gorging on a fish 3/4 it's size.... How do bass actually kill it's prey? From the video I referenced as soon as the bass strikes it appears the fish is dead. They don't have teeth that could kill, and it doesn't seem that their bite pressure is enough to really do any damage. It would be a miserable existence if you had prey in your stomach moving around while you wait for your stomach to kill whatever you ate. 

[senile1]

That's a solid fish . . . . and a tough one munching down on catfish.

[N Florida Mike]

Interesting ! Never seen that before.

[TimberTodd]

That is definitely a mouth full!

[JustJames]

Last time I saw this type of bass behavior, the bass almost kill itself from swallowing other fish. I even had a hard time trying to remove the crappies from its mouth. The crappies was still alive and swam away. 

 

[riverbasser]

New at icast - channel cat swim baits

[Turkey sandwich]

On 1/31/2018 at 2:57 AM, Bluebasser86 said:

Man I'd think a channel cat would be a tough fish to swallow with that trio of sharp spines to get down. 

 

 

I gave up on trying to reason this years ago when I was introduced to using madtoms as live bait.  Sculpins are kind of the same way with the super sharp fins, and predators still love them, too.  I guess it just stresses the importance of predators taking baitfish head first.

[Bankbeater]

Everything looks good when you're hungry.

[Bluebasser86]

7 hours ago, riverbasser said:

New at icast - channel cat swim baits

They're already out there. I know Mattlures lakes one.

[Ratherbfishing]

5 hours ago, Turkey sandwich said:

 

 

I gave up on trying to reason this years ago when I was introduced to using madtoms as live bait.  Sculpins are kind of the same way with the super sharp fins, and predators still love them, too.  I guess it just stresses the importance of predators taking baitfish head first.

Once the bass is committed, it's COMMITTED!  There's no goin' back.

[everythingthatswims]

My buddy who catches a lot of big fish on Pickwick says they spit up catfish pretty frequently, the spines must not bother them

[DINK WHISPERER]

I've caught them with catfish like that before here in FL. That's when I started buying the Hudd 68s. I am a firm believer that is what they think they are, small catfish. They work.. 

[Sam]

Isn't Mother Nature fantastic.

 

Who would think that any fish could eat a catfish, safely.

 

But our little green monsters seem to have no problems with catfish.

 

I have caught bass with small, baby catfish in their mouths. But nothing large like you guys are writing about.

 

Thanks for sharing.

[OCdockskipper]

7 hours ago, Sam said:

Isn't Mother Nature fantastic...

I believe that was the exact thought, albeit sarcastic, of that catfish as he began his head-first journey into Mrs. Bass's belly.

 

His second thought was "Now where did I leave my flashlight?".