Mixed feelings about bed fishing ???

[Fish Chris]

I mean, don't get me wrong, as I have said for a long time, I sure don't think its 'cheating'... or unsportsman-like.... and it's typically not harmful to the fishery....

I'm just saying, fishing for big bass during the spawn, is only good when 1) you can find a big fish to fish for, and 2) it's not freaking WINDY ! I hate wind. Of course even a slight breeze which puts a little ripple on the water is enough to ruin a day of sight fishing.

So my point is, yesterday I went to the lake, and had a pretty tough trip. It was too breezy to effectively sight fish, but the fish were thinking a lot more about making babies, than they were about eating :-(

The whole time I was thinking...... I'll sure be glad when they get done spawning, and start eating again ! {of course had I been able to stick that 15 lb'er while sight -fishing the day before, I'd probably be talking about how 'great' sight-fishing is :-)}

Anyway, I did finally get one bite on a swimbait, and it turned out to be a beautiful 9.5 lb Northern strainer :-) She didn't look beat up, or spawned out, but she wasn't really fat either. Just healthy and clean....... and BTW, she was hooked solidly in the roof of the mouth, with that rigging I showed a while back, but she was able to spit the lure itself outside of her mouth, and then snap her mouth all the way shut ! {a fish which can't close its mouth all the way, because of a big lure, can't run very fast or far... too much drag from that big open mouth} So what I'm saying is, this fish fought REALLY hard ! Couple of big, long, FAST runs, followed by crazy back flips and somersaults :-) Yeee Haaa ! :-)

Peace,

Fish

[RecMar8541]

hey bud you really should change your name to MASTER fish lol.....nice job....!!

[Guest the_muddy_man]

My first time bed fishing was on the FORK trip I caught this beauty in an inlet called LITTLE SERTA

[bigdog]

My first time bed fishing was on the FORK trip I caught this beauty in an inlet called LITTLE SERTA

[RecMar8541]

god I hope the jokes get better around here LMAOOOOOO J/K that was serta funny!!

[HillBilly Willie]

Nice fish!!  How much did the one on your avator weigh?

[Catt]

Chris it's a shame you can't get excided  

[Lightninrod]

GORGEOUS BASS!!!!

Dan

[Fish Chris]

The fish in my avatar weighed 15 lb 12 oz. She was only 24 1/2" long, but had a 24" girth ! Definately my 'fattest' big bass. And BTW, that fish was caught in late August.... well past the spawn. Do you think she might have eaten her share of trout bars ? :-)

Peace,

Fish

[Gotta Love It]

That is a beautiful fish!  Great color!  Healthy!  Nice job Chris!  I love reading your posts and the pics are fantastic!  

[Raul]

No mixed feelings for me FC, one of the best times to ketch them big mommas is during the spawn, they are there and the ain 't going nowhere, most of my biguns have been caught during the spawn, why I don 't have mixed feelings ? I 'm going to release the fish not very far from it 's nest, now tourneys during the spawn are another different thing, I do not agree on tourneys during the spawn, they take the fish for a ride up and down the lake and they are released in many cases miles away from their nest.

[Cigarlover 1]

That's a very beautiful healty looking fish. Way to go! Can't wait to see what you come up with before the year's out.

[Bassassasin12]

I find myself hating wind during the whole year, not just druing the spawn. My favorite baits to fish are weightless plastics and I don't think they work as well when there is a fairly strong wind. Wind kind of forces me to fish other types of bait though so it's not all that bad. :

[Pa Angler]

Awesome fish congrats. It's illegal In PA to bed fish just thought I'd throw that in.

[Long Mike]

I was bed fishing with Muddy at Lake Fork.  I wasn't as lucky as him. All I caught was this:

[Fish Chris]

hey Raul, I just meant that I hate it when the fish are on beds, and its too windy to sight fish them...... and believe me, the only reason why they don't call my town the "windy city" is because Chicago had already taken that name ! {Speaking of which, do you know why they call PMS, PMS ? Because mad cow disease was already taken ;-)}

Hey PA, yes, I knew that.... and that's probably a good thing in PA, as I hear that because of the shorter growing season, bass spawns are condensed into a much shorter period, and those fisheries are much more likely to be damaged from bed fishing.

I think that in most places where sight fishing might cause problems, that states F&G pretty much already has regulations in place to protect those fisheries.

In Cali on the other hand, as I have said before, "over-recruitment" seems to be a much more common problem, than under recruitment.

Peace,

Fish

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

GO FC!!  You need to start a fan club,lol.

[Guest avid]

Of course even a slight breeze which puts a little ripple on the water is enough to ruin a day of sight fishing.

I'm really glad to hear you say that.  Here on the SE Florida Coast it is ALWAYS windy.  Seriously, I have to laugh when I read about guys talking about how 15mph wind ruined their trip.  that is a daily occurance in my neighborhood.

My bass have pretty well spawned out, but there are some beds left.  I really made an effort to "sight fish" but was frustrated because I was practically on top of the bed before I could see it.  

I pretty much know where the main bedding areas are and pitch to where they "should" be, but I stopped doing it because it's pretty much the same as blind casting and it wasn't much fun.

I would love to sneak up on a bed and see a big ole hawg I could pitch a tube to.

Maybe one day.

Great bass by the way.

[stroz]

Wow Chris another sweet fish! You are the Man ;D

                                                                 Stroz

                                                                     

[Syfer420]

How do you tell what strain that bass is?? im just curious. And BTW did you start your fishing school yet??? ;D ;D ;D

[Long Mike]

Fish Chris,

To catch a bass of that size must have been sheer bliss.  In my prompt congratulations I have been remiss.  When you released her I hope you gave her a kiss.

[Fish Chris]

Well Syfer, I have been told that the only for sure way to tell a Northern strain and a Florida strain apart, is through a DNA test..... However, since the Ca DFG has never planted Florida strain bass in this particular lake, its a pretty safe bet it's a Northern.

Hey Long Mike, I've caught a few fish this big before..... but none the less, a catch like this certainly takes a bit of the pressure off :-) The other thing I have to remind myself of, is that even though she wasn't a 10 plus (my usual goal) she was afterall, a Northern strainer, and from this standpoint, she was probably as big a deal as a 12 or 13 lb Florida strain.

Peace,

Fish

[T-rig]

You keep surprising me with those beautiful fish of yours! Congrats!

That is a perfect northen strain bass, absolutely!

[senile1]

Of course even a slight breeze which puts a little ripple on the water is enough to ruin a day of sight fishing.

I'm really glad to hear you say that.  Here on the SE Florida Coast it is ALWAYS windy.  Seriously, I have to laugh when I read about guys talking about how 15mph wind ruined their trip.  that is a daily occurance in my neighborhood.

My bass have pretty well spawned out, but there are some beds left.  I really made an effort to "sight fish" but was frustrated because I was practically on top of the bed before I could see it.  

I pretty much know where the main bedding areas are and pitch to where they "should" be, but I stopped doing it because it's pretty much the same as blind casting and it wasn't much fun.

I would love to sneak up on a bed and see a big ole hawg I could pitch a tube to.

Maybe one day.

Great bass by the way.

FC, great fish as usual!  I don't think we've had a day over the last month on the western edge of Misouri and in Kansas where the wind wasn't blowing 20 - 30 mph.  They call Chicago the windy city?  Give me a break.  Sight fishing?  Ha, what is that?  

[k4phd]

Beautiful fish Chris. Anyone can see by the smile of confidence on your face there will be more. We all enjoy the pictures and posts. Your web site is nice too.

Jim