Fishing Bedding Bass 2024

BassChaser57 reply :

I don't want to start a firestorm but want to sample the opinions of anglers.

Just curious what the differences are in hunting rutting deer and bedding bass?

lowe160 reply :

It is really not the same as hunting rutting deer but more like shooting deer in a pen. JMHO

Wayne

Grey Wolf reply :

Quote
I don't want to start a firestorm but want to sample the opinions of anglers.
Just curious what the differences are in hunting rutting deer and bedding bass?

Don't do either one.

guest reply :

I voted not much. I have the patience of a lit fuse. I was amazed at the Fork Trip, watching all the more experienced guys work a single bed for much longer than I could ever imagined. It is a very good way to catch hogs, I need more experience at this.

Raul reply :

Quote
I don't want to start a firestorm but want to sample the opinions of anglers.
Just curious what the differences are in hunting rutting deer and bedding bass?

Deer die for shure, bass may or may not. You can 't practice C&R in hunting.

BassChaser57 reply :

I love to fish for spawning bass with a QUICK photo and release. Watching them interact with the lure gets my motor running.

smallieking reply :

yea i catch and release PA has rules protecting spawning bass you can fish for them but its a immediate catch and release with no tournaments permitted so thats one thing i really like

.dsaavedra. reply :

i get excited to fish the spawn!

its so fun and a great way to catch a biggun!

but like others have said i do a quick measurement, a few photos, and back in the water she goes.

Pigsticker reply :

I actually have never sight fished because i just havent been on a lake where you can see them. I fishin the spring it is my favorite time to fish along with late summer. I wouldnt be opposed to fishing a bed for catch and release as long as when you practice "catch and release" you do not mess the girl up.

On another note you did not mention anything about blind casting for spawning bass in dark/turbulent waters because i do that all time.

That takes luck plus experience to know where the beds are at.

Oh and there is catch and release hunting for Rhinos(a rhino)

Crestliner2008 reply :

I just don't do it. Never had a need. All bass do not spawn at the same time. Some are in pre-spawn; some are in spawn; some are in post spawn. There are enough fish to be had, which are not on a bed, to target, without disturbing our future.

bassdocktor reply :

I guess my thought on this topic is that we don't see a large number of the spawners. From what I've read and been told by some people who have studied bass spawning for many years we number we see spawn is very small.

If you release them quickly and back to the same spot all should be good. Yes some people feel that predators can get the eggs during the time the bass is gone. But, that is one of the reason they produce so many eggs because of the survial rate.

HesterIsGod reply :

Quote

Quote
I don't want to start a firestorm but want to sample the opinions of anglers.
Just curious what the differences are in hunting rutting deer and bedding bass?

Deer die for shure, bass may or may not. You can 't practice C&R in hunting.

Very true. Unlike in hunting, in bass fishing you can have your trophy and release it too

Ballpark Frank reply :

I have never targeted bedding bass specifically, but have caught several that were spawning. I just don't have the patience. I always do a quick release anyway, usually use the pliers with them still in the water(it's easy in a kayak). I only take pics if they are "worthy" and if I remember my camera. Now bedding bluegill are another story .

garry77 reply :

I'll throw to a bedded bass every once in awhile.Like basschaser said I like to watch them react to the lure.If it doesn't hit my first few offerings I move on.

I'm sure that all of us have caught bedded bass that we haven't seen whether we like to catch them off te bed or not.JMHO.

grimlin reply :

I perfer to leave them alone.

Fish Chris reply :

Just one thing I'd ask you to consider; At many places in the country (most especially in the warmer climates) over-recruitment {and reverse selective harvest of the largest fish}, leading to lots of smaller fish, and not too many big ones, is much more of a problem than under-recruitement (especially from a trophy anglers standpoint).

So to agree with what you said > "Yes, bed fishing might be affecting our fishing future"..... > for the better ! (although every fishery is different, and should be treated accordingly).

I LOVE bed-fishing :-) Can't wait !

Peace,

Fish

Fish Chris reply :

> I'm sure that all of us have caught bedded bass that we haven't seen whether we like to catch them off te bed or not.JMHO. <

Very good point ! In fact, I plan to do some "blind" sight-fishing here shortly, in an area that I know 15 to 17 lb'ers to spawn..... but in which the water is way too murky to actually see so much as a shadow of them :-) Wish me luck.

Peace,

Fish

fishnaddiction reply :

wow there are alot of hypocriates anyone that fishes during the spawning season is fishing spawning bass u might not be targeting beds but if your blind casting chances are u are going to drag the bait over a bed and catch a bass and if u see a gaint on a bed i dont care who u are u are going to fish for it the only people who say they dont fish for spawning fish are people that are staying home during the season

brgbassmaster reply :

This is a touchy subject, but i belive someone that says no they would never fish for bedding bass. what happens when they come up on a 6or 7ber on a bed and they are in a tournament? im pretty sure those guys would throw a line to that bass if it meant being in the money.

Paul Roberts reply :

Some studies have shown that it takes very few successful nests to make a strong year class and that other factors cause poor year class success. Some northern studies though have indicated that bed fishing is very deleterious to potential hatch years. I have a friend who is a fisheries biologist in NY and he says he's has seen some serious impacts on smallmouths in the St. Lawrence River from bed fishing for males.

From what I've read, in some of the big productive reservoirs in the south, bed fishing may not be as potentially deleterious as it in northern natural lakes, or in small waters I fish.

For myself, I've chosen against fishing for male bass on beds for a several reasons:

YOY bass are important food for larger bass I've seen this myself. If it were to be a good survival year for young bass then I see that surplus of young bass as a boon for larger bass. Food availability is often a limiting factor for bass growth.

In the small waters I fish I'd rather have more fish contributing to the populations than just the few that happened to be lucky or less accessible to anglers.

Male bass have a hell of a long arduous job. It is possible to be merciless with vulnerable males, and it seems many people are on the public waters I fish. I've too often seen males caught repeatedly, to exhaustion. Most male bass I see or catch have hook wounds, damaged jaws, even hooks or lures left in them. I personally do not want to participate. I leave bedding males be.

I will fish for females though. They are much less vulnerable to repeated capture than males, being generally less pugnacious. They can be especially tough to catch when actually dropping eggs, but I leave these fish be regardless. Females don't hang out for a month guarding eggs and then fry either at least in the north where I fish. I am careful not to re-catch the same females repeatedly and if I see ones that look worn I leave them be, regardless of size. Since I fish small waters I can generally find such fish earlier and later in the year. I do a lot of observing during the spawn, a great time to assess a water's potential for bigger fish.

Quote
This is a touchy subject, but i belive someone that says no they would never fish for bedding bass. what happens when they come up on a 6or 7ber on a bed and they are in a tournament? im pretty sure those guys would throw a line to that bass if it meant being in the money.

For myself, I don't wrestle anymore with the ethical issue of whether my beliefs can hold up when money, or more accurately, ego, is on the line. I don't NEED a quick limit, or a kicker. I work within the ethical and sporting limits I've set for myself. This works best for me. Every impulsive thing I've ever done has left whatever victory I had, hollow.

Ifish4keeps reply :

on one episode of "Hook 'n Look" they were catching spawning Smallies and they wanted to see what would happen if you released the fish far away from where they caught it (the bed) and they followed the smallie as it went a few hundred yards all the way back to the same bed that it was on, so this shows that it really doesnt matter if you release the fish a couple hundred yards away.

But for me i would never put a spawning bass in the livewell, that would just be awful, so i really dont worry about releasing it that quick.

Catt reply :

There is a healthy philosophical debate that continues over the entire realm of bed fishing. It should be emphasized, however, that there is volumes of documented proof that bedding females can be caught and released without interrupting the spawning process or damaging its ability to release its eggs. Often, a female or male bass that is caught, handled carefully and then released will return immediately to their nest.

Anglers like Grigsby and Hibdon, who seem to have the magical touch during bedding season, continually stress the importance of carefully returning the big female spawners to the water for two reasons to enable it to pass on those magnificent genetic traits to future generations; and it takes a long time for another bass to grow to that length (thereby robbing a fellow fisherman of the chance of encountering a trophy bass).

But you should take that a step farther, says Hibdon, the father of shallow-water sight fishing. If you put a filet knife to a big bass in the fall, you are just as guilty of removing a spawner from the population as you would be in the spring.

Most anglers don't understand the importance of releasing the smaller male bass as well. In the spawning scenario, it is the male that shoulders most of the workload making the nest, fertilizing the eggs and then protecting both eggs and fry long after the female has left the nest. Removing a male bass is usually a death knell for its hatch of eggs or fry.

Often, it is necessary to catch the male bass before the female will move onto the bed and into a more catch able position. In that case, knowledgeable fishermen put the male in their live well, catch the female and then return both to the nest. Even in tournament situations, ethical pros release the male before taking the female to the scales.

Cook emphasizes that understanding the spawning habits of the female bass will significantly improve your chances of catching some of the biggest bass of the year. He believes that the female often moves on and off of the bed to deposit more eggs (hatchery studies support this claim). Few females drop all of their eggs at once. Instead, they expel a portion and then move off to a near by break line, bush or grass edge.

It is this sporadic purging of eggs and the ability to spawn with different males on several nests that keeps the annual spring bedding season from being severely impacted by large tournaments. Texas Parks & Wildlife Department biologist Clarence Bowling says studies have shown that a female (when handled properly) will simply locate a bed and an available male in the area where she is released and complete spawning.

GET A LOCK ON THE SPAWN: By Tim Tucker

MALTESE FALCON reply :

I'm sure I've caught many spawning bass, I just don't target them.

Falcon

ba7ss3in reply :

In a tourney I will target spawners but when I'm out fun fishing I want target them. If I come across one on a bed I will make a few casts to her to see if she will bite but I want spend a lot of time on her unless she is huge.

roadwarrior reply :

I never intentionally fish for spawning bass. However, as many have pointed out, in many lakes (Lake Fork being a prime example), bed fishing appears to have no impact on the bass population or the health of the fishery.

8-)

Big-O reply :

Sure, let's catch'em, throw'em in a live well, haul'em across the lake, drag'em up to the scales, throw'em on and weigh'em, then haul'em down to the lake and chunk'em in. That ought to teach her to have babies! Did it when I was just starting out, but that's been 40 years ago and since then I don't think we should bother the very fish that are doing their best to provide us with the very thing that we love doin more than anything else in the world. Besides that, I catch plenty of nice size fish without imposing on bed fish. I get to fish more than I should, if that's possible. Guide

jrhennecke reply :

Just doesn't seem like fishing to me.

GitRDoneIke23 reply :

Quote
i get excited to fish the spawn!
its so fun and a great way to catch a biggun!

but like others have said i do a quick measurement, a few photos, and back in the water she goes.

EXACTLY!!!

GitRDoneIke23 reply :

Who voted to outlaw it???? :-? :-?

jrhennecke reply :

I don't think it should be outlawed. We have enough regulations. My opinion is for me personally. I think this is an issue were everyone makes a personal choice.

Jimzee reply :

For me it is very simple. As much as it is embarrassing to admit, this is probably my weak link in bass fishing knowledge. I don't do it on purpose but I know for a fact I have caught a few in the spring that were spawning by chunking spinnerbaits and cranks along the shore. If I see one spawning, I leave them alone. I don't look down on people who choose to fish for them. There is an art to it which I do not posess....mainly patience.

HesterIsGod reply :

Most fisheries bioligists agree that fishing during the spawn barely effects fish populations. The real factors that make bass spawn successful is deep cover, for winter so all the small bass dont get eaten. Also, available forage for baby bass. If one nest is removed typically that just makes other nests more successful due to less competition.

Bass XL reply :

Here is what an article in BASS Times says:

" Whenever discussions surrounding the bass spawn arise, questions about angling ethics and conservation quickly follow.

Chris Horton, BASS National Conservation Director, has wrestled with these questions often. ' The issue of catching bass off their spawning beds is an ongoing controversy that is more of a personal dilemma than a documented biological problem. The underlying question is not whether catching fish from a nest will result in poor spawning success for that individual nest but whether or not there will be impacts at the population level,' explained Horton in a previous column that appeared in BASS Times.

Horton believes it comes down to two words: carrying capacity.

' A body of water has a finite amount of cover, space and forage available for young bass. Even on lakes where no angling is allowed, relatively few individuals survive to their first birthday, and those that do are a result of their ability to secure the needed habitat requirements. If survival in one nest is decreased, survival rates from other nests likely increase because forage and cover that would have been partitioned to the offspring of the failed nest are now available for other bass fry.'

Horton concludes: 'Until there is proof that catching spawning bass harms the overall bass population, the decision to do so is purely personal.'

I for one am 100% for it.

Fish Chris reply :

Killing a big bass in December, means that fish won't be making babies the following March, nor any Spring thereafter, and even more importantly, that fish won't ever be "somebody elses new PB".

And one more thing....... in places where over-recruitment is the bigger problem (very common), what do non-bed-fishermen have to say, to support their stance ???

Of course, I'm guilty from the standpoint that I release all of my bass, when at most places, I should keep a limit of small fish every time. My excuse is, I don't fish for, or therefor catch many small fish, nor do I prefer the taste of bass.

Hmmmm,

Fish

roadwarrior reply :

Quote
Here is what an article in BASS Times says:
" Whenever discussions surrounding the bass spawn arise, questions about angling ethics and conservation quickly follow.

Chris Horton, BASS National Conservation Director, has wrestled with these questions often. ' The issue of catching bass off their spawning beds is an ongoing controversy that is more of a personal dilemma than a documented biological problem. The underlying question is not whether catching fish from a nest will result in poor spawning success for that individual nest but whether or not there will be impacts at the population level,' explained Horton in a previous column that appeared in BASS Times.

Horton believes it comes down to two words: carrying capacity.

' A body of water has a finite amount of cover, space and forage available for young bass. Even on lakes where no angling is allowed, relatively few individuals survive to their first birthday, and those that do are a result of their ability to secure the needed habitat requirements. If survival in one nest is decreased, survival rates from other nests likely increase because forage and cover that would have been partitioned to the offspring of the failed nest are now available for other bass fry.'

Horton concludes: 'Until there is proof that catching spawning bass harms the overall bass population, the decision to do so is purely personal.'

I for one am 100% for it.

Touche!

8-)

32251 reply :

Quote
Who voted to outlaw it????

I did.

Bass fishing is not like it used to be. There are more and more fishermen with no regards for anything and many more inexperienced bass fishermen that don't know enough to care.

I watched a fellow fishing the other day with his kids. Kids would catch a fish and he would let them walk around looking at for several minutes and then he would remove the hook and sling the fish about 30 feet back into the water with a loud enough splash to hear it across the lake. Bass fishing has become run and gun. Catch everything you can and then haul it miles away to be gloated over and then released.

The continuing growing pressure on fish during the spawn certainly cannot continue and expect nature not to be affected by it. Come on!

Catt reply :

Quote

Quote
Who voted to outlaw it????

I did.

Bass fishing is not like it used to be. There are more and more fishermen with no regards for anything and many more inexperienced bass fishermen that don't know enough to care.

I watched a fellow fishing the other day with his kids. Kids would catch a fish and he would let them walk around looking at for several minutes and then he would remove the hook and sling the fish about 30 feet back into the water with a loud enough splash to hear it across the lake. Bass fishing has become run and gun. Catch everything you can and then haul it miles away to be gloated over and then released.

The continuing growing pressure on fish during the spawn certainly cannot continue and expect nature not to be affected by it. Come on!

What you describe is nothing new and yet bass are still here in huge numbers; it is my option the only way man can impact the bass population in most lakes is by polluting the water. Most anglers may think they are good enough to limit out on a daily bases when the reality is most anglers barely catch a few limits yearly. I hear all this talk about how much smarter anglers are today which is in fact true but that percentage of smarter anglers is quite small when considering the overall number of anglers.

Read the scientific and biological proof that supports the fact that fishing spawning bass does not in pact the spawn. No where have I ever read any scientific or biological evidence to support the opposite.

tyrius. reply :

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Bass fishing is not like it used to be.

I agree. Too much emphasis is placed upon catch and release, with no regards to its effect upon the fishery.

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The continuing growing pressure on fish during the spawn certainly cannot continue and expect nature not to be affected by it. Come on!

The problem with this statement is that the scientific research and the fisheries management employees disagree with it.

jrhennecke reply :

As I said yesterday it has to be a personal choice. I don't choose to fish for bed fish even though I know I catch some. I am not sure that you can truly measure the impact of bed fishing. I do agree with that catch and release is a problem on some fisheries. I also distinguish between a tournament angler bed fishing from a Trophy Hunter. To a guy that targets record class bass this is their opportunity to get their trophy and rarely does the bass spend anymore time out of the water than it takes to weigh and photograph.

thetr20one reply :

The problem I think is TRUTH! I don't believe for one minute ANY tournament angler would pass a huge fish on a bed without casting to it. Who is any angler who pays his license fees and follows the law going to be deterred by a bleeding heart. Not only do my dollars that I spend on licensing used for conservation and rescoures in my state but, every dollar I spend on tackle gets taxed federally for the same nationwide! I am first and foremost a conservationist by paying for my right to fish! I choose to be good at every aspect and technique in bass fishing by practicing ALOT (MEANING ALSO PAYING ALOT OF MONEY TOWARDS FISHING CONSERVATION). If this means bed fishing (WHEN I COME ACROSS A BEDDING FISH), than by all means I am going to try and hone my BEDFISHING skills. I hunt the rut too! Last time I read the Ohio hunting laws it was legal. I have three very nice deer mounts ONE taken during the rut, two taken during our gun season. Like someone said earlier no catch and release in hunting!! Personal bests are 6-3 smallie, 5-15 largemouth, and a 2-7 spot. We dont have alot of large spotted bass here! NO MOUNTS even though I have caught HUNDREDS of 5 pound+ large and smallmouth bass I dont have a single mount. Yet I would think these anglers who say they would not fish for spawning fish would have a very large for their area fish mounted! Who am I or anyone to tell another legal angler how or what we should fish for? I didn't read where the gentleman who heard the other fisherman flinging the fish into the lake say that he did anything to make his feelings known to the other angler. I would have! There is ethical and rediculous. Is there really a difference in me catching a spawning fish and treating it like gold, and some other fisherman catching a large fish and keeping it out of the water while he grabs his scale takes pics and lets it's slime layer turn to a crust? YES I treat my fish with respect, he doesn't! I don't eat any fish I catch or harm them intentionally in anyway (other than putting hooks through their face) I catch and release all bass. Every one!!! Read more before you talk. Bass fishing pressure is at a low. Biologists often disagree with each other on this subject and, it is legal. There are closed seasons where it is not. Trying to make me or any other concious angler feel bad will not work here. Do your best and do what you think is right for yourself. Bass fishing is very expensive and if you cannot afford to pay the cost for everything that goes along with it there are plenty of bluegill and crappie to be had. I find people who are against bedfishing in general are not good at it and have problems with getting smoked by those who are! If everyone agreed on this subject it wouldn't be a subject I guess so lets agree to disagree for now and let our state resource managers decide what is ethical!

reelnmn reply :

More proof that anglers have little impact on bass recruitment and future bass populations:

This is an article taken from the Virginia Department of Game & Inland Fisheries. It's an update regarding the latest research in bass recruitment problems at Briery Creek Lake, Virginia's well known trophy bass lake. The research is being done by Virginia Tech and is going on it's 3rd year.

Whole article:

http://www.dgif.virginia.gov/fishing/waterbodies/reports/Largemouth%20Study%20Update%20Jan%2008.pdf

Here's an excerpt:

Quote
So what was the purpose of the closed coves? Well, the main reason these areas were closed to fishing was to determine if anglers had a negative effect on the young bass. This effect would most likely have been due to catching the males which are guarding the nest during the spring. Without the parental care the eggs and young bass are very easily eaten by other fish, primarily bluegill which could lead to the lower abundance observed. However, the researchers from Virginia Tech report that there was no difference in abundance of young bass between the closed and open areas of the reservoir. This means that anglers are not the cause of the lower abundance.

Bankbeater reply :

I don't go out looking for bedding bass , but if I happen to find some beds I will make a few casts.

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