There is a 3lb male large mouth on a bed by my dock and I caught it once yesterday and twice today. I read somewhere that not releasing a bass soon enough or making it fight to long or something like that caused some sort of chemical build up that could kill the fish. I just wanted to know how much it takes? Because I don't want to kill the fish.

Lactic acid build up is what you are referring too and it can kill the fish.  I would venture a guess that since you are continuing to catch this fish and the fight is probably 15 seconds long she will be fine.

 

Personally i would probably just leave her alone now that you caught her or maybe try different baits to see what she will go after but don't let her get hooked.

The stress of the fish in General is my concern. Not to mention a sore lip. I've double caught a fatty off the beds in the past in the same day. Usually I will just leave then alone for a few days and then try again. Give them a chance to recover and get a good head start. ;-)

Alright, Thanks. I first caught it on a craw jig then a T-rigged worm. I let it take that a few times and did not set the hook, it's fun just to watch them take it.

Unless you're fishing a tournament why keep catching the same fish off a bed? 

 

Too much stress can kill a fish just like it can any animal and they're already very stressed during the spawn, leave him alone. 

Give the fish a break and stop fishing for it.  Bedding fish should not be hassled while producing the next generation.  Unless in a tournamnet I would not mess with it.

.  Bedding fish should not be hassled while producing the next generation.  Unless in a tournamnet I would not mess with it.

I admit that I've never fished a tournament....but, if you believe it is a bad idea to fish bedding bass, why would it be OK in a tournament? 

I suppose that maybe being caught by tournament fishermen a lot better for the fish than being caught by others?

I admit that I've never fished a tournament....but, if you believe it is a bad idea to fish bedding bass, why would it be OK in a tournament?

I suppose that maybe being caught by tournament fishermen a lot better for the fish than being caught by others?

It's because no matter what people say about valuing the fish and the spawn their desire to win trumps the health of the fish.

It is cut and dry in my mind. Either you intentionally fish for bedding bass or you don't. The situation is irrelevant.

I don't think it's totally cut and dry. I tend to avoid bedding fish in a tournament simply bbs cause it won't be returned to the bedding site immediately. That male may not return to the best or set up shop elsewhere. Not all males build nests and spawn. I'm less concerned about roaming females, as they may spawn with more one male, though I'd rather return them ASAP than take them on a live well ride.

It's pretty much a moot point up here though, since it's usually still catch and immediate release rules during the spawn anyway.

LOL, who wants to catch an easy 3lb fish, especially the SAME one?

 

Fish the first break and catch what you DONT see (trust me, you're missing out).

I don't think this fish is guarding a nest. It seems to me that this is male with a bed ready, and he's just waiting for a female. I read that a guarding bass will not eat, this bass looks like he is just playing with my bait and eating it if I work it right. Anyway, I will not catch him again and will tell every one I know not to fish for him.

I don't think this fish is guarding a nest. It seems to me that this is male with a bed ready, and he's just waiting for a female. I read that a guarding bass will not eat, this bass looks like he is just playing with my bait and eating it if I work it right. Anyway, I will not catch him again and will tell every one I know not to fish for him.

They don't eat but if something is disturbing it's spawning bed how else is he supposed to pick it up and move it? Sometimes they'll blow at it or slap their tail to try to blow it off their bed but the surest way for them to move something they don't want there is to pick it up in their mouth and move it away. 

True, but, when I was using the texas rigged worm, I would rip it off the bed real fast and he would chase it three or four feet and eat it, and then swim back to the nest. To me this does not really seem like guarding the nest. There are some other fish on the lake that I know are guarding a nest and they will not chase anything and act much diferently towards my baits.

I don't think it's totally cut and dry. I tend to avoid bedding fish in a tournament simply bbs cause it won't be returned to the bedding site immediately. That male may not return to the best or set up shop elsewhere. Not all males build nests and spawn. I'm less concerned about roaming females, as they may spawn with more one male, though I'd rather return them ASAP than take them on a live well ride.

It's pretty much a moot point up here though, since it's usually still catch and immediate release rules during the spawn anyway.

I agree, seeing big fish caught off beds and taken miles away to be released is upsetting. I think tournaments in the spawning season should be catch-weigh-release with no boat ride in the livewell, to keep the fish on their beds.