Got me wondering about this because I was in Academy a couple of days ago and for some reason happened to keep noticing all of the bass-colored bass lures. I bought a package of baby bass Super Flukes just for the heck of it. And at my subdivision pond, they are wrapping up the spawn and I can see hordes of fry swimming around in the shallows. 

 

So all that got me thinking, I assume if they make bass-colored bass lures, bass must eat other bass. Not a pattern I have ever targeted if that's the case, but seems like it might make a little sense in a pond where there aren't any shad for them to eat. 

Yes they are. Most all predatory fish are cannibalistic.

 

This reminds one of the question: Do bear dump in the woods?

If bass weren't cannibalistic, bass wouldn't be predatorial and the "Baby Bass" pattern would be fake news.

 

Roger 

yes

Any fish that will feed on other fish as its food source WILL eat smaller members of its own species. This works for everything from 1000lb swordfish to 6oz bluegill.

Ive litterly have caught 5 inch baby bass on baby bass colored crankbaits not much smaller then the bass?

Fish eat fish

2 minutes ago, slonezp said:

Fish eat fish

  As Scarpacci would say: Geh TOUT!

 

 

I have never heard of them being vegetarians.

baby bass colored senkos are usually pretty solid baits, not sure if this confirms cannabalism but I'd guess they are. 

Yes.

Bass much prefer whatever I'm throwing but will eat other bass.

10 minutes ago, JustinCT said:

baby bass colored senkos are usually pretty solid baits, not sure if this confirms cannabalism but I'd guess they are. 

OP here...ironically enough, I caught three in about 20 minutes this morning on the baby bass flukes I picked up the other night.

On 6/1/2020 at 9:18 PM, slonezp said:

Fish eat fish

Its a fish eat fish pond these days...

They will eat their own offspring and not even blink. And humans think it’s cruel to catch them off their nest 

1 minute ago, TnRiver46 said:

They will eat their own offspring and not even blink. And humans think it’s cruel to catch them off their nest 

Bass will do literally anything and not blink... it is physically impossible for them.

Just now, Baseball 'n Bassin said:

Bass will do literally anything and not blink... it is physically impossible for them.

Savages........without eyelids......

On 6/1/2020 at 8:05 PM, Smokinal said:

That looks like me stuffing my face when I eat

4 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

Savages........without eyelids......

It's a bass eat bass pond these days

I dunno if y’all saw the video of the 5 pounder turning into a 6 pounder in the aquarium at Bass Pro Shop. But I saw the video, can confirm they will eat other bass for sure.

On 6/1/2020 at 9:17 PM, Bluegillslayer said:

Ive litterly have caught 5 inch baby bass on baby bass colored crankbaits not much smaller then the bass?

Ha,ha! Me too. Its always amazed me how big of a lure fish will sometimes go after. Ive seen some pretty unreal examples over the years.  I wonder if sometimes they think they are just "fighting" for lack of a better word. Or are they really trying to eat it.

The old tree falling in the wood question comes to mind here, just updated a little bit. If a bass eats a bass and nobody is around to see it, is that bass a cannibal?

Oh yes, that's why you often catch bass of similar size in close proximation to each other.  Smaller bass don't hang with bigger ones and most big bass are often loners.  Hang with big bass and you can soon be on the menu! 

 

Many big saltwater fish will go to mangrove  swamps and into freshwater to have young.  They are protected from other bigger fish.  Mother nature finds a way to protect their future generations.

Most predators will eat their own species, they just typically don't target them.  Most fish take it a step further. they will eat their kids & siblings.  I believe that term is incestrial canabalism.