On 2/3/2022 at 10:03 PM, WRB said:

You are in a tournament and catch a DD female bass that wins the event, do you release it or weigh it? 100% of the time it gets weighed and often killed for a mount.

90% of all Baclk Bass, LMB, Spotted and Smallmouth over 4 lbs are females with eggs in some state of development and spend about 20% of each year in the seasonal period.

Tom

99% of tournaments I fish in Fl. The fish becomes property of the event and must be released, However I often wonder about a heavy female that is ready to bust being removed from her bed or bedding area, taken miles away in a live well, put on scales, then released miles away. Does she abort her eggs?????

 

Female usually lay eggs in stages multiple beds, not all the same time.

Post mortality rate is high for bigger spawning females handled and put into a livewell for weigh in’s.

Tom

 

 

6 hours ago, Catt said:

 

What I find hilarious is all y'all opposed to catching a bass off a bed but have no issue catching them prior to getting on the bed (pre-spawn). They are just as pregnant before they get on a bed.

I like catching them, on a bed, off a bed, it doesn't matter to me.

7 hours ago, Catt said:

What I find hilarious is all y'all opposed to catching a bass off a bed but have no issue catching them prior to getting on the bed (pre-spawn). They are just as pregnant before they get on a bed.

I'm not opposed to it.  I originally posted this thread to find out who is mindful about releasing a fish (any species) during their spawn, not targeting one, and why.  The topic of targeting a bedded fish is a controversial one and I am not going to get into that one during this thread.

 

Here in Minnesota we actually still have closed seasons for certain species of game fish to help protect them during the spawning season.  Bass spawn after the closed season here so its a moot point.  The primary fish that is protected is the walleye which are on a much higher pedestal up here than other species.

If I am keeping a fish to eat I don't really consider the state of them in the spawn.  That being said, I can't remember the last time I kept a freshwater fish to eat other than a few smallies on a multi day river trip.

Many who answer no will keep a limit of spawning crappie. The only thing that elevates bass is our belief that they're special. We think of crappie like cattle: food. We think of bass as we do our pets.

 

That said, I hardly ever keep any fish. I even take care to get them returned as quickly as possible. I'm just not against taking fish.

Agree with the reel ess completely.