Why no love for the Alabama bass ?

[Bird]

At least not here in VA.

Was fishing a 2100 acre deep clear all week, camping with the wife.

The bass were biting extremely well and I didn't even realize that many of them were Alabama " spotted " bass. 

 

So talked with 2 park rangers about my experience, they claimed that the spotted bass were accidentally stocked and will dominate the largemouth.

 

That certainly was not my experience fishing this lake all week.

Probably caught 50/50 largemouth to spotted.

I'd get into heavy submerged timber and catch all largemouth and when the cover got rocky, all spotted bass...... harmony.

I will say this ! 

give me all the spotted bass, invasive or not, those fish fight like a largemouth on steroids and one of the best eating fish I've ever had.

Not sure why we wouldn't want them.

[Woody B]

I'm kinda AC/DC on Spots.   I took a ~30 year hiatus from Bass fishing.   In my previous fishing life 3 to 4 pound Largemouth were common, and you'd hear about a DD at least once a month.   I'll readily admit that sometimes (regardless of whether we're talking fishing, or something else) the "good ol days" weren't exactly as we remembered them.    

 

Now it's hard to get a lure in front of a 3 to 4 pound Largemouth without a 10 inch Spot getting to it first.   I suppose I shouldn't complain, or blame Spots though.  I've caught at least one Largemouth over 5 pounds each month this year.....in a Spot infested lake.   "They" say "don't leave Bass to find Bass".  If you're catching 10 inch Spots that's all you're going to catch if you don't leave.   

 

I don't know if the Spots have harmed Largemouth fishing around here, or if they're blamed for fishing pressure, pollution, lack of State stocking, ect.   

 

I been learning (by experience) about how Spots and Largemouth interact.   I've found that certain areas will hold Spots that are 12 inches long or less.  (I call them micro Bass).  They're super aggressive.  I could catch a boat load pretty much every day.  I'd just fish for Bluegill if tiny fish were what I was after.     Some people like easy to catch tiny Bass.  (nothing wrong with that)   I've found that the bigger Spots (at least where I'm fishing) tend to be in the same areas as Largemouth.   I've caught larger Spots and decent sized Largemouth on back to back casts.  I've rarely caught anything bigger than a 12 inch Spot in an area thick with small Spots.   

 

 

Spots fight like heck, especially when they get some size to them.  My PB Spot is 4 lbs 15 ounces.  It fought like a nuclear powered submarine.   

 

 

 

[gim]

I am not that familiar with spotted bass but this topic has come up before here.

 

I would tend to think that just the sheer size of a largemouth compared to an average sized spotted bass would make them more desirable.

 

10 or 12 inch bass? I’m outta there. That’s dink city.

[Columbia Craw]

Did you read the recent on line article by BASSMASTER ?  

[WRB]

There are 2 species of Spotted Bass; the smaller is Northern or Kentucky and the larger is Southern  or Alabama that grow over 10 lbs in California.

Tom

 

 

[gim]

28 minutes ago, Columbia Craw said:

Did you read the recent on line article by BASSMASTER ?  

A link would be helpful.

 

I looked and could not find anything.

[Buzzbaiter]

Give it a few years, and you might have a change of heart. They can outcompete largemouth in highland reservoirs, given some time. If you fish for smallmouth or other riverine species of bass, it’s not just a matter of competition, but total replacement. They hybridize with other fish and screw with genetics.

 

Best case, you’re fishing for mutts. Worst case, the original species of bass within the system is extirpated entirely. Not too much of an issue with largemouth, but they have been repeatedly shown to degrade the size and quantity of largemouth fisheries.

[Columbia Craw]

Lake Murray Embracing For Potential Invasion by Dave Brown posted three days ago.

[Mbirdsley]

what is a good sized spot ? 

[Choporoz]

I know that VA and NC state fisheries officials are concerned.  From VA DWR:

 

“In lakes south of Virginia, where the Alabama bass has been released, largemouth bass find their numbers and sizes greatly reduced and the smallmouth bass basically disappear. And that’s a losing trade for Virginia fishermen.”

 

Mike Bednarski, Ph.D., chief of fisheries for DWR, further detailed the harm this species can cause. “Anglers introduced Alabama bass to create fisheries for this species in Virginia—Alabama bass are a popular species to target in their native range and in waters where they have been introduced in Georgia and California,” said Bednarski. “However, these introductions were done without concern for the consequences of establishing populations of these species, and case studies in North Carolina and Georgia clearly demonstrate harm to other basses such as largemouth, smallmouth, and shoal bass.”

[Choporoz]

NC Wildlife Resources Commission: https://www.ncwildlife.org/Fishing/Black-Bass-in-North-Carolina/Alabama-Bass

 

"The ultimate result of Alabama Bass introductions is that the original bass species present are replaced to varying extents with smaller, less desirable Alabama Bass through a combination of direct competition and interbreeding.

 

Lakes

When introduced into Largemouth Bass fisheries, Alabama Bass affect Largemouth Bass primarily through direct competition and displacement, with the competitive advantage of Alabama Bass being greatest in less productive lakes with higher water clarities. Where Alabama Bass coexist with Largemouth Bass in lakes within their native range, Alabama Bass dominate bass populations in less fertile lakes with clear water, while Largemouth Bass dominate in more productive lakes with murkier water. So far, the same pattern seems to be occurring in North Carolina, with Alabama Bass taking over rapidly in less fertile lakes and spreading more slowly in more productive lakes. As Alabama Bass become established in new lakes across the state, biologists will monitor bass populations to determine if the same relationship between productivity and the extent to which Alabama Bass impact Largemouth Bass populations continues.

 

While Alabama Bass primarily harm Largemouth Bass populations through direct competition, they also interbreed at low levels with Largemouth Bass. Hybridization with Largemouth Bass occurs most often during the early stages of an Alabama Bass invasion when Alabama Bass numbers are still low and it is difficult for Alabama Bass to find other Alabama Bass to spawn with. These Alabama Bass x Largemouth Bass hybrids resemble pure Alabama Bass and often grow much larger than pure Alabama Bass due to their hybrid vigor. As the Alabama Bass population expands, hybridization with Largemouth Bass occurs less frequently and does not impact the overall genetic composition of the Largemouth Bass population.

 

In lakes with Smallmouth Bass or Spotted Bass populations, Alabama Bass primarily harm the original bass populations through interbreeding. While Alabama Bass do not interbreed extensively with Largemouth Bass, they aggressively hybridize with both Smallmouth Bass and Spotted Bass. Alabama Bass genes begin appearing in populations of Smallmouth Bass and Spotted Bass shortly after Alabama Bass are introduced. Over time, the proportion of Alabama Bass genes continues to increase, until so few Smallmouth Bass and Spotted Bass genes remain that the fish essentially become pure Alabama Bass."

[Jig Man]

I fish Table Rock Lake which has lmb, smb, and spots.  Spots and smb were caught occasionally until the largemouth population was decimated by viral hemorrhage septicemia.  In the years since that occurrence the largemouth population has come back.  During the “comeback “ time spots and smallmouth populations greatly increased.  
 

It has been about 20 years since that time and things have settled down.  All three species can be found in any part of the but in general the populations have migrated to certain areas.  In some areas you will catch primarily one species and in others a totally different one.

 

If I want to concentrate on spots I will head up the White river, for largemouth it’s up the James.  Those brown fish are more numerous down in the area of the dam.

[flatcreek]

If they show up in your lakes and you catch one, you might as well get used to em’.

[roadwarrior]

Just another trash fish in my book. If they are legal size, kill them and either eat them

or give them away,

[flatcreek]

My point being that they ain’t going away 

[fin]

 

[Team9nine]

13 hours ago, gimruis said:

A link would be helpful.

 

I looked and could not find anything.

 

14 hours ago, Columbia Craw said:

Did you read the recent on line article by BASSMASTER ?  

Bassmaster article

 

[TnRiver46]

I love catching Alabama bass, although there aren’t many in my area. @Woody B fishes the spottiest waters around and he caught an 8 lb largemouth the other day….. 😂 

 

when you get a hold of a 3-4 lb Alabama bass on the Alabama River, you may never want to target anything else. They are as mean and as fast as they come 

[WRB]

Record Kentucky Spotted bass is 7 lbs 10 oz.

Record Southern (Alabama) bass is 11 lbs 4 oz, world record.

Like Largemouth bass IGFA doesn’t recognize Northern Largemouth Bass vs Florida strain LMB although they are different species.

Lake Perris in SoCal has record size Spotted bass coexisting with FLMB until Copper Nose Florida Blue Gill were introduced. The Florida Blue Gill decimated the Spotted bass spawn the Bluegills ate eggs and fry, no more Spots in Perris, FLMB are doing well.

Tom

[TnRiver46]

The recent Alabama bass trail tourney on Alabama River took just over 18lbs of spots to win 

[GreenPig]

I have no problem with Spotted bass.😁

[Tennessee Boy]

I've tried to update my thinking on the Alabama bass to match the current thinking of biologist.  As of 2008 the Alabama bass is no longer considered a subspecies of spotted bass.  It is the Alabama bass not the Alabama Spotted bass.  I think it's cool that they named it Micropterus henshalli after Dr James Henshall who is arguably the father of bass fishing. 

[TnRiver46]

@Tennessee Boy, my ichthyology professor was David etnier, who discovered the snail darter. They named it etnierii after him for some time but I see the species name as tanasi now. 
 

they took the completion of the dam to the Supreme Court over concerns this was the snail darters only habitat. The TVA lost but president carter passed the bill thru and completed the dam anyway. The snail darter has now been discovered in other watersheds and has been removed from the endangered species list

 

https://higherground.utk.edu/snail-darter/
 

lucky for me, I’ve got a house on the resulting tellico lake 😂. 
 

maybe a good message in there concerning Alabama bass, wait until further research is done. I’d gladly eat as many as I can but I don’t buy the doomsday hype. 

[Tennessee Boy]

21 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

my ichthyology professor was David etnier, who discovered the snail darter.

I have his book and I’m old enough to remember the snail darter ordeal.

[TnRiver46]

That’s awesome! Sounded like wild times