Kill The Bass!

[BrianSnat]

I'm heading up to the Adirondacks this week for a paddle/camping trip. I've heard the bass fishing is good at my destination (Bog River and Lows Lake), so I'm bringing my rod and tackle.

I was cruising the Internet trying to get some info on how to fish the area as I've never bass fished in a the Adirondacks before.

What I learned was a surprise. People suggesting that all bass caught be kept. One person who said he catches bass there and tosses them in the bush for the raccoons and bear to eat. Bass are a considered a pest and an invasive by the locals. Apparently the lake and river were a top notch brook trout fishery until someone introduced bass in the not too distant past. The bass have thrived to the detriment of the trout.

As someone who has always practiced catch and release, I'm still hesitant to keep any bass I catch, but at least for once I can probably grill up some bass for dinner without feeling a tinge of guilt.

Anybody else ever hear of a situation where bass were an unwelcome species?

[NBR]

No! I have never heard of a location where bass were considered pests. I do know of private and public lakes where the owners and DNR ask that fish be taken home since the lakes are over stocked. I'd ask the NY DNR what their position is on destroying the bass. Local opinion with out scientific studies are rarely correct.

[J Francho]

The ADKs have several highly managed/controlled lakes. Brook trout are a rapidly disappearing species, often easily displaced by non endemic species. It's just a single lake management thing. There are other lakes in the park that are totally bass friendly. Upper Saranac,Black Lake, Cranberry, Raquette, Butterfield, etc. are a few good bass lakes.

[J Francho]

Here's the NY DEC's list of reclaimed trout ponds:

http://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/64503.html

[Hooligan]

Anybody else ever hear of a situation where bass were an unwelcome species?

You mean, like most of Japan?

[WRB]

Back in the early 70's bass were considered trash fish in the state of Washington everywhere except the Columbia river area. It was common for anglers to tell you to kill every bass. Time tends to change how anglers think about one species verses another.

Today in California it's lake Tahoe experiencing smallmouth bass and the trout fishing community is going nuts...kill those dam bass.

Tom

[South FLA]

Get your recipes ready

[J Francho]

Trout fisherman up here are all catch and release, but the smallies they catch, those go on a rope - blows my mind. It's all about perspective.

[Bluebasser86]

You mean, like most of Japan?

That was the first thing that came to my mind. Pretty sure it's even illegal to release them in Japan like it is with a snakehead or asian carp here.

[islandbass]

Back in the early 70's bass were considered trash fish in the state of Washington everywhere except the Columbia river area. It was common for anglers to tell you to kill every bass. Time tends to change how anglers think about one species verses another.

Today in California it's lake Tahoe experiencing smallmouth bass and the trout fishing community is going nuts...kill those dam bass.

Tom

You beat me to it. Some people still think that.

J Francho is is 100% right about it being perspective.

[SirSnookalot]

There are always some that look down at what other's fish for. I've seen many a trout fisherman snub a bass or pike fisherman, even look down at saltwater anglers. Some bass fishermen look down their noses at walleye anglers, I don't understand it but to each their own. We catch fish down here some call trash, I call them sport, hard fighting that will test your skill and your equipment, some are horrible to eat and others absolutely delicious. There are trash fish I'd rather catch than gamefish, I'm there for the fun of it.

[Lund Explorer]

Even the trout fishermen can't agree amongst themselves. Go to Yellowstone and try releasing a lake trout there.

[Quillback]

I lived in Washington state for 20 years. Trout fishing is very popular there, much more so than bass fishing. The state stocks millions of trout every year at considerable expense. Some of the lakes are managed as trout only lakes, it is possible to stock fingerling trout in these lakes and have them reach catchable size the next year, it saves the state quite a bit of money to do that instead of stocking catchable sized fish. But if bass get introduced into a trout only lake, they will eat all the trout fingerlings. So the state ends up having to use rotenone to kill all the fish to get rid of the bass. It's not just a "perspective" thing, springtime trout fishing is hugely popular in Wa during the spring, it creates quite a positive economic impact for local communities that are close to the lakes.

[MAD]

Ask someone from AK what they do to Northern Pike. In some rivers it is illegal to release a pike. Also, many reports of bass anglers killing muskies around here because they eat all the bass. Like J Francho said it's all perspective.

Mike

[zenyoungkoh]

That was the first thing that came to my mind. Pretty sure it's even illegal to release them in Japan like it is with a snakehead or asian carp here.

Nope! you are wrong! Bass are unwelcome is natural lakes, but they are stocked pretty often in larger artificial impoundments of water. Catch & release is very common in Japan, even in big natural lakes like Biwa.

[Bluebasser86]

Nope! you are wrong! Bass are unwelcome is natural lakes, but they are stocked pretty often in larger artificial impoundments of water. Catch & release is very common in Japan, even in big natural lakes like Biwa.

Has it changed since they published this article in Bassmaster? Or is it just in this particular lake?

http://www.docstoc.com/docs/37957024/Manabu-Kurita-New-World-Record-Largemouth-Bass

That's good news if they have since Japan obviously has great big fish potential.

[zenyoungkoh]

Has it changed since they published this article in Bassmaster? Or is it just in this particular lake?

http://www.docstoc.c...Largemouth-Bass

That's good news if they have since Japan obviously has great big fish potential.

The article was talking about lake biwa. Biwa is a natural lake. Although its 'illegal' many pros, manufacturers, guides have special permission to release the bass. Many regular bass fisherman also do 'boatside release'. LOL

[fishermantony]

I lived in Washington state for 20 years. Trout fishing is very popular there, much more so than bass fishing. The state stocks millions of trout every year at considerable expense. Some of the lakes are managed as trout only lakes, it is possible to stock fingerling trout in these lakes and have them reach catchable size the next year, it saves the state quite a bit of money to do that instead of stocking catchable sized fish. But if bass get introduced into a trout only lake, they will eat all the trout fingerlings. So the state ends up having to use rotenone to kill all the fish to get rid of the bass. It's not just a "perspective" thing, springtime trout fishing is hugely popular in Wa during the spring, it creates quite a positive economic impact for local communities that are close to the lakes.

Very true, bass are certainly not the most popular fish here. Many times I'll be the only bass fisherman on the water. I went to a Walmart in Texas and I felt like I was in BPS, I saw things I had never seen before. Very different from the Walmarts around here that are geared toward trout fisherman. But, with all that said, I've been here for 10 years and hope I never leave, you can fish for bass almost any way you want.

[NorcalBassin]

I hear ya Tony... spent a week up your way this summer and seemed to be one of just a couple bass boats on the water. I have to admit that it was a nice change from NoCal.

[SirSnookalot]

You wouldn't know it by the representation on this forum, but in reality I see very few bass fisherman as compared to saltwater in South Florida. Outside of BR I do not know 1 bass fisherman in Florida.

[oteymc]

Also, many reports of bass anglers killing muskies around here because they eat all the bass.

That's interesting, the Indiana DNR have been stocking Muskie in a lot of the lakes around here that are overrun with gizzard shad in lieu of killing all of the fish off because they supposedly seldom prey on LM bass, Crappie, and Blue Gill. Maybe that's only when there's an abundance of shad.

[Bluebasser86]

That's interesting, the Indiana DNR have been stocking Muskie in a lot of the lakes around here that are overrun with gizzard shad in lieu of killing all of the fish off because they supposedly seldom prey on LM bass, Crappie, and Blue Gill. Maybe that's only when there's an abundance of shad.

I think that similar to guys that kill alligator gar because they "eat all the bass" despite several studies that have been done that show bass make up less than 1% of the gars diet. I'm sure muskie do eat some of the bass but not like they eat shad, suckers, carp, walleye, and perch. You get a group of ignorant people together like that and they can be dangerous when they decide to be self made fisheries biologist.

[Hooligan]

Nope! you are wrong! Bass are unwelcome is natural lakes, but they are stocked pretty often in larger artificial impoundments of water. Catch & release is very common in Japan, even in big natural lakes like Biwa.

I used Japan as the instance because of it's stand on natural fisheries. Much as in the original post, that's all.

[mrjjangles]

You wouldn't know it by the representation on this forum, but in reality I see very few bass fisherman as compared to saltwater in South Florida. Outside of BR I do not know 1 bass fisherman in Florida.

Well now you know 2! I just moved to Polk County from central Ohio and love the bass fishing. My largest so far since moving here is a 7 pounder (3lbs larger than my largest of the year in Ohio) caught on a buzzbait at 11:00pm!!

[SirSnookalot]

Well now you know 2! I just moved to Polk County from central Ohio and love the bass fishing. My largest so far since moving here is a 7 pounder (3lbs larger than my largest of the year in Ohio) caught on a buzzbait at 11:00pm!!

As I say I see few if any bass fisherman, everyone I know strictly fishes saltwater. In my area of Florida just about every trailered boat I see is an offshore boat, this part of Florida the emphasis is not on bass.

That does not mean I don't enjoy bass fishing, I do, it's relaxing and a nice break from my normal routine.