Ecological Importance of Small Bass
Small bass play a significant role in the aquatic ecosystems where they reside. Their presence has far-reaching effects not only on their immediate enviroment but also on the stability and sustainability of the ecosystem at large. Understanding their ecological importance requires looking into several key areas, like biodiversity contributions and their role as indicators of environmental health.

https://theprimalx.com/articles/small-bass-impact-importance-aquatic-ecosystems/

Good Fishing

@GreenTrout  Good stuff!  

Dang that's longer than one of my comments!

 

Would this be a good time to ask who doesn't mind catching a lot of dinks?

 

I ask because in bass fishing is a general trend for a fisherman to go after and target catching bigger fish.

 

And in doing so may use larger baits the dinks wont hit on as much.

 

Just curious how some of you approach it?

 

Is bass fishing only about the big ones?

 

4 hours ago, FloridaFishinFool said:

Is bass fishing only about the big ones?

 

 

Kinda, yes.  It's just the qualification of "big ones."  I get antsy and impatient and almost prefer a skunk over sub 3lb bass.

 

scott

I enjoy catching small ones. I often downsize my lure in order to get the small ones on the hook.

7 hours ago, FloridaFishinFool said:

Would this be a good time to ask who doesn't mind catching a lot of dinks?

 

Just ONE dink turns a skunked outing into a non-skunked outing. 

I only fish for the big ones.  Some days 6 inches is a big one.😁

I fish, size is irrelevant. It’s either a skunk or catch.

14 minutes ago, Tennessee Boy said:

I only fish for the big ones.  Some days 6 inches is a big one.😁

 

I keep telling my wife this!!!!!!!!

On 7/1/2025 at 8:43 AM, FloridaFishinFool said:

Dang that's longer than one of my comments!

 

Would this be a good time to ask who doesn't mind catching a lot of dinks?

 

I ask because in bass fishing is a general trend for a fisherman to go after and target catching bigger fish.

 

And in doing so may use larger baits the dinks wont hit on as much.

 

Just curious how some of you approach it?

 

Is bass fishing only about the big ones?

 

Well, I enjoy all the little ones between he big ones. But if I caught big one after big one, that would please me as well.

If I have had a dry spell for a while then 20 or 30 dinks can really bring my confidence level back up.  

I fish a lot of finesse techniques in our clear water and yes, big fish can be caught but so can dinks...... I'm ok with it.

If we didn't catch small bass, how would we know when we caught a big bass?

Dinks are just fun size!

On 7/1/2025 at 5:43 AM, FloridaFishinFool said:

Would this be a good time to ask who doesn't mind catching a lot of dinks?

 

As good a time as any. I don't particularly like to catch a bunch of dinks because they can be vulnerable to some damage getting them off of a crankbait, or if they swallow a hook, their tiny mouths and being relatively delicate overall can leave them with significant damage. 

 

There are times in the late summer when I can actually get more bites than I take casts because the dinks are so numerous and ravenous.

I've caught plenty of dinks on small worms. I've also had them hit much bigger baits too. I think dinks are usually competing for food, and they'll strike anything at times.

Dinks be crazy . 

I think most of us would admit that we catch dinks on a fairly regular basis.  There's just more of those fish out there and the odds of running into one are much higher than running into more sizable versions.  It's simple math.

 

However, only a select few are willing to post photos as proof of these smaller versions.

 

Take a stroll over to the photo thread and you'll see plenty of this as evidence.

 

I refuse to take a photo of anything less than 17 inches.  Anything less goes back in the lake quicker than I caught it.

On 7/1/2025 at 8:43 AM, FloridaFishinFool said:

Is bass fishing only about the big ones?

 

Nope, not for me. I enjoy them all. That's why I count them.

 

1 minute ago, gim said:

I refuse to take a photo of anything less than 17 inches.

 

That's pretty much my cutoff too. However, I've had a few sessions where I caught more 17-inchers than Bass Resource would let me load. 

 

 

It's amazing how good a small fish will look, with the right perspective🤔

Only time I like catching a dink is if I'm about to skunk out for the day. Other than that no, I've caught weeds and sticks that put up bigger fights. 

The more fish I catch the better my odds at hooking a big one.

My Granpa used to say, "There's little bass, and there's big bass, but there ain't no bad bass."

21 minutes ago, Lottabass said:

My Granpa used to say, "There's little bass, and there's big bass, but there ain't no bad bass."

 

Take out the letter "b" and it still holds true...

I’m more than good with the dinks. I’m always chasing a bigger fish. But I’m not gonna fish obnoxious sized baits to avoid smaller fish. That’s just silly. Every fish teaches ya something. Besides who doesn’t love when ya get on a spot and can catch 20-30 1 pound or so fish in an hour and a half?