Do bass hang out generally in the same area if pickings are good?  Or more specifically, if a bass is in an inlet or creek arm, with plenty to eat and no reason to move, will they move?

Do they identify with a creek arm, for example, and generally remain there throughout their lives? Of course, I understand moving between shallow and deep areas, etc.....even out to the river channel on run-of- the -river reservoirs.  But, how likely is it, that if I find a few big bass in my creek inlet, that they will still be there a week later?

Random chance, provided no other variables have changed?

That would be a yes  

Most bass generally stay in the same area. I can go to the river and catch fish in the same area everyday all year long and then the following year I can still catch them in that spot.

So I agree with Catt. That would be a yes. ;D

That would be yes, I have one bass that weighs about 6lb that I have been catching for over two years. I just put the jig down there and he knows what to do.

The really big bass move to a retirement lake in California.   ;D

I still catch bass off the same structure that I caught them on 35 years ago  

An interesting study was just completed last year and the data was released about the daily life of a largemouth bass.

Although I cannot remember all of the details, I do remember the following, which may be a little off since I do not have the data in front of me.

What I recall regarding the ten bass tagged with monitors...

1 stayed in place and did not move.

3 moved from place to place each day within a small radius.

5 moved from place to place each day within a larger radius.

1 moved about two miles away.

So to answer your query, yes, bass do have homes.

I have also read that the larger bass will take the most attractive cover and structure and run the smaller bass off.

And bass do have their various locations that they swim to and from during the day and week.  

For instance, a bass will stay in a tree; then swim over to a brushpile; then visit a hump; then go to an undercut along the bank; and then return to the original tree.

So if you catch a nice lunker today, your chances of catching her again in about a month or so at or near the same location are good.

Just add to this information the fact that largemouth bass will follow the bait fish into creeks and coves during the day and they have their favorite migration routes to and from the shallows.

And you thought bass fishing was simple!!!!  ;D   ;D   ;D

Studies have shown that a bass population can frequently be broken down into two groups: 'Homers' and 'Roamers' How large that home range is depends on things like appropriate structure, size of fish involved, numbers of bass involved, and abundance of prey items. A certain amount of movement within a home range is normal, especially over a season which includes things like spawning activity. Some really large bass like in John Hope's studies literally "lived" in the exact same spot day after day with just feeding sorties over a defined hunting area as the only location change. Smallmouth tracking studies in my area have also shown some strong affinity to specific pools from year to year, with most fish never leaving that pool.

On the other hand you have the roamers. These are your typical schoolies that run with the shad, following them around the lake and always staying close to their food supply. Additionally, some tourney released bass that have been displaced a good distance from their "home" have been documented to basically turn into roamers, always on the move and never really settling down for any length of time. So it does depend to a certain degree on the lake and the exact circumstances.

-T9

you say "some" tournament bass will never go back to their original location and stay on the move. i would assume that others are capable of returning back to their "home" area? I find that really interesting. since most people assume fish to be fundamentally simple. its just crazy to think about fish in a manner that would make them seem to think like we do. having a home, but having our usual routes and places to go throughout the day

yes

I have a couple of "Pets" that I have caught numerous times over the last 15 years.  They have very abnormal markings.  One of them in Texas was 8 something two or three years ago and last winter she went 10.25#  Hopefully in a couple of years she will let me catch her again.

The really big bass move to a retirement lake in California. ;D

I thought it was Florida  !

I still catch bass off the same structure that I caught them on 35 years ago

X2

A bass's home and territory is the space its body is occupying. They move with the food source, the season, and as whim moves them to do so.

While do have a home they will travel to feeding areas, spawning areas or even following shad only to return home days later. I know tournament caught bass that were caught in the Housen' Bayou/Six Mile areas and weighted-in at Toledo Tackle which is at Pendleton Bridge. These bass were tagged/released near the bridge and recaught later in the Housen' Bayou/Six Mile areas; this is a 12-15 mile trip.

Oh yea 2 of those bass were over 10 lbs  

A bass's home and territory is the space its body is occupying. They move with the food source, the season, and as whim moves them to do so.

Agreed

They do not "hang their hats" anywhere in particular. A fish's brain is very small and their behavior is quite predictable, mostly the product of instinct and triggered responses from environmental stimuli.

Fish will be where the food is, where the water is comfortable and where the oxygen is sufficient.

Bass location is based on availble prey (food) and proper water temperature/DO/PH levels. If there is food nearby and the water is comfortable, sancturary is availble, there isn't any reason for the bass to travel any great distance. The one excetption to all that is spawning, the bass will migrate to shallow protected water to spawn, food isn't a factor during the spawning period.

Bass in a pond can't move too far, however still relocate seasonally. Bass in large reservoirs can and do migrate several miles during thier calendar year and return each year to the same or very similar location during the life cycle. Like everything in nature, bass are individuals and behavior isn't uniform, so you can only group them together as the majority tend to behave in a similar manner.

WRB

I have a couple of "Pets" that I have caught numerous times over the last 15 years. They have very abnormal markings. One of them in Texas was 8 something two or three years ago and last winter she went 10.25# Hopefully in a couple of years she will let me catch her again.

The oldest largemouth bass known  was 17 years old, smallmouth 23 years old, as I recall, both in northern waters where bass live longer. There is always exceptions, however it takes about 5 years for a bass in California,Texas and Florida to reach 5 to 7 lbs and the vast majority live less than 12 years. You really can't go by markings alone, tags or fin clips are more reliable to identify a specific bass.

The Dixon lake "spottie" 25 lb? bass may have been the same bass caught at least 3 times, could also have been several bass from the same parents that managed to survive and grow to giant size. Haven't had any feed back to spotties age, length or girth to date. getting off topic. I agree that you can catch the same bass in the same location, year after year, as I have done that several times, with tagged bass.

WRB

I have a couple of "Pets" that I have caught numerous times over the last 15 years. They have very abnormal markings. One of them in Texas was 8 something two or three years ago and last winter she went 10.25# Hopefully in a couple of years she will let me catch her again.

The oldest largemouth bass known was 17 years old, smallmouth 23 years old, as I recall, both in northern waters where bass live longer. There is always exceptions, however it takes about 5 years for a bass in California,Texas and Florida to reach 5 to 7 lbs and the vast majority live less than 12 years. You really can't go by markings alone, tags or fin clips are more reliable to identify a specific bass.

The Dixon lake "spottie" 25 lb? bass may have been the same bass caught at least 3 times, could also have been several bass from the same parents that managed to survive and grow to giant size. Haven't had any feed back to spotties age, length or girth to date. getting off topic. I agree that you can catch the same bass in the same location, year after year, as I have done that several times, with tagged bass.

WRB

You can't go by markings alone?  I think there is an exception with this rule: A bass with a very distinct marking.  Fish Chris posted a picture of a bass that he caught, then a few weeks later was caught by someone else.  The pictures both showed that the bass had a very distinctive marking.  Other good great anglers on BR have claimed to do the same.  I'd tend to agree with them.

"Territoriality. Just a theory that I happen to agree with" - Matt Hooper - "Jaws". Me too:o)

I will stand by my statement that you can't rely on markings alone. In the case of giant bass, you have another factor to consider; a rare bass, such as Dottie/spottie. One black dot on the lower gill cover is unusual, not rare by itself, however combined with the basses size, a small lake and the fact was caught in the very same spawning cove 3 times over a 4 year period and not reportly caught anywhere else, is a combination of factors, not just markings to identify a specific bass. If the bass had unusual markings, was a big fish, plus a scar or injury, I would agree, markings alone is questionable, due to the fact several bass from the same brood could easily have the same unusual markings and be nearly identicle size.

You missed my point totally and the reason for the response was to address the statement made about catching the same bass for 15 years, based on markings on the "pet" bass. You might catch the same bass from a small lake, however unlikely over a period of more than 4 years. The 15 year old "pet" bass would be a fingerling it's first year and grow until it reach whatever maximum weight it could achieve, then slowly lose weight unitl it died.

The question in this post was will bass stay in the same arae; the answer is yes and they will return to the same area year after year, if the prey and conditions remain the same.

WRB