How long to bass live?

[Glenn]

I see this question pop up here every now and then, and I get asked this fairly often.  So I made a video to help answer it.  Enjoy!

 

 

[roadwarrior]

In the Mid South our smallmouth grow fast, but only live to about 9 years.

It takes about five years to reach 5 lbs.  In the north, five pounds may take

nine or ten years. The World Record lived in cooler water in a highland

reservoir, Dale Hollow. That fish was thirteen years old.

 

https://www.gameandfishmag.com/editorial/10-largest-smallmouth-bass-world-records/190547#:~:text=Dale Hollow Reservoir%2C Tennessee,of controversy over the years.

[WRB]

As Glenn generalized colder water climate “Bass” live longer, however there are several species to consider.

The oldest bass I know of was a 23 years Smallmouth from NY. Dottie the famous 25.1 lb female Florida strain Largemouth bass was 15 years old from San Diego’s lake Dixon. Both my 18.6 & 19.3 lb FLMB were 14 years old from scale study, not all that accurate.

These giants live in deep cool water reservoirs and have good high protein prey...rainbow trout.

10 Years is a oldtimer for a FLMB living in Florida, water is warmer.

Good topic.

Thanks Glenn.

Tom

[Bird]

Water temps play a role in lifespan. 

 

Growing up in the aquatic fish business......the higher the temps, the quicker the demise but growth rates are increased.

 

Basically what was already said. Lol

 

 

[Vilas15]

"I ain't here for a long time, I'm here for a good time" - Fish in warmer climates

[MIbassyaker]

General rule of thumb in Michigan is that if you catch a 5-pound largemouth in most waters, you've got a 10-year old fish (or older).  A 5-pound smallie, however, is often younger if it comes from a place where there are gobies to much on, or older where there aren't.

 

 

One thing about fish growing older in the North, though:  every year that passes is another opportunity to be killed by a bad winter, eaten by some large predator, or caught and harvested --or killed by mishandling-- by human anglers.  Just because you can live 20 years doesn't mean you do...

[Deleted account]

12 hours ago, MIbassyaker said:

One thing about fish growing older in the North, though:  every year that passes is another opportunity to be killed by a bad winter, eaten by some large predator, or caught and harvested --or killed by mishandling-- by human anglers.  Just because you can live 20 years doesn't mean you do...

Yeah, if the average lifespan was calculated for fish like humans, it would be a few minutes.

 

[soflabasser]

There was a largemouth bass caught in Montana that was at least 19 years old. Another largemouth bass caught in New York was estimated to be 24 years old based on a tag it had.  On average Northern largemouth bass live longer than Florida largemouth bass but Florida largemouth bass grow much larger.

[gim]

On 3/24/2021 at 6:19 PM, roadwarrior said:

In the north, five pounds may take

nine or ten years.

When I was at the AOY in 2015 at Mille Lacs, there was a DNR biologist there and I talked to him for a while about the smallmouth there. He said the same thing. It takes about a decade for a bass of either species in the north to reach a 5 pound/20 inch size.

 

We don’t stock bass here in the north so removing a decade-old fish like that isn’t easily replaceable. Even a 3 pounder is probably 6 or 7 years old.

[N Florida Mike]

This may explain a lot about the mystery Ive had on my small home lake. We had a good population of large bass until 2011 , when we had a fish kill that killed most, if not all the bass over 2 pounds. I didnt catch any bass over 2 pounds until    the second year after the kill. Every year after until 2018 I caught fish a pound or so heavier. In 2018 I caught an 8.1 . But the next year a 7.6, then last year only a 4 lb 10 oz , and this year a 4. lb 12 oz . I havent been able to figure out where all the big fish Ive been releasing have gone. I have put in a lot of man hours , but catching less real big fish. Im thinking they are dying of old age before I catch them again ... and of course , I dont catch them all in that weight class anyway .?. And certainly some year classes produce more fish than others. Knowing they have a 10 year or so life span only seems to solve the mystery , especially since the lake is small and shallow. It is also very productive as a numbers lake- always has been. Lots of forage, bluegill base, but lots of competition. What do you think?

 

[WRB]

prey source is very important for bass growth. Everyone. Thinks big baits big bass but that. Isn’t true when bass are younger before growing bigger. Very important for 6” bass to have abundant food source as a 6 lb bass.

Bluegill imo are poor food source unless young of the year to about 3”-4” long.Green sunfish and crappie are better prey source for adult size bass. Long thin fish like shiners, suckers, Trout etc are easier to swallow without dorsal spines sticking in the bass throat. Frogs, mice, salamanders, worms, small birds, rats, etc are all good for adult bass. Larvae of all kinds and minnows are good for juvenile bass. Crawdads of various sizes are important food sources.

Threadfin shade are good for bass to 6 lbs or so, to little protein for big bass. Larger bait fish like gizzard Shad Golden shiners, trout are good to grow big bass.

In SoCal the prime year class is about 10 years, the population older are very rare fish.

Tom

[river-rat]

 

A study was done by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries in 2012 and it was found that most largemouth bass in the Atchafalaya Basin do not live much past 5 years.

[FryDog62]

Like bass, us humans go dormant for about 2/3 of the year here in Minnesota. So technically, I’m only about 19 years old now... Not sure I’ll ever make it to 6 feet tall, but I should live until I’m about 240 or so I hope! 

[FryDog62]

On 3/25/2021 at 8:38 PM, gimruis said:

When I was at the AOY in 2015 at Mille Lacs, there was a DNR biologist there and I talked to him for a while about the smallmouth there. He said the same thing. It takes about a decade for a bass of either species in the north to reach a 5 pound/20 inch size.

 

We don’t stock bass here in the north so removing a decade-old fish like that isn’t easily replaceable. Even a 3 pounder is probably 6 or 7 years old.

I caught a DNR tagged largemouth in Northern Minnesota a couple years ago. So I recorded the length/weight and forwarded to the local DNR office. I received a lengthy email back from the fisheries biologist who said the fish had been caught before and had quite a history. 
 

The fish had previously been caught in 2011 and was 16.5 inches, and again in 2015 and had grown to 17.75 inches. I caught the fish in 2018 at 19.25 inches - and the DNR said it was most likely part of a major re-stocking program and year class in 1999 - and was now 19 years old!! 

[gim]

28 minutes ago, FryDog62 said:

I caught a DNR tagged largemouth in Northern Minnesota a couple years ago. So I recorded the length/weight and forwarded to the local DNR office. I received a lengthy email back from the fisheries biologist who said the fish had been caught before and had quite a history. 
 

The fish had previously been caught in 2011 and was 16.5 inches, and again in 2015 and had grown to 17.75 inches. I caught the fish in 2018 at 19.25 inches - and the DNR said it was most likely part of a major re-stocking program and year class in 1999 - and was now 19 years old!! 

That’s a great piece of information Fryer. Bass take a long time to reach trophy size here in the north.

[N Florida Mike]

Does anyone know what happens to bass when they die ? I mean Do they float or sink ? Because I never see any dead bass on my lake. Makes me think that they must sink...

[roadwarrior]

       They are eaten by scavengers.

[TnRiver46]

43 minutes ago, N Florida Mike said:

Does anyone know what happens to bass when they die ? I mean Do they float or sink ? Because I never see any dead bass on my lake. Makes me think that they must sink...

Some Float some sink . Eventually they get gone quick 

[N Florida Mike]

3 hours ago, TnRiver46 said:

Eventually they get gone quick 

Isnt that an oxy-moron ? ?

3 hours ago, roadwarrior said:

       They are eaten by scavengers.

? I knew that. Just trying to figure out why I never see dead bass.