[tomjg]

I was up in the Adirondacks this past weekend fishing with family. Got up there Thursday night , fishing by 11pm. Landed about 8 keeper bass by 1pm. I dropped my bro and cousin off and went back out for more hunting. My bro , who isn't really a fisherman , was talking a lot of trash because he had the biggest fish. It didn't last for long. By the time he woke up Friday morning his largemouth fell to my smallmouth. It was quite a challenge landing the big smallmouth at night with no light- batteries died-- and no help to net , using an ultra light rod, they are truly tough fish- love the jumping they do. Most fish caught at night using jitterbugs. Plenty of fish caught in the daytime using a wacky worm rig or banjo minnow. Pics below are of me, my cousin and bro--- he's the one crying when he found out his "biggest fish of the night" wasn't. A pic of the biggest bass of the weekend, about a 5 1/2 lber---digital scale needed batteries too. A pic of my niece with her first bass ever! She caught it on a wacky worm rig , from casting to landing. I couldn't talk her into holding it though. A picture of my wife with a nice largemouth caught on a banjo minnow. The biggest couple of bass were let go and a bunch wound up on the table. Cold water, lots of rocks and no mud apparently make for good eating. Everyone loved them. I don't eat fish- just like catchin em.
Anyone know when bass stop breeding, if ever? I always let the bigger fish go and someone told me, this weekend, the bigger fish no longer breed? Have I been wrong my whole life?

This post edited by tomjg 06:58 PM 08/06/2008

 

[CHEVY1]

Thanks for the report

We need( I need) to see the sweetwater side of things.
I too release all my freshwater fish, I tried a bass once

now they all go back

Greaat pics Good to see the whole family in on the action

 

[CHEVY1]

I forgot

Post this in the fishing reports section, much more exposure, some people don't know about the forum sections

 

[MaxKatt1]

Nice pics. I've never heard of bass being too old/big to spawn.

Think of the guys that bed fish for the stocker fed monster's in So. Cal. They sight fish fish in the high teens sitting on beds that are clearly still spawning. These are all old, big, and still spawning.

 

[AByers]

I dont believe the bass in the Northeast get "too big" to breed. We often catch females 6+ lbs filled with eggs (probably the reason they're 6+ lbs lol) Remember the female bass in California reach 20+ lbs and they're still breeding. Its good to read you released the big ones, but what about the mid-range? Too bad, they were the next generation in a limited pool.
AB

 

[DandJfish]

First of all

those larger Bass most cretainly continue to breed. Most will agree on releasing them as they will pass their superior genes on to the next generation. As far as keeping a few mid-range fish for the table. Great for you, as long as they were eaten and enjoyed, thats what it's all about. Thats what is known as selective harvest

.

 

[tomjg]

Thanks for the input guys. Yeah I kept a few for the family. Every year since I was a kid we'd have a big fish fry a couple of times a summer. My father, brothers and myself would catch all kinds of fish over the summer- bass,bullhead- my mom's favorite, perch, my grandmother's favorite, trout from streams, my grandfather's favorite and some strawberry bass- we'd occasionally keep a large sunfish or two, and have a big fish dinner-inviting other relatives and friends over. It was a great time even though I never really ate them - I always caught the most for the table. My grandparents are gone and my whole family rarely gets up there at the same time now. My neice pictured had her first fish fry and she loved it. Mostly bass because I'm the only one who really fishes anymore but I don't over harvest the lake. If I keep 20 fish a year it would be a lot. It is a 4 1/2 mile long lake and I don't think I'm doing any damage to the population. I do let the big guys go because I want them to get bigger for the next time! So far the biggest caught in my boat was a 7 1/2 lber by my cousin. My best is 6 1/2. I figure there has got to be a 9lber swimming around that I'll get someday.

This post edited by tomjg 01:52 PM 08/13/2008

 

[JohnnyPitch]

tomjg wrote:
Thanks for the input guys. Yeah I kept a few for the family. Every year since I was a kid we'd have a big fish fry a couple of times a summer. My father, brothers and myself would catch all kinds of fish over the summer- bass,bullhead- my mom's favorite, perch, my grandmother's favorite, trout from streams, my grandfather's favorite and some strawberry bass- we'd occasionally keep a large sunfish or two, and have a big fish dinner-inviting other relatives and friends over. It was a great time even though I never really ate them - I always caught the most for the table. My grandparents are gone and my whole family rarely gets up there at the same time now. My neice pictured had her first fish fry and she loved it. Mostly bass because I'm the only one who really fishes anymore but I don't over harvest the lake. If I keep 20 fish a year it would be a lot. It is a 4 1/2 mile long lake and I don't think I'm doing any damage to the population. I do let the big guys go because I want them to get bigger for the next time! So far the biggest caught in my boat was a 7 1/2 lber by my cousin. My best is 6 1/2. I figure there has got to be a 9lber swimming around that I'll get someday.

I feel exactly the same way. I only wish I had more family that could share in experiences that you partake in.

 

[carsandfish]

Bass are never too old to spawn in fact many bass die from exhaustion after spawning when they are old, northern strain large mouth can live up to 18 years old, but southern strain largies although they grow larger they live only about ten years