I wonder if the increase in numbers of bigger fish caught during pre-spawn/spawn has anything to do with the increase in numbers of anglers on the water?

On 10/29/2019 at 4:02 AM, Catt said:

I wonder if the increase in numbers of bigger fish caught during pre-spawn/spawn has anything to do with the increase in numbers of anglers on the water?

Yes! And... the vulnerability of big fat bass tends to bring them back for more.

 

It's true, that big bass are more vulnerable through the coldwater period; At least around here. I suspect several things are at work:

-The results of vegetation die-back, and/or turnover, essentially rearranges their homes, exposing fish, making prey fishes vulnerable to bass, and bass vulnerable to anglers.

-Repro tissues develop in the fall. By October here, those bellies are already swollen.

-Fat deposition appears to increase, commensurate with the repro tissues that require it, as well the ability to make it through the winter, esp in the N.

-Thus, bass begin to get FAT. They may not be much longer than they were a month or so earlier, but they sure look it!

-Big, fat, bass are vulnerable, to varying degrees of course, across the entire coldwater period which stretches from the fall transition through the spawn, esp so during fall and prespawn "binge-feeding" periods.

 

Working on that video (the Fall Transition end of it) right now.