Ok so most agree with releasiiiing big fish, well lets look at the catching bass from beds.

How many future fish are you killing by catching bass from beds? Do you fish beds?

Me I dont fish beding bass!

I agree with you Ozarkie, I don't fish beds for two reasons. One is the ethics of it. But another reason is they are males. I would rather target big ole spawned out females. Just my preference.

Another issue is the fishing for males while they are protecting their fry. Sure you can release them and they might be able to return to them, but what if they don't?

Don't get me wrong, I do believe mother nature takes care of her own. In good strong lakes, catching the bedding and guarding bass won't hurt it that much, but why mess with natures plan when there are other options? I guess tournaments are the only exception only out of necessity.

If you go back a few pages in the General section you'll find more than one thread about fishing for spawning bass.  

Thanks Five, I usually don't go back. If this is beat to death then that's fine. I was wondering though why this was read so many times and not responded to?

I have never seen a fish not return DIRECTLY to the bed.  I took a 4 lber off a few weeks ago, walked 10 yds down the bank had someone take a pic, put it back in the water, and when I got back to my tackle box the fish was already there.

Hello Ozarkie. I LOVE fishing for bedding bass. Quite the challenge.

Should we release big female bass caught from beds ? Well, I'd say this was just as important as releasing big bass that were no where near a bed when caught.

How many future bass are we killing ??? In California, as well as many other states, the answer would be "apparently not enough", as over-recruitment of juvenile fish, leading to large (and often times over) populations of smaller fish, with not enough food / space for larger ones, seems to be a much more common problem, than under-recruitment.

In most states with a shorter growing season, where the neccessary recruitment of juvenile bass might be threatened by bed-fishing, their have already been F&G regs put into place, to protect those fisheries.

I will continue to support the belief that killing a big bass, whether it be caught from a bed in March, or no where near a bed in October, is just as detrimental either way, AND furthermore, the individual big bass in question (which has already beaten absolutely incredible odds to get to the size that she has) is of far greater value, than 50,000 fry, none of which carry any guarantees, to ever obtain half the size of the big momma' that produced them. Just a whole lot of "maybes", while big momma is already a done deal.

My best advice;

Quit making decisions based on "how things feel" (BTW, all of my ex's thought like that :-)) and just go by the hard-core facts.

Peace,

Fish

My best advice;

Quit making decisions based on "how things feel" (BTW, all of my ex's thought like that ) and just go by the hard-core facts.

Peace,

Fish

Best advice ever  

I like to see things remain friendly in here and if you want to know about bed fishing there are plenty of recent post in this forum so you can get a idea on how people feel about this practice. I even had a no name post to get a percentage on the who does and does not bed fish. It seemed that it is roughly 2/3 chose to bed fish, if I remember right. Everyone has the right to make there own choice.

I'm sorry.... I didn't mean to sound cocky. I probably should have said > Personally speaking, I prefer to base my decisions on the hard-core facts, rather than on how things might feel.

I do have a question for the anti-bedfishermen though;

What would you do if your DFG biologists told you that your particular body of water was experiencing "over-recruitment", and that bed fishing would probably help to reduce the numbers of fry / reduce the problem ???

Peace,

Fish

Quit making decisions based on "how things feel" (BTW, all of my ex's thought like that ) and just go by the hard-core facts.

Oh Chris,

You make me feel warm and fuzzy all over!!  

Personally, I leave fish management to the professional managers.  In Florida bass fishing is big business.  The state is not about to jeopordize this revenue flow.  If a particular lake has a bad spawn year, or whatever, then F&W will seek to correct the situation with slot limits, or other remedies.

If you have moral objections to bed fishing, then I respect that, but broadly claiming that it hurts the fishery is not supported by the evidence.

Exactly what Fish Chris said.  Several states have regulations that you must release any fish caught during a certain time, and several don't. All for a reason.

I fish for spawners every chance I get. From Fla. to VT. I enjoy it. I think its as much a part of tournament fishing as flipping and cranking, there is a time that you better be doing it if you want to win!

It's illeagal in PA but in Florida as I understand it's legal and has shown no adverse effects on the the population so in that enviornment I would bed fish on a catch and release basis.

I don't fish bass on beds, ON PURPOSE.

I'm sure I hook fish 10ft out on beds that I just can't see.  But I don't look for bedding bass, and if I find them, I let them be.

That's just me, I don't disagree or hate on people who fish beds, but if they don't release the bass quickly, or if they keep a bass that's sitting on a bed, that gets me angry..

I have to agree with why not give the fish a rest during spawning. It just makes cents. With the low survival rates anyway what could it hurt?   I see toruney after tourney jerking fish from beds on Bull Shoals and you cannot say it does n ot hurt the populations.

I have my hawg on the wall from Zara Gossa Spain, we had to fish after the spawn so whats a couple pounds of eggs??? Is it a macho thing I can snag fish from a bed! I could spend days catching fish from beds and I know it will hurt the survival rates.

While stationed in Germany a buddy and I ruined a yellow perch fishery, there was no lomit and no closed season, in the month prior to the spawn we cleaned house on those critters. We never had good fishing again in that lake, it also caused the pike to grow abnormally large heads over the next few years. the pike over populated and were starving.

In Bull I am seeing a lot of thinner bass than 20  years ago also being a taxidermist I know the big bass are just not there, this year is tougher than last. each year gets worse.

I know what the recommendations were and what happened. but as mentioned $$$$$$ is what controls the regs.

Ozarkie

There is a board for some of this drivel- www.banned site, they will embrace the logic

Now for some counter drivel..

Ever Notice how the big tournament trails go to the same lakes year after year, and there is never really a drop off in weights unless there is a major cold front. These sight fishing, trophy lakes keep producing pigs year after year..... Doug Hannon is in it for money like everyone else, he is just appealling to non-tournament anglers....

Ever Notice how the big tournament trails go to the same lakes year after year, and there is never really a drop off in weights unless there is a major cold front. These sight fishing, trophy lakes keep producing pigs year after year..

Actually the weight totals have increased.

It's seems pretty clear that some people are emotionally invested in this.

The Florida bass factories have long allowed bed fishing and remain premium quality fisheries.

Now if you want to talk about the impact of hurricanes and drought you can definetly make a strong case.

i neither agree or disagree with fishing for bass on the beds.my main reson is that the pond i fish is really shallow but severely stained so in most places sight fishing on the beds is impossible, all i can do is cast to an area they may or may not be bedding and fish

I wasn't going to reply to this but I just had to. Anyone who want to see what bed fishing will do to a fishery in the South needs to come to lake Varner in GA. I guarantee you it is the most heavily sight fished lake in the whole state and there isn't another lake that comes anywhere close. It also produces more big fish than any other lake in the State and is less than 900 acres. There is no doubt that spawning is interupted by this much bed fishing. There are as many as 50 boats a day on some weekends and most are sight fishing on a small lake. The thing is it don't matter because I don't wan't more fish in the lake just biggger fish. There are too many small ones already I wish someone would take home and eat so we could grow more big ones. The last thing I want to see is even more small fish. Want to talk about economics? Ninty percent of my earnings come from fishing this one lake and will continue to as long as there aren't too many small fish in the lake and plenty of big ones. Just release the big ones after you catch them off the bed.

Excellent post Randall. I'd just love to fish that place sometime..... during the spawn, OR at any other time too ! And don't worry, I'd release a big one no matter what time of the year I caught it.... And maybe, if somebody easy to find, enjoyed eating bass, I'd donate them a limit of small ones.

Peace,

Fish