deepsessions

florida strained largemouths? I am curious to know how a local lake is fairing since its bass population depleted from lack of structure,plantings etc.. I've heard that bass in their first year can get up to 6" and almost double over the years until getting around 5-10 lbs on average before dieing around 10-15 years? does this sound right? I'm sure a lakes habitat and location are a big factor....I live in the bay area,California where there is plenty of warm weather 8-) so I know there's alot of big bass in many of the local lakes....the one I am curious about has a lake record of 18lbs! so I'm on the hunt any help would be appreciated

oh my! I have a love for crappie :-* used to have a 6 acre pond with an island near the house I grew up in....we used to catch up to 2 1/2 lb crappie in there.....imo they are one of the hardest fighting fish pound for pound whew if the bass don't work out I think I just may do crappie since they have such a nice look and can be released locally if they get too big also have my eyes set on a 125 gallon tank instead.....seems that it would be a bit cruel to have such limited structure and no friends....can't wait!

yea I suppose the bass would have to be the biggest in the tank in order to not shut down from the stress...I noticed this same behaivior with my african cichlids there would always be an aggressor and his colors would be the brightest and if I introduced a threat in the tank his colors would be real bold and would taper off if the introduced fish took over his dominance. That fish would end up dieing a few weeks later and would slowly lose its color. I think with bass being such a dominate species and eating their own they would need more of a non communal tank..more like an Oscar...thinking the bottom feeders or cats would probably work but size awareness would be key. it should be a fun project and if the bass don't work out well I can just make a communal tank with frogs,craws,fish,and major plants!

some really good info here! if I can feed the bass pellets as a supplement and keep their growth down a bit it would be great...what would the ratio be of pellets vs live food? although I'm sure this might change their temperment a bit (less active feeding) it would allow me to observe the fish for a longer period I would think. Peacocks would only be nice to have cause they are so beautiful looking,but after some thinking it would be a shot in the foot since I couldn't release them here in the local lakes. Fish Chris did you have any natural foilage in your tank? I'm thinking of doing maybe some pads and possibly doing a 50 gallon tall tank to build an exposed log garden with some above ground plants and wood for structure. Maybe drop a few frogs in and see how long that lasts 8-) I think you hit the nail on the head saying we would be missing out on having a bass as a pet what else can you ask for being a bass fisherman who spends hundreds if not thousands on this sport some definite food for thought here

I hear you.....I would like to get a few other fish though to see how they interact

wow guess I stirred up a bit of controversy not sure where I'm headed yet but ideally I'd like to keep a 55 gal tank with tons of plant life and good structure and introduce a few lrg mouths in their fingerling stage and hopefully a few panfish and a couple of pleco's for cleaning purposes.....this is basically going to be an observation tank to see what kind of temperment the bass has during the different times of the day and also I want to try out a few buzzbaits,jigs,and plastics on these bass.....eventually I will release the fish to a local lake here that is not getting any bass plants(ofcourse I will check the necessary levels and make sure the fish isn't plagued with any diseases) ay Keith do you know if it matters as to what gender the LM are? what foilage worked in your tank? I've heard bass grow to 12" their first year is that dependent on their surroundings or is that if they are healthy and eating correctly? thanks guys! ps I was totally joking about trying out lures on the bass....... ;D

some great advice here! I had no idea it would be illegal to have lrg mouth bass? does that mean from the lake or the store? I've had some experience in keeping fish I had a 40 gal reef tank,55 gal african cyclid tank,and a incubator tank for sick fish....so the upkeep I'm sure wouldn't be more than a reef tank ....depending on the laws here in Ca I might try to do a Peacock bass tank instead I dunno....thought I'd throw this up and see what experience people have had what fish work with others,does gender matter,ph levels etc.... keep up the advice guys....thanks!

was curious to know what species of fish I would be able to introduce to a 55 gallon tank with black largemouths? also if anyone knows the optimal ph and water temp for this setup that would be great to. I plan on setting up the tank with large rock,sand,and a gravel bottom with wood,pads,and grass for structure. Not exactly sure how bass do in captivity since they are ambush predators so any help would be great thanks