I went out this afternoon and caught this big male bass, I think ??? he went around 23.5 inches long, I didn't weigh him because I didn't want to take too long to release him, he looked like an old guy, so I just took a pic of him by the measuring tape and released him quick. I guess by how heavy he was to be around 5.5 or 6 lbs. If it was female from the size of the head it would have been 8 or 9 lbs. I am just curious to know if any one else has caught big male bass like this one or if it is just and old spawned out female. Would appriciate any responses on this one. Just look at the size of the head on that thing..... Geeeeezzz

glenn caught a big male off a nest at Lake Fork last year that was around 5 1/2 lbs. Was yours guarding a nest? That's about the only way you can tell a male from a female without a very detailed examination.

8-)

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glenn caught a big male off a nest at Lake Fork last year that was around 5 1/2 lbs. Was yours guarding a nest? That's about the only way you can tell a male from a female without a very detailed examination.

8-)

Unless I see the fish bumping the female to loosen the eggs, I wont believe that its a male if it is over 5lbs.

I couldn't tell if it was on a bed or not, I caught it in around 6 ft of water near a good drop off to 20ft +  Like I said it might just be an old female whose spawned out recently, probably for her last time.  She didn't fight as hard as she should have.  If it was a male those are some good genetics to have in my home lake, I tell ya. Thanks for the fast responses.

either way, nice one.

It's absolutely a female... it's mouth is open! J/K  ;D

I'm a fisheries technician and I would say it's probably a female, you probably picked her up leaving the bed after spawning.  However the only true way to know is sexing it by dissection, tissue sample, or seeing it on the bed.   On the bed if it was accompanied by a larger bass; male (almost always) if it was 100% by itself; male (again ON the bed). I believe (IMOP) it's probably a spawned out female... tell tale signs are the gut (looks to small to fit rest of fish), and geographically you may be approaching post spawn (for females).  Again it's hard to know for sure and I hope this helped somewhat and I don't just sound long winded.  This is my job and study these things constantly.

I'm pretty sure it's a spawned out female. She seems to have some wounds.

I'm pretty sure that florida strain bass males could get up to 5.5lbs. but that's pretty rare. We only have northern strain bass around here and the biggest male I have seen guarding a nest was about 3.5lbs.

I remember reading a post about bass eating discarded plastics and it cause them to starve or maybe she has a hook inside that it could not pass. IDK just guessing.