Three weeks ago I caught the biggest bass I ever caught a 9-1. I took a couple scale samples and sent them to three different biologists to have the bass aged. I heard back form the first biologist today. He aged that fish at 16 years old. The oldest bas he has ever aged. That means that bass was spawned in 1997. I wonder what the two biologist will say.

I am shocked that up north they would live that long given the long winters.  Makes you wonder how big that girl would have been should it have grown up in the south because it obviously had some good genetics.

My Northern PB, is also a 9-1, and I kinda figured she was about that old. She still swims today, and we will see how old she is when she's a 10.5 pounder (the state record), because I plan on being the one to catch her. How do you safely take a scale sample?

It's difficult to accurately age a bass with using scale growth rings due to several environmental conditions, good enough for an estimate. It will be interesting if the other biologist are within a year.

Cold water fresh water bass live longer than those in warmer water climates, the oldest known I believe was 26 year old smallmouth from Mass.

It does some skin and nerve damage extracting pore scales from a living bass and pore scales have the easiest growth rings to count.

Tom

That's an old bass, older than some members on this site

Scale samples are taken three or four rows down directly underneath the mid section of the spiny dorsal fin.

You have to wonder how many times that fish may have been caught and released throughout her life? If that isn't a glowing example of why catch and release of larger fish is important, I don't know what is. 

Interesting stuff! I never knew cold water bass fresh water bass live longer than the warm water variety do.I swear i learn something new everytime i click on this site.I guess this is why its so addicting.

The late bass professor, covered bass aging in his book big bass magic. Colder water bass live longer than bass in warmer water. Metabolism, plays an important role in aging.

That fish was in insanely good shape for its age. It could have been caught before but it didn't have any marks from being caught previously. A very clean and healthy fish. I wonder how big she will be in a couple years or so.

Over 10!

I am shocked that up north they would live that long given the long winters.  Makes you wonder how big that girl would have been should it have grown up in the south because it obviously had some good genetics.

 

Cold water bass certainly live longer. From what I have been told they dont age as quickly up there because of the shorter growing seasons or something like that.

All cold blooded animals will typically grow slower and live longer in colder regions because their metabolism is slower; thus everything (including aging) is slowed, sometimes dramatically.

All cold blooded animals will typically grow slower and live longer in colder regions because their metabolism is slower; thus everything (including aging) is slowed, sometimes dramatically.

So what you're saying is that we should all move into the arctic regions? 

So what you're saying is that we should all move into the arctic regions? 

Unfortunately this isn't the case for us warm blooded mammals. 

Unfortunately this isn't the case for us warm blooded mammals. 

Thanks for crushing my dreams of being 150...

Thanks for crushing my dreams of being 150...

Maybe we can look to the sloth for inspiration on this.

The most simple way I heard it explained was all living things have a certain amount of heartbeats so if a bass stays colder for longer portions of the year then it will take longer to use up its heartbeats.

Most LMB reach a maximum weight then start to decline as their health fades. This bass may be at her prime condition now and may weigh a pound more during the late pre spawn period next year.

Tom

Most LMB reach a maximum weight then start to decline as their health fades. This bass may be at her prime condition now and may weigh a pound more during the late pre spawn period next year.

 

I will let you know how much she weighs in the spring when I catch her again. If I miss her in the spring then I will find her in the fall.

That fish was in insanely good shape for its age. It could have been caught before but it didn't have any marks from being caught previously. A very clean and healthy fish. I wonder how big she will be in a couple years or so.

 

 

That's because she had fat dripping off her fat! She was very well fed. Hope she lives long enough to get caught again. When female fish like that reach that age she probably is not spawning anymore just eating.

This is what I have heard:

 

In the Mid South a smallmouth can grow to 5 lbs in 4-5 years, but they generally only

live to 8 years or maybe 10 at the max. It takes about 10 years for Great Lakes smallmouth

to reach 5lbs, but they live to about 18, maybe 20 years max.

 

 

 

If a femal bass isn't sick, they produce eggs throughout their adult life cycle. Spawning is hard on the older females and it can kill them, usually by bed fisherman.

You read a lot of misinformation regarding big bass. It was believed that Florida LMB only lived 10 years max, not true, they often live over 15 years, if they have cooler water in the 70's during the summer period.

Tom

Huh!  This morning I woke up with a piece of scalp missing!  Do you suppose some aliens were trying to determine my age?  I don't want to know why my butt hurts!

I don't want to know why my butt hurts!

Pretty sure no one wants to know that answer either.

Pretty sure no one wants to know that answer either.

 

True that