Posted by Paul Mattie on 2002 PM:
What would you do?
You have never caught a
bass over 5lbs and are strickly a C&R fishermen. It's mid-week at
Candlewood in early May. The lgmouth are in pre-spawn, spawn, and post-spawn.
You know some fish have spawned(you see bass fry) and there will be fish
spawning for another month or so. You are fishing in your favorite cove and you
see all these bass on beds. First you see some males around and since you are
wearing your blu-blockers the big females now become apparent.
Do you fish for the big girls you see? If not, why not?
Posted by Meg on 2002 PM:
Hi Paul,
No, I would not fish for the " big girls" on beds. How challenging is
it to elicit a strike from a bedded fish? Not very, in my mind. I would find it
far more challenging to find the females who are already off beds in the
nearest deep water weedbed. Finding those fish, what they want to eat, and then
targeting them successfully would be much more "sportsmanlike" than
simply angering a bedding female into biting. Would it bit a tiny bit difficult
to leave the monsters on the beds? Probably ( hey, I am human), but it would
save a trip to confession on Sat!
Time and again, I hear about this debate. Personally, I have seen a bluegill
raid a bed in 3 seconds when the male guarding it has been caught. Do I think
it will make a dent in the fishery long term? No, because people have done this
for years, and will continue to. It is hard to say you were targeting crappie
with a 1 oz. spinnerbait... Except if you are on Honeyoe....
At the same time, if you are bed fishing near me, I would not say anything to
you. Well, maybe a few evil looks..
Just my .02.
Posted by bink on 2002 PM:
A few years ago on lake Ossipee
we did come to a cove with anywhere from 20-30 beds all in full "activity",we
watched for a few then caught three or four fish and sent them right back and
moved along. This is a no win thread so keep that in mind. I know i have also
seen Perch or Bluegills raiding nests in a matter of seconds.
Posted by FISHIN' GYPSY on 2002 PM:
Paul,
ESPECIALLY if you have never caught a truly BIG bass... I would go after one or
two or SEVERAL of the BIG'UNS. I've caught thousands of "big'uns" and
I would go after a couple of them.
I personally have NEVER seen, heard of, or read of, an instance of "bed
fishing" harming a body of water or it's fish production and I challenge
ANYONE to show me proff of same. Actually... OVER population of fish in a body
of water has occured much more often and is MUCH more harmful to a body of
water than under-population. It has long been proven that "seasons"
do not help the QUALITY of fishing in a body of water anywhere near what other
tools, such as "slot limits" and "bag limits" do. I have
seen and read about entire "year classes" of small bass being
"wiped out" by weather, high water, etc., and the Susquehanna River continues to be one of the best
Smallmouth Bass fisheries in the nation.
I have seen DOZENS of examples of a certain "ethnic" group of people
who catch and keep EVERYTHING they can get a hook into... including 6"
bass, 4" bluegills, and anything else that bites. I have also talked to
MANY game wardens who have witnessed the same behavior. Are not these people
doing more harm to a fishery than any "bed fishing" could ever do?
Besides, not ALL bass spawn in shallow water. I proved to Greg Hill, last year
during the spawn at one of my "secret" lakes, that there were beds in
8, 10 and even 12 feet of water. So the species will continue to prosper and
grow. And the bass will continue to spawn.
I also feel that there is WAY TO MUCH argument given to the "bed
fishing" issue. If you don't want to catch fish off the beds.... DON'T! It's
THAT simple. But don't chastize a person because they take advantage of a given
situation that might yield them the biggest fish of their life. If I saw you
hook a giant bass off of a bed... I would offer to net it for you!
I really don't want to start a big "argument" here, and I'm sure JohnG
will delete this post, but this is just my 2 cents worth.
__________________
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"Tight Lines"
Posted by HugeFish4 on 2002 PM:
Most likely I would put
on a huge weighted treble hook, you know, the kind used for snagging
Bunker/Menhaden. and try to rip that baby into the side of the cow!
Sorry, I am acting like a basshole!
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My Home Page
Posted by Bass Rat on 2002 PM:
Gypsy, Leave the Australians
alone. "Certain ethnic group"
If it's a tournament, no brainer.
Fishing for fun, I leave em alone.
Paul, What would you do?
__________________
Is it Spring Yet?
Posted by Gregg on 2002 PM:
My honest answer is I
don't know. It sure would be tempting to try a couple of cast in that
direction. I don't know if it easy to catch them off beds I've never done it!
And I'm not Gypsy I can count the BIG'UNS I've caught on one hand. By Paul's
parameters I'm legal and I'm on a large body of water by my standards (Would it
be more harmful on a small body of water). Fry get eaten, after the male leaves
their still fry and the predators are still there.
Sure Would be TEMPTING
__________________
Gregg
Posted by Pete L on 2002 PM:
Personally , I do not and
would not fish for bedding bass.
wether or not it has an affect on bass population is not the point. I dont
consider repeatedly casting to a fish gaurding a nest or on a nest , until you
piss it off enough to strike a whole lot of fun. Maybe if i was fishing a tounement
i would think differantly. But until then -------No.
Not meant as a knock to anyone, just my opinion!!!!
Pete
__________________
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There is a very fine line between "hobby" and
"mental illness."
Posted by JOHN G on 2002 PM:
Gypsy, I am with you
100%!!! as long as it is legal bass fishing time on that water, why not? I
agree with everything you said in your great answer......I have personally had
several guys on my boat who used to swear that they would never bed fish, and
then given the opportunity and seeing what it presents in terms of skill and
technique, they ended up loving it......ANYONE on here that still labors under
the delusion that it is easy to catch bass off beds simply is off the
mark....just like with live bait fishing, there is a will and a way, ESPECIALLY
with Largemouths, they are not nearly as willing to mouth something off a bed
as a smallie. I will admit, that once you get the hang of how to do it, it may
"seem" easy, but take someone who doesn't know how to do it, and they
will be lost trying to coax those bass to strike.
I learned Bed fishing from Pro Terry Baksay on Candlewood lake, and until I
grasped the concept correctly, it was humble pie for me...after two such great
outings, I had the technique down. Candlewood, the NUMBER ONE fishery in Conn,
every year in and year out, probably has the most bed fishing you will see
anywhere......another lake in which people do extensive bed fishing is Winnie
and JohnC/NH can give you the lowdown on how productive that lake is year in
and year out.....there are other examples in New England, those that fish 'em,
know 'em!!!
If you go to a 20 acre pond and everyday for 5 straight days, take every single
bass you can get off the bed AND KEEP THEM, yes, that could have an effect on
that small water.....but dont be surprised if even on that little water, nature
finds a way to adapt, and they spawn deeper or whatever to compensate.
no one has a right to give anybody dirty looks if they are legally fishing for
bass.....just hope that they are following laws concerning which ones they keep
if any..... JOHN G
Posted by Paul at home on 2002 PM:
John and FG detailed a few points that have been misrepresented about fishing beds on this board for years. There is nothing unsportsmen like about it, nor is it easy as some assume.
Posted by Dominic on 2002 PM:
If your going to put in the time, money and effort to trailer your boat to a state that has an open season, why would you not target those fish. The state has no problem with it why should we? If its strictly C&R, then do just that. If its anything goes, then so be it. A well known tournament fisherman told me, and I quote: Just because you can not see the fish, it doesnt mean your not catching spawning fish. You can be fishing on the first drop off to a cove, casting up into it and catching fish off the beds just by random casting without even knowing they're spawning. If it makes people feel better, just back off and not look at the fish.
Posted by JOHN G on 2002 PM:
Dominic made an excellent point!! Especially with smallmouth, of whom the larger members notoriously spawn in deeper water...so that it is quite possible that the guy that fishes away from and deeper than the visible beds saying he is avoiding bed fishing can very well be catching bass off beds that he does not see. If someone still harbors the thought that bed fishing is wrong then THEY HAVE NO BUSINESS BEING ON THE WATER WHILE ANY BASS ARE ON BEDS!!!.........if that is the way you feel, take up tennis or something else during the spawn, because, as pointed out, you may very well be doing bed fishing without even knowing it, and if you feel that strongly about it, then stay away completely for a couple of weeks........ JOHN G
Posted by dodgeguy on 2002 AM:
i would fish for them.it's
not that easy to catch them on the beds.like john g. said,his first time was
humble pie.it's also never been proven to harm a fisherie.candlewood is a
perfect example of that.
__________________
chrysler master technician and avid fisherman
Posted by joe pido on 2002 AM:
If its legal season, Im
fishing the big un's. And IMHO, its not THAT easy to catch em. I was in a tx
last year which involved fishing for the spawners. It can really test your
patience. If you're just fan casting and not targeting on purpose, you might
get lucky. But if you really bear down, see a fish on a bed, drop a tube or a
lizard, there are a lot of intricacies involved in catching them. Not everyone
has an easy time catching the big uns...
joe
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