Fishing Bedding Bass

[Big-O]

Sure, let's catch'em, throw'em in a live well, haul'em across the lake, drag'em up to the scales, throw'em on and weigh'em, then haul'em down to the lake and chunk'em in. That ought to teach her to have babies! Did it when I was just starting out, but that's been 40 years ago and since then I don't think we should bother the very fish that are doing their best to provide us with the very thing that we love doin more than anything else in the world.  Besides that, I catch plenty of nice size fish without imposing  on bed fish. I get to fish more than I should, if that's possible. Guide

[jrhennecke]

Just doesn't seem like fishing to me.

[GitRDoneIke23]

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i get excited to fish the spawn!

its so fun and a great way to catch a biggun!

but like others have said i do a quick measurement, a few photos, and back in the water she goes.

EXACTLY!!!

[GitRDoneIke23]

Who voted to outlaw it???? :-? :-?

[jrhennecke]

I don't think it should be outlawed. We have enough regulations.  My opinion is for me personally.  I think this is an issue were everyone makes a personal choice.

[Jimzee]

For me it is very simple.  As much as it is embarrassing to admit, this is probably my weak link in bass fishing knowledge.  I don't do it on purpose but I know for a fact I have caught a few in the spring that were spawning by chunking spinnerbaits and cranks along the shore.  If I see one spawning, I leave them alone.  I don't look down on people who choose to fish for them.  There is an art to it which I do not posess....mainly patience.  

[HesterIsGod]

Most fisheries bioligists agree that fishing during the spawn barely effects fish populations. The real factors that make bass spawn successful is deep cover, for winter so all the small bass dont get eaten. Also, available forage for baby bass. If one nest is removed typically that just makes other nests more successful due to less competition.

[Bass XL]

Here is what an article in BASS Times says:

" Whenever discussions surrounding the bass spawn arise, questions about angling ethics and conservation quickly follow.

Chris Horton, BASS National Conservation Director, has wrestled with these questions often. ' The issue of catching bass off their spawning beds is an ongoing controversy that is more of a personal dilemma than a documented biological problem. The underlying question is not whether catching fish from a nest will result in poor spawning success for that individual nest but whether or not there will be impacts at the population level,' explained Horton in a previous column that appeared in BASS Times.

Horton believes it comes down to two words: carrying capacity.

' A body of water has a finite amount of cover, space and forage available for young bass. Even on lakes where no angling is allowed, relatively few individuals survive to their first birthday, and those that do are a result of their ability to secure the needed habitat requirements. If survival in one nest is decreased, survival rates from other nests likely increase because forage and cover that would have been partitioned to the offspring of the failed nest are now available for other bass fry.'

Horton concludes: 'Until there is proof that catching spawning bass harms the overall bass population, the decision to do so is purely personal.'

I for one am 100% for it.

[Fish Chris]

Killing a big bass in December, means that fish won't be making babies the following March, nor any Spring thereafter, and even more importantly, that fish won't ever be "somebody elses new PB".

And one more thing....... in places where over-recruitment is the bigger problem (very common), what do non-bed-fishermen have to say, to support their stance ???

Of course, I'm guilty from the standpoint that I release all of my bass, when at most places, I should keep a limit of small fish every time. My excuse is, I don't fish for, or therefor catch many small fish, nor do I prefer the taste of bass.

Hmmmm,

Fish

[roadwarrior]

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Here is what an article in BASS Times says:

" Whenever discussions surrounding the bass spawn arise, questions about angling ethics and conservation quickly follow.

Chris Horton, BASS National Conservation Director, has wrestled with these questions often. ' The issue of catching bass off their spawning beds is an ongoing controversy that is more of a personal dilemma than a documented biological problem. The underlying question is not whether catching fish from a nest will result in poor spawning success for that individual nest but whether or not there will be impacts at the population level,' explained Horton in a previous column that appeared in BASS Times.

Horton believes it comes down to two words: carrying capacity.

' A body of water has a finite amount of cover, space and forage available for young bass. Even on lakes where no angling is allowed, relatively few individuals survive to their first birthday, and those that do are a result of their ability to secure the needed habitat requirements. If survival in one nest is decreased, survival rates from other nests likely increase because forage and cover that would have been partitioned to the offspring of the failed nest are now available for other bass fry.'

Horton concludes: 'Until there is proof that catching spawning bass harms the overall bass population, the decision to do so is purely personal.'

I for one am 100% for it.

Touche!

8-)

[32251]

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Who voted to outlaw it????

I did.

Bass fishing is not like it used to be.  There are more and more fishermen with no regards for anything and many more inexperienced bass fishermen that don't know enough to care.

I watched a fellow fishing the other day with his kids. Kids would catch a fish and he would let them walk around looking at for several minutes and then he would remove the hook and sling the fish about 30 feet back into the water with a loud enough splash to hear it across the lake.  Bass fishing has become run and gun. Catch everything you can and then haul it miles away to be gloated over and then released.

The continuing growing  pressure on fish during the spawn certainly cannot continue and expect nature not to be affected by it.  Come on!

[Catt]

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Who voted to outlaw it????

I did.

Bass fishing is not like it used to be. There are more and more fishermen with no regards for anything and many more inexperienced bass fishermen that don't know enough to care.

I watched a fellow fishing the other day with his kids. Kids would catch a fish and he would let them walk around looking at for several minutes and then he would remove the hook and sling the fish about 30 feet back into the water with a loud enough splash to hear it across the lake. Bass fishing has become run and gun. Catch everything you can and then haul it miles away to be gloated over and then released.

The continuing growing pressure on fish during the spawn certainly cannot continue and expect nature not to be affected by it. Come on!

What you describe is nothing new and yet bass are still here in huge numbers; it is my option the only way man can impact the bass population in most lakes is by polluting the water. Most anglers may think they are good enough to limit out on a daily bases when the reality is most anglers barely catch a few limits yearly. I hear all this talk about how much smarter anglers are today which is in fact true but that percentage of smarter anglers is quite small when considering the overall number of anglers.

Read the scientific and biological proof that supports the fact that fishing spawning bass does not in pact the spawn. No where have I ever read any scientific or biological evidence to support the opposite.

[tyrius.]

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Bass fishing is not like it used to be.

I agree.  Too much emphasis is placed upon catch and release, with no regards to its effect upon the fishery.  

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The continuing growing pressure on fish during the spawn certainly cannot continue and expect nature not to be affected by it. Come on!

The problem with this statement is that the scientific research and the fisheries management employees disagree with it.

[jrhennecke]

As I said yesterday it has to be a personal choice.  I don't choose to fish for bed fish even though I know I catch some.  I am not sure that you can truly measure the impact of bed fishing.  I do agree with that catch and release is a problem on some fisheries.   I also distinguish between a tournament angler bed fishing from a Trophy Hunter.  To a guy that targets record class bass this is their opportunity to get their trophy and rarely does the bass spend anymore time out of the water than it takes to weigh and photograph.

[thetr20one]

The problem I think is TRUTH! I don't believe for one minute ANY tournament angler would pass a huge fish on a bed without casting to it. Who is any angler who pays his license fees and follows the law going to be deterred by a bleeding heart. Not only do my dollars that I spend on licensing used for conservation and rescoures in my state but, every dollar I spend on tackle gets taxed federally for the same nationwide! I am first and foremost a conservationist by paying for my right to fish! I choose to be good at every aspect and technique in bass fishing by practicing ALOT (MEANING ALSO PAYING ALOT OF MONEY TOWARDS FISHING CONSERVATION). If this means bed fishing (WHEN I COME ACROSS A BEDDING FISH), than by all means I am going to try and hone my BEDFISHING skills. I hunt the rut too! Last time I read the Ohio hunting laws it was legal. I have three very nice deer mounts ONE taken during the rut, two taken during our gun season. Like someone said earlier no catch and release in hunting!! Personal bests are 6-3 smallie, 5-15 largemouth, and a 2-7 spot. We dont have alot of large spotted bass here! NO MOUNTS even though I have caught HUNDREDS of 5 pound+ large and smallmouth bass I dont have a single mount. Yet I would think these anglers who say they would not fish for spawning fish would have a very large for their area fish mounted! Who am I or anyone to tell another legal angler how or what we should fish for? I didn't read where the gentleman who heard the other fisherman flinging the fish into the lake say that he did anything to make his feelings known to the other angler. I would have! There is ethical and rediculous. Is there really a difference in me catching a spawning fish and treating it like gold, and some other fisherman catching a large fish and keeping it out of the water while he grabs his scale takes pics and lets it's slime layer turn to a crust? YES I treat my fish with respect, he doesn't! I don't eat any fish I catch or harm them intentionally in anyway (other than putting hooks through their face) I catch and release all bass. Every one!!! Read more before you talk. Bass fishing pressure is at a low. Biologists often disagree with each other on this subject and, it is legal. There are closed seasons where it is not. Trying to make me or any other concious angler feel bad will not work here. Do your best and do what you think is right for yourself. Bass fishing is very expensive and if you cannot afford to pay the cost for everything that goes along with it there are plenty of bluegill and crappie to be had. I find people who are against bedfishing in general are not good at it and have problems with getting smoked by those who are! If everyone agreed on this subject it wouldn't be a subject I guess so lets agree to disagree for now and let our state resource managers decide what is ethical!

[reelnmn]

More proof that anglers have little impact on bass recruitment and future bass populations:

This is an article taken from the Virginia Department of Game & Inland Fisheries. It's an update regarding the latest research in bass recruitment problems at Briery Creek Lake, Virginia's well known trophy bass lake. The research is being done by Virginia Tech and is going on it's 3rd year.

Whole article:

http://www.dgif.virginia.gov/fishing/waterbodies/reports/Largemouth%20Study%20Update%20Jan%2008.pdf

Here's an excerpt:

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So what was the purpose of the closed coves? Well, the main reason these areas were closed to fishing was to determine if anglers had a negative effect on the young bass. This effect would most likely have been due to catching the males which are guarding the nest during the spring. Without the parental care the eggs and young bass are very easily eaten by other fish, primarily bluegill which could lead to the lower abundance observed. However, the researchers from Virginia Tech report that there was no difference in abundance of young bass between the closed and open areas of the reservoir. This means that anglers are not the cause of the lower abundance.

[Bankbeater]

I don't go out looking for bedding bass , but if I happen to find some beds I will make a few casts.