Anyone have any pet bass?

[bassdocktor]

I had a bass that I kep with one or 2 ciclids until it died. Unfortunately he didn't last that long. It sure was funny to watch it eat because it would eat pretty much any goldfish I put in there and when it was done several tail would stick out of its mouth.

Currently I do have a black bullhead. I was fishing with a friend and we noticed a ball of them right by the shore. We caught three about an inch big and now only one has survived. After finnally finding the right food it's about 5.5" long. Seems like it grow evertime I go to feed it. Even though it's only 5.5" that fish is pretty fat.

bassdocktor

[RoLo]

Fisher of Men

Yes, and after seeing that footage, I decided to "match the hatch".

When no one is watching, I'll sneak to the end of a private dock,

then scribe figure-8s in the water with a fresh Oscar Mayer.

Ain't caught nothing yet, I think the alligators are scaring them away

JUST KIDDING!

It's funny...I didn't think that this thread would go anywhere,

but it seems like everyone has a real interesting story.

[Cephkiller]

Would a largemouth be able to survive without feeding it live bait regularly?  I've always wanted to keep one to observe, but after my experience with bluegill, I don't want to kill it with an insufficient diet.  I would, of course, like to feed it worms, minnows, etc. to watch it's feeding habits, I just don't want to have to feed it live food constantly.

[roadwarrior]

You don't have to feed fish everyday. Put a dozen minnows or goldfish in the tank and see how long they last. I suspect a dozen once a week will be sufficient. You can adjust the number after a couple of weeks and your pet fish will be fine. I had a friend that kept a bass for a long time and he only fed it when we wanted to watch it feed. The fish seemed to stay happy and healthy.

[bassdocktor]

I had some floating ciclid pellets that I fed mine when I couldn't get live food. While I was feeding it those it did continue to grow. It also depends on the size bass you are talking about. However it did seem to grow slightly slower when it only got pellets but it still was very healthy. Again it really depends upon the size of the bass.

bassdocktor

[RoLo]

Cephkiller

If you live in the woods, you will not be burdened by regular feedings (absolutely not).

If you put bass in the swimming pool of an urban development, that's a different story.

I lived in the woods in Rico, Georgia, and my bass often went months without my intervention.

In truth, I fed those bass more for my own enjoyment than out of necessity. I never grew tired

of watching them bust grasshoppers, worms, minnows or anything tossed into the pond.

I'm not really sure what they ate, but I know my backyard was lousy with frogs, toads, crickets,

skinks, anoles, aquatic insects, dragonflies, grasshoppers, scorpions and whole lot more.

Despite the excitment caused by Doug Hannon's Snakehead Lure, the bass in my pond

instinctively avoided snakes. I've thrown several snakes in the pond and they'd always

let the snake reach the other shore unharmed. Everything else however they lambasted.

Do it Cephkiller, you will have a ball because bass are exceedingly fascinating creatures.

Incidentally, I've never had the urge to cast a hookless lure into that pond,

because the result was so obvious. Like taking candy from a baby, it didn't light my fire.

[Fisher of Men]

I would, of course, like to feed it worms, minnows, etc. to watch it's feeding habits, I just don't want to have to feed it live food constantly.

The Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center in Athens, Texas has many bass in outdoor ponds with a glass side that can be viewed from inside. On one visit there one time, a couple of guys who worked there told me they would observe the bass inside the tank/pond to watch their behavior (top/bottom, relating to cover, etc.). They fished on Lake Athens which is less than a mile from the hatchery. They claimed watching these bass helped them catch more in the lake.

[Bass Hammer]

Would a largemouth be able to survive without feeding it live bait regularly? I've always wanted to keep one to observe, but after my experience with bluegill, I don't want to kill it with an insufficient diet. I would, of course, like to feed it worms, minnows, etc. to watch it's feeding habits, I just don't want to have to feed it live food constantly.

Don't be mistaken. That fish will eat more that you could imagine.

Like I said earlier I have had 20+ years of bass in aquariums. As they grow it becomes a much bigger and more expensive job keeping one fed.

Nothing like dumping a 100 feeder goldfish in the tank and having them all gone in a few days!

Of course it is affected by the water temp.

You can slow them down by cooling down the water.

All that being said, it's fun to study them and watch them grow.

Rolo

If I'm in the mood to even be around a snake most bass I've had will tear'em up!

Maybe the difference between one in an aquarium and one in a pond.

Throw one in and get ready to wipe the walls down!  

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

When I lived in VT, there was a pond full of 3" stunted bass.

I took one home and put it in the 30 gal tank I had along with 30 feeder fish(small goldfish) They were all gone in less than 10 mins and he was all puffed up and fat.  2-3 hrs later, he was skinnier than a toothpic again.  

I did this again tyhe next day with the feeder fish and same thing.  Did that for about a week when I realized that this would be way too expensive to keep as a pet (never mind illegal) A special lisence is required to maintain a gamefish in a private setting.

Now this combined with the fact that this fish will never get bigger than 7-8 inches in a 30 gal. tank, convinced me to let him go back at the lake.

[Cephkiller]

Did that for about a week when I realized that this would be way too expensive to keep as a pet (never mind illegal)

I used to think it was illegal as well.  I read the state game laws and talked to a conservation officer, however, and I found out it was fine here in Indiana as long as it is a legally caught fish.  So I suggest checking your local laws.

[Minuteman]

I sorta had a pet bass. About 20 years ago I caught a one-eyed 8" largemouth in a small creek near the area I had moved to. I thought it strange that it was in such a small stream and except for an occasional Smallmouth mostly there was just Rock Bass, Sunfish and Chubs in the creek. I could catch "ole one-eye" anytime I wanted that summer from the area above a small dam in the creek. He was skinny and half blind and looking back now, I should've kept him and released him in one of the farm ponds near by. A year or two later, I caught a 7 1/2lb Largemouth w/both eyes in private lake that the same stream ran into a mile downstream, hopefully he made his way down there and had a normal life.