Beavers and bass: The eternal debate

[TnRiver46]

Science be “dammed!”

 

(see what I did there?)

 

I’ve seen a human mistake a beaver for an otter a few hundred times and even humans thinking a log was a fish 

[gim]

17 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

I’ve seen a human mistake a beaver for an otter

 

That may seem like an idiot mistake on our part, but there's lot of people that rarely see either one in the wild.  So I could see that happening.  I know people who mistake muskrats for beavers and then they point one out to me and I correct them on the species identification.

 

Plenty of people mistake a coyote for a wolf around here.  I've spent 30 years in wolf country hunting deer and I've literally never seen a wolf so I'm very skeptical that the average individual thinks they're seeing a wolf.

[TnRiver46]

4 minutes ago, gimruis said:

 

That may seem like an idiot mistake on our part, but there's lot of people that rarely see either one in the wild.  So I could see that happening.  I know people who mistake muskrats for beavers and then they point one out to me and I correct them on the species identification.

 

Plenty of people mistake a coyote for a wolf around here.  I've spent 30 years in wolf country hunting deer and I've literally never seen a wolf so I'm very skeptical that the average individual thinks they're seeing a wolf.

Oh I wouldn’t call them an idiot, easy mistake 

[J._Bricker]

1 hour ago, fishhugger said:

@J._Bricker wasn't aware those sea lions, or whatever they are, are federally protected.  i've seen them in the california delta....... super way inland.  it seems weird to see them so far from the sea

Yep, now imagine one, all 320lbs of him that made it all the way to Los Banos that the CHP named “Chippy”.  Of course, I’d rather they stay on the Pier 39 docks and eat the anchovies the tourists feed them.

1 hour ago, TnRiver46 said:

Science be “dammed!”

 

(see what I did there?)

 

I’ve seen a human mistake a beaver for an otter a few hundred times and even humans thinking a log was a fish 

Like a limb cod*, and a lot of people might mistake a Nutria for a beaver. The tail slap on the water just before diving tells you it’s a beaver.

 

*my bad, West Coast (Pacific Ocean) reference to Ling cod, which makes great fish and chips btw.

[Tennessee Boy]

I can’t vouch for the authenticity of the video I posted.   It  looks like a beaver to me but so does the guy in the beaver costume at Buc-ee’s.  😆

 

 

 

[fishhugger]

15 minutes ago, Tennessee Boy said:

I can’t vouch for the authenticity of the video I posted.   It  looks like a beaver to me but so does the guy in the beaver costume at Buc-ee’s.  😆

 

 

 

okay - that one i can tell is a dorito/beef eater, with the occasional pork rind.  don't ask me now i no.

[WRB]

Beavers create fish habitats by building dams, falling shoreline trees and building lodges. Fish and beavers have coexisted long before the real predator showed up….man.

Tom

Just now, WRB said:

Beavers create fish habitats by building dams, falling shoreline trees and building lodges. Fish and beavers have coexisted long before the real predator showed up….man.

Tom

 

[Swamp Girl]

4 hours ago, TnRiver46 said:

and even humans thinking a log was a fish 

 

You know those "bass" pics in my trip reports? All logs. Fishy, huh?

[Pumpkin Lizard]

Put me in the beavers don’t eat fish camp. Even if a confused or protein deficient beaver partakes in a fish every now and then I have a hard time seeing how they have much of an impact on fish populations as a predator.  Any videos out there while interesting are purely anecdotal.

 

if they want to add some protein I guess there are more attainable sources of it such as freshwater mussels and crayfish. 
 

4 hours ago, gimruis said:

 

That may seem like an idiot mistake on our part, but there's lot of people that rarely see either one in the wild.  So I could see that happening.  I know people who mistake muskrats for beavers and then they point one out to me and I correct them on the species identification.

 

Plenty of people mistake a coyote for a wolf around here.  I've spent 30 years in wolf country hunting deer and I've literally never seen a wolf so I'm very skeptical that the average individual thinks they're seeing a wolf.

What I usually tell people  when they ask if it’s a coyote or a wolf is that if you have to ask, then it was a coyote.

 

 

[Woody B]

Just some observations.

 

They're aren't many beavers where I fish.   

I catch an occasional Bass around a beaver hut.   

I've never caught a Bass when a beaver is swimming around/active.   It's my belief that when the beaver are active the Bass move away.  Perhaps this isn't true in areas where there's more beaver.   

I've caught Bass around swimming/active muskrat.   

[MyKeyBe]

Some people eat other people, does that make all people cannibals? Just because some rabid beaver eats a fish, that doesn't mean all beavers do (I have no idea if beavers can actually get rabies). I do know I catch bass in areas where beavers exist and beaver homes can make pretty good bass homes.

 ∆ Ask Winona, she might know. ∆

Your most likely over 40 if you get that. 😂 

[Glenn]

17 hours ago, Swamp Girl said:

Is that where you're catching them or farther from the hut? Or both?

Depends on the conditions, but typically I catch them in the "entrance" to the hut. It's a deep channel leading inside the hut. It's the deepest water next to the hut that's usually the most productive.  But I've caught fish in the shallow areas as well.

 

I usually start by fishing spinnerbaits and topwaters around the outer edges, then work my way in with T-rigged plastics, Senkos, and jigs.  And once I feel I've caught them all, I go back to the spinnerbait.  I'm still surprised when I catch a few more on spinnerbaits and then go through the whole process all over again, picking off more fish.

 

It's like it replenishes.  You just have to be patient and realize some fish will hit reaction baits while others hit slower-moving baits.  Just keep changing baits/presentations when the bite slows down...even going back to previous baits.

 

It's not like you've caught them all.  You've only caught the ones that were there at that time....and more moved in as the ones you caught moved out.

 

I've been known to sit on huts for an hour or more, picking off fish every 5-10 mins.  Muskrat huts too.  

 

[Swamp Girl]

6 hours ago, Glenn said:

Depends on the conditions, but typically I catch them in the "entrance" to the hut.

 

I have never cast there. Never. I will now. Thanks, Glenn!

 

6 hours ago, Glenn said:

It's like it replenishes.

 

I know this phenomenon from a little waterfall that tumbled into a lake in northwestern Ontario. We called it Ten Fish Waterfall. It was right across from our camp and every hour, if we wanted, we paddled over to it and caught ten fish, a mix of bass and walleye. I think there was structure for ten fish, no more. Catch ten, wait an hour, and it would reload.  

 

6 hours ago, Glenn said:

I've been known to sit on huts for an hour or more, picking off fish every 5-10 mins. 

 

I have GREATLY underfished beaver huts!!!

[Choporoz]

Not only are beavers a huge net positive for bass cover, the bass themselves know the difference between beavers and otters.  I have caught bass immediately below swimming beavers.  Bass always hang around beaver lodges.  But I have never caught a bass when an otter is within 50 yards.  Muskrats seem to have similar affect, but I'm less certain.