Bass Travel

[Frogman]

I have always wondered how far bass travel....particularly if you catch them 5 miles from the weigh in and release them.  Do they hang around that area?  Or do they somehow know how to get back where they were?  I do know that in alot of tournaments, the areas around tournament weigh in normally have a high concentration of fish.

[brushhoggin]

yeah i've been thinking on this for a while now since Van dam won the BMC in beeswax creek.  Some folks have tagged bass supposedly that have returned to where they were caught 5 miles away, but i'm not sure i believe that. The ecosystem has a natural order, or way of doing things and it seems like it would throw a stick in the spokes of their habitat. taking a bunch of bass from where they were caught to a weigh in area miles away may could screw up the balance of a lake, or any body of water. removing females that would have otherwise produced more bass in a certain area diminishes population in that area right? resident bass get familiar with their area like where to hide, pathways to deeper water, local structure and cover, and best places to feed. just seems like releasing all of them in the same, unfamiliar area isn't the best idea.

[Sam]

I have an article on the daily migration of bass.

PM your email address to me if you want me to email it to you.