Build of a bass and growth.

[FivePoundBluegill]

I have no clue about this subject and would like to become more educated in this area. Often times I might catch a small-decent size bass of around 1-3 pounds with a very large head for its body. I often hear buddies or other fishermen around who see me catch the fish say things like "Hes got a big head so hes going to get realy big" Im just wondering if this is true. If a fish has a large head compared to his body does it mean that bass is going to grow into his large head and become a monster fish as he gets older. Just wondering.

[Fish Chris]

I'd say just the opposite.

The frame of a bass, and its head, grows at a much more predictable rate, pretty much depending on the number of years its been alive. Bass with a big frame, and a big head, but not much weight on them, are older fish, which have already used up some of there potential growth years.

On the other hand, if you catch a fish with a smaller head and frame (a younger fish), that's already stacked with fat and muscle, that's the kind of fish that has a lot more potential to get huge !

Check this one that my buddy caught a couple weeks ago.... Small head.... Not that long... I bet this fish was not a day over 8 years old, meaning it could still have 4 or 5 more years to get HUGE ! But it already weighed a whopping 15.1 lbs ! All the potential in the world to top 20 plus lbs ! Whooo Hooo ! :-)

Peace,

Fish

[Raul]

I have no clue about this subject and would like to become more educated in this area. Often times I might catch a small-decent size bass of around 1-3 pounds with a very large head for its body. I often hear buddies or other fishermen around who see me catch the fish say things like "Hes got a big head so hes going to get realy big" Im just wondering if this is true. If a fish has a large head compared to his body does it mean that bass is going to grow into his large head and become a monster fish as he gets older. Just wondering.

What do you see ?

I see an extremely poorly fed bass. Compare it to a well fed animal just like the one FC showed and difference is quite noticeable.

[RoLo]

Fish Chris and Raul both nailed it.

The weight of a bear in the wild is very difficult to estimate. Be it a black bear, grizzly bear or polar bear,

the hunter will typically estimate the bear's weight by assessing the relative "smallness" of its skull in relation to the body.

The skull consists essentially of bone and has a more stable growth rate than the rest of the body which hinges more on food intake.

It's the same for bass.

Roger

[PondBoss]

another possibility is over stocked fish.  they will tend to have some abnormalities in their growth and have bigger heads and small bodies.  like in the second picture I can see a bump on the top of that fishes head I've noticed a lot of knothead fish in overstocked bodies of water.  this may not be the case in your situation but definitely a possibility.

[FivePoundBluegill]

Thanks a lot guys. The only reason I thought fish with large heads got huge is it seems to be what most of my friends and other fishermen  in my area have told me. I have always wondered about this because it didnt seem to make much sense to me. I know most of the people here know much more about fish biology and fishing in general than me and my buddies so I figured id ask here. Just from the first couple responses I can see what you guys are saying. I think im going to tell my friends what you guys have told me next time I fish with them. Thanks a lot and sorry for sounding like an uneducated dum-bass on this forum. Great job enlightening me guys.

[RoLo]

FivePound, there is nothing unusual about your question at all.

When there's a puppy with big feet, what is the first thing that everyone says?

"Oh boy, he's going to be a Big dog, because he's got to grow into those Big feet".

But in this case, that's a fairly accurate statement

Roger

[Raul]

Now let 's see another example, FC 's post show a real chubby, my post showed an slimy, here 's how a "normal" fish would look:

Compare the size of the head to the lenght and width of the body, the slight protuberance of the belly. A bass with big head and slim body is a malnourished bass.

[linesider7]

Interesting thread, anybody care to comment on the fish in my avatar? Fish had a huge freakin' head.

[bighed]

I've caught several of the big head/skinny fish, one that was 27" long. A few of them more than once in a small lake.  I think they all have had a couple things in common.  They were easy to catch for a large older (smarter) fish and they had almost no fight in them.  Both I think are signs that the fish is struggling to survive though other fish in the lake were healthy.  Maybe worms, blindness, or other injury from being caught???  

[Senko4life]

I think a fish's overall body size when it reaches the 2-3 pound mark shows more about its potential than purley head size.  A stocky fat 2 pound bass shows that it is well fed and has potential to grow heavy whereas a long skinny 2 pounder doesn't have as much potential to be a "pig".

[T-rig]

Interesting thread, anybody care to comment on the fish in my avatar? Fish had a huge freakin' head.

Good size poorly fed florida strain bass.

[T-rig]

I think this fish has potential:

[surfer]

Good thread.  

So will a lake hold either well fed bass with potential or poorly fed bass who will remain long and skinny with big heads as they get older but not both?  Excluding the occasional diseased / injured bass.

[SouthMiamiBassMan]

The majority of the big bass I catch down here (Miami) are all long and lean. Of my top 5 PB, only one was thick but none were even close the  girth on the ones Chris catches.

[George Welcome]

Two states hold bass that appear gravid (loaded with egg) much of the time. One is Cal. and the other Texas.

Don't compare a bass from some other location to bass in Cal. Most bass are torpedo shaped. For example, the typical Florida bass in Florida that weighs 10 pounds will be 27" X 17-17.5". A typical Texas or Cal. bass of the same strain that weighs 10 pounds will be much shorter and much stouter.

A big-head is most often a product of old age coupled with the inability to successfully fed. It also can be a function of illness, a lack of food present in its enviornment, or obstruction in its throat, stomach, or intestines.

[bassbob08]

interesting post,thats why I read every day I learn somthing new all the time.