Nesting Bass

[The Bassman]

 Should we fish em or leave em alone and focus on other species for now? Just curious what everyone thinks.

[CroakHunter]

This should get interesting

[TnRiver46]

I don’t ever sight fish for nesters but I’m sure I have dragged my Texas rigs through plenty of beds without know it. I just don’t like the idea of trying to catch one bass for 45 minutes, especially when you hear people say they got a 30 lb limit in 20 minutes. I have no issue with those that do bed fish, our local reservoirs are unnafected by it. Up in the north country it must have some effect because they have closed seasons and c&r only seasons. I tend to think a large amount of fish in the TN river spawn where people can’t see them (6+ ft underwater )

[Deleted account]

I don't sight fish nesting bass, but as long as it's legal I don't have an issue with those who do. I think the impact on a smaller body of water is more pronounced than in a large reservoir, and I fish a bunch of the former. 

[jbmaine]

I love the spawn, but not so much for catching fish on beds. Most of the waters we fish have good visibility, down to 10+ ft. so seeing fish is easy. I love cruising, looking at beds to see how many beds, fish there are. It tells me something about how healthy, productive, these bodies of water are. It gives me more confidence thru out the year fishing there, knowing there are plenty of fish to catch, and I just have to step up to the plate and do my part.

 That being said, I am guilty of some bed fishing, If I see a really big fish I will try to catch it. But if I do, it's a couple of pics, then right back in the water. And within seconds it's swum back and sitting on the bed.

[OCdockskipper]

If it is a male, I'll treat it like any other fish I spot and give it a cast or two.  If the fish doesn't jump on it, I'll just move on believing that fish is focused on something other than eating or aggressively defending the nest.  I'm not fishing in a tournament, so just seeing the fish is a bit of enjoyment.

 

The only time I have ever made multiple casts for a bedding fish for any length of time is for fish I estimate to be over 5 lbs.  Those fish I want to see up close, but again, if they choose not to bite, at least I know there is one more big one swimming around.

 

Spotting males on a nest is a sign for me that there probably are females nearby, typically deeper or hanging out in some cover like a dock or brushpile.  If I am not seeing any nests, typically I am not running into any nearby females.

[All about da bass]

IMO, I will catch the fish but as soon as I un hook them I'll throw em back. I'm very gentle with the fish, we all are. If my tournament trail allows us to catch em that way, I'm ok with it.

[WRB]

Pre spawn, spawn, post spawn cycle takes a few months to complete and where I am fishing we have about 3 waves of the spawn cycle, so bass are on beds for a few months. Who is going to give up bass for several months? If you are fishing less then 8' of water in wind protest areas chances are you are catching bed fish.

I look for bass on beds and usually don't target them intensionally, not interested in the catching small bass only the big bass and if one I note where it is and will come back fish the area later.

Tom

[Catt]

1 hour ago, WRB said:

Pre spawn, spawn, post spawn cycle takes a few months to complete and where I am fishing we have about 3 waves of the spawn cycle, so bass are on beds for a few months. Who is going to give up bass for several months? If you are fishing less then 8' of water in wind protest areas chances are you are catching bed fish.

I look for bass on beds and usually don't target them intensionally, not interested in the catching small bass only the big bass and if one I note where it is and will come back fish the area later.

Tom

 

Exactly! ?

 

I've often wondered if we are affecting the spawn by catching them off a nest.

 

Wouldn't catching them during pre-spawn when she ready to get on a nest have an effect?

 

Not many opposes pre-spawn fishing!

[soflabasser]

As long as its legal I say go for it. 

[Mike L]

When in a tournament we are always looking for beds.

When we spot one I've had boaters spend over an hour trying to bag her while I'm junk fishing off the back. 

A few times I've had boaters give me a chance up front before we leave to look for another if he can't get her to bite. 

 

If fun fishing alone or with someone else I'll always stop to make a few cursory casts,  and then move on. 

 

 

 

Mike

[Catt]

2 hours ago, Mike L said:

If fun fishing alone or with someone else I'll always stop to make a few cursory casts,  and then move on. 

 

Mike

 

If she's big enough ?

 

 

 

[Mike L]

11 hours ago, Catt said:

 

If she's big enough ?

 

 

 

I'd sleep in the boat for that one ! ??

 

 

 

 

Mike

[sully420]

I dont fish for them i like to look at em and see whats going on. Im sure i catch some running bank. But spawn is so quick where i live its not a great strategy fir catching.

[FishDewd]

I don't bed fish intentionally... the spawn here is on/off for quite a while, same with catfish and other species, so it's hard to really know if they are in one of the spawn stages or not. Water holds heat well, but also also takes time to cool off or heat up due to heat latency. On a lot of stable days it could go on for quite a while theoretically.

[Koz]

I bank fish here and most every lagoon I fish has sediment laden water from flowing stormwater. Visibility is less than a foot, so I can't even see if what I landed was a bedded bass. But if I could see and there was a lunker there I'd go for it.

[JustJames]

I tried not to target bass on bed this past year. I would try a few cast to see how bass react to different type lure. Only one time that a spent more than a few cast in order to get bigger female to bite. I tried to pull the male out a few times with no success so I had to set hook and hurry with the female. The male bass back to protect the nest within 5 mins and I called it quit. 

[All about da bass]

5 hours ago, JustJames said:

I tried not to target bass on bed this past year. I would try a few cast to see how bass react to different type lure. Only one time that a spent more than a few cast in order to get bigger female to bite. I tried to pull the male out a few times with no success so I had to set hook and hurry with the female. The male bass back to protect the nest within 5 mins and I called it quit. 

When you catch the male next time, put him in the live well for a sec. That will make the female be on guard like you said, you will have a greater chance of catching her then. The only thing is, is that you can't do that in a tournament,

[Bluebasser86]

I fish for them, it's pretty exciting. 

[Graham]

Caught my first bed fish earlier today, and it was really an amazing experience. Observing the behavioral habits of a springtime bass is intensely interesting to me. I worked her for 30 minutes and watched her slowly get more and more aggressive until she violently ate my creature bait. I got her back in the water quickly and handled her with care. From an ethical standpoint I believe its all about how you handle a fish once it is caught, so my conscience is clean!  

[TOXIC]

My annual trip to St Clair is the 19th-28th of this month planned to mirror the spawn of monster smallmouth on the lake.  Depending on the weather we can find them in pre/post spawn as well as on the beds.  We fish the spawn because it is that one time of year when the bigger fish show themselves and are very catchable.  Any other time they are harder to locate and to catch.  I am still looking for my first 7lber that will be a replica mount for my wall.  I have no replicas to date because I have pretty strict standards for what I want to invest the $$ in for a top notch replica.  We catch and immediate release after a picture and possible a weight if it looks to be over 5lbs.  Science backs up the facts that spawn fishing does not hurt the population but if you have an ethical problem with it, I understand.  Since we fish for them in all stages of the spawn (not just on the bed) it makes for many 75-100 fish days in the last 15 years.  I call smallmouth "Fisherman's Crack" and I'm hooked.  ?