Other species while bass fishing.

[Woody B]

Thoughts on catching other species while bass fishing?  Not whether it's fun or not, but obviously if you're catching bass, and other species they're all sharing forage.   Is this an indication of a good eco system, or is it bad for bass fishing.   

 

Back in the 70's 80's and 90's with the exception of an occasional Striper I never caught another species while bass fishing.  I sold my boat and stopped fishing in 1992.  Bought my current boat and started back fishing in Dec 2021.   Since then I've caught several species while targeting bass.   I've caught some really big Catfish including a 53 pound Flathead.  I've caught so many Cats over 10 pounds this year I've lost count.  (I'll count pictures later)   I caught a 9.84 pound Channel Cat today.   

 

Is this an indication of a healthy lake with a bunch of forage?   Bass fishing is good, at least by my standards.  

[Darth-Baiter]

I’ve never caught a catfish.  My friends do all the time. 
 

my thing is Pike-minnow.  I

might get into a few tomorrow.  

[AlabamaSpothunter]

Milliken has some great footage/thoughts on this......some places the White Bass will bully the LGMs off spots, however on other places like Lake Eufaula in AL., he observed them co existing.    

 

I imagine it's a case by case basis.  

[Jar11591]

I’ve seen “pounds of game fish per acre” as a measure of the health of a fishery before. And biodiversity is usually a symptom of a healthy ecosystem, and inversely a healthy ecosystem is often a symptom of biodiversity. So I would think the more diverse the fish species, the healthier the waters. 

[TnRiver46]

There are at least 320 species of fish in TN, it’s impossible to avoid. I think it’s a sign of lots of food in the water 

[casts_by_fly]

Basic ecology and the food pyramid says that a balanced system will have a wide base of nutrients supporting algae and plankton. That feeds the forage base which feeds small predators which feeds large predators. A system in balance will have a diversity of sizes and a lake with a range of habitats will have a diversity of fishing using those habitats. When you get out of balance, nature will try to swing back to equilibrium. Cut out the baitfish and smaller predators get eaten more. Take the top predators out and then other things take over. Ecology is about finding balance and equilibrium in the system. 
 

that’s all a long way of saying that fish life is generally good. A lot of other fish in an area means a solid forage base. A solid forage base is the underpinning of all things for a lake. 

[gim]

Diversity is healthy for the ecosystem for the most part. Species of rough fish are an exception like carp and bull heads.

 

There is such a thing as too many of one species too. Many of our lakes here are loaded with stunted, aggressive northern pike. Too many of the bigger ones were removed for too many years, and now we’re stuck with overpopulated lakes of these snot rockets.

[MN Fisher]

15 minutes ago, gimruis said:

and bull heads.

Results of a paper published in 2020

 

"Our observations suggest that removal of Bullheads from high density populations can increase recruitment and abundance of sport fishes and change fish community composition"

 

Full abstract with link to main paper here - https://www.researchgate.net/publication/339029468_Effects_of_bullhead_removals_in_four_northern_Wisconsin_lakes

[A-Jay]

The bodies of water I fish that have the most diverse game species population,

usually offer the best Smallmouth Bass fishing; especially for size of fish.

Pike alone is not a real good indicator.

However add in Brown & rainbow trout, walleye, yellow perch, full grown musky,

as well as schools of big carp, these are the places that I frequent the most.

And you might be able to guess why.

The Trout & Musky I catch are always by-catch as I rarely target them.

("Hope it's a bass", then it's not) 

But if the bass bite is off and the walleye are chewing, 

I will totally cull through a limit of cutters.

#goodeating

A-Jay

A-Jay

[Reel]

Same here: I've caught a lot of other species while bass fishing.  a few of them are walleye, stripers, pike and musky, some trout, even a few salmons, channel catfish, drum and the list goes on...

[Bankbeater]

The lakes I fish are stocked with largemouth, catfish, some musky, some hybrid bass, striped bass, and tons of sunfish.  It is a rare trip when I only catch bass.

[TnRiver46]

Most common would definitely be drum, also get lots of rock bass, redbreast sunfish, gar, catfish. Thankfully carp never bite artificial round here unless you’re fly fishing 

[DitchPanda]

In a given year while targeting largemouth I often tangle with catfish, crappie, drum, bluegill, green sunfish, white bass, walleye and pike.

[Bluebasser86]

I have lots of accidental catches while bass fishing. Drum being one of the more common and my least favorite. As long as the bass I'm catching with the bonus fish appear healthy, that's all I'm worried about. I've fished lakes with lots of species of fish and little forage where the bass and other predator fish were all very skinny, obviously not a well balanced ecosystem. 

[MassBass]

I think lure choice has a lot to do with it. My local river is loaded with yellow perch. Some bass anglers that just throw senkos, they never catch perch and would never know they were there. @A-Jay, what bass tactic got those big browns and 'bow?

[A-Jay]

Megabass Vision 110 Silent in a perch pattern.

Funny right ?

A-Jay

[Susky River Rat]

I’m still waiting on all these 50” musky to bite me off around here like I always heard while I musky fished. 
 

I’ve caught walleye, channel cats, flatheads, a musky, carp, pickerel, perch, gills all while bass fishing. I think if you fish enough you’ll end up catching everything. I am still waiting on a snakehead and northern pike.

[galyonj]

On 5/14/2023 at 11:19 AM, TnRiver46 said:

Most common would definitely be drum, also get lots of rock bass, redbreast sunfish, gar, catfish. Thankfully carp never bite artificial round here unless you’re fly fishing 

 

It has been forever since I've tried to reel up a cinder block. I should try to catch more drum.

[Koz]

There's nothing like the feeling when you get a big strike, set the hook, feel the rod get heavy and for a split second you think you've got your PB bass only to feel the telltale pull of a catfish. And I mean that sinking feeling.

 

I had it happen at a tournament last month skipping docks. For a split second I was counting the payout for big bass of the day. Bummer.

[Woody B]

I occasionally catch a White Perch.  White Perch are actually a Bass species, related to White Bass and Stripers.   I caught 6 today, but I'm don't think this one is a White Perch.  I believe it's a small Wiper, Bodie, Hybrid bass.   The other White Perch don't have stripes.   

[Bdnoble84]

Ive been catching alot of sheepshead and redhorse suckers in the river while smallie fishing. Redhorse are actually native to illinois and are a sign of a healthy ecosystem by my understanding. There are days it annoys me to catch them instead of smallies or walleye, but they have saved some fishless days as well. I had a sheepshead nearly rip the rod out of my hand last night it hit my bucktail jig with a leach last night. Its one of the hardest hits i have ever had. 
 

now the small stream i have grown up on has become full of pike (good ones too). It also seems i catch less and less smallmouth each year. Other people i talk to that have fished the stretch forever say the same thing. I dont know for a fact but it feels like the pike are choking out the smallies. Pike are fun but Id rather catch a 3lb smallie than an 8lb pike. And definitely 10 smallmouth of decent size that 6-7 pike of good size.

[TnRiver46]

Those redhorse fight like crazy. People say they are good to eat but I’d rather not haha

[Bdnoble84]

Sheepshead are supposedly good as well. You have to be careful keeping redhorse. I guess certain species are protected, atleast in Illinois.

[N Florida Mike]

I very rarely catch anything else while bass fishing. Warmouth would be the most caught, then bream. Caught just a few pickerel, cats, and mudfish too. This is considering I’ve bass fished for nearly 50 years now…

The trotline I hooked with a crankbait fought the best…?

[TnRiver46]

I’ve eaten the drum (sheepshead), not so good