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[Moswimb8slinger]

Here's a couple of smallies i caught on swimbaits on Table Rock this winter, the bottom one went 22.25 inches and the others are 19's.

[Chief Grey Bear]

Went back a week later and found hundreds of fish spawning in gin clear water at the back of the bay 5 ft deep with a sandy bottom and sporadic pencil grass. I caught 3-4 lb smallies till my thumbs bled. Never even started the big motor that day.

Likely my best day fishing in my lifetime.

Nothing like plucking them off of the nest. :yuush:

[holleybob]

I've seen door county Wi fishing videos and ever since then I've wanted to go there. Such a beautiful place and amazing smallmouth that must have been an amazing trip

I lived in the Chicago area at the time which was about a 3 to 4 hour drive. Looking back I did not take near enough advantage of it.

You can actually follow the spawning smallies from May in the Fox river all the way up to early July in the Washington Island area.

When I was there the locals considered the smallmouth a nuisance fish. They were after salmon and walleye.

That suited me just fine. I still have gps spots marked on my very old Lowrance handheld GPS. I still dream of going back.

[holleybob]

Nothing like plucking them off of the nest. :yuush:

Each to his own I suppose.

Is there evidence that a fish caught from its bed and released minutes later will not spawn ?

[ness]

I lived in the Chicago area at the time which was about a 3 to 4 hour drive. Looking back I did not take near enough advantage of it.

You can actually follow the spawning smallies from May in the Fox river all the way up to early July in the Washington Island area.

When I was there the locals considered the smallmouth a nuisance fish. They were after salmon and walleye.

That suited me just fine. I still have gps spots marked on my very old Lowrance handheld GPS. I still dream of going back.

Kinda funny thinking of the Fox as a smallmouth river. My sister-in-law lived in Algonquin for a while, and I always thought it looked pretty good for something. Wouldn't have guessed smallmouth though. Are you saying there are salmon, or are those out in the lake?

[Chief Grey Bear]

Each to his own I suppose.

Is there evidence that a fish caught from its bed and released minutes later will not spawn ?

Well its like this. They will not eat during the actual action of the spawn. That is when both male and female are on the nest and he is milting the eggs as she drops them.

What you were doing was plucking the fathers that guard the eggs and for a time, the young fry. They were not eating what you were tossing at them. They were protecting their nest from invaders. That is why you had such an easy time. It wasn't that you were a great fisherman and discovered something. It only takes seconds for predators that are just waiting for the opportunity for an easy meal.

Like you said, to each their own. Probably about the lowest type of fishing you can do in my book though.

[holleybob]

Kinda funny thinking of the Fox as a smallmouth river. My sister-in-law lived in Algonquin for a while, and I always thought it looked pretty good for something. Wouldn't have guessed smallmouth though. Are you saying there are salmon, or are those out in the lake?

Your thinking of the Fox river in Algonquin Il. I lived about 700 yds from it. No salmon or walleye there but there were smallmouth.

The Fox river I'm speaking of flows into Green Bay Wi.

[holleybob]

Well its like this. They will not eat during the actual action of the spawn. That is when both male and female are on the nest and he is milting the eggs as she drops them.

What you were doing was plucking the fathers that guard the eggs and for a time, the young fry. They were not eating what you were tossing at them. They were protecting their nest from invaders. That is why you had such an easy time. It wasn't that you were a great fisherman and discovered something. It only takes seconds for predators that are just waiting for the opportunity for an easy meal.

Like you said, to each their own. Probably about the lowest type of fishing you can do in my book though.

First of all I'll say I can appreciate your point of view and conservationist attitude. I respectfully disagree.

If we were talking about an Ozark stream or any fragile ecosystem I would agree wholeheartedly. Many of the small rivers and creeks in Wisconsin, for instance prohibit fishing for bass during the spawn. Not on lake Michigan and there is solid data to back that up.

I'm actually pretty familiar with the spawning process in general and more specifically the northern smallmouth.

Also your attempt to belittle my fishing skills I think colors your profile more than mine. I really had not expected that kind of reaction on this forum. Maybe I was wrong.

The fact is I usually use whatever tactic works the best at that given time. I can't imagine your opinion on powerbait!

As far as predation on the fry/ eggs you may be interested in a study from the Indiana Department of Fish and Game:

"Bass fishing during the spawning

period, or during any period, is only harmful

when anglers take more than a lake can

replace. It makes little difference when

individual bass are removed, whether during

the spring, summer, fall, or winter if the

overall number of bass taken by anglers is

too high.

Biologists generally believe bass over-

harvest occurs when more than 40% of the

population is annually taken by anglers

regardless of the time of year. Even when

over 40% are taken, bass reproduction is

more than adequate to replace the missing

adults with new recruits. The current 14-

inch limit, as long as anglers comply with

the law, in theory protects 100% of the bass,

including many sexually-mature bass, up to

14 inches long

[Chief Grey Bear]

You make it right in your mind however you want. I make no assumptions of your fsihing skills. But it takes no skill to target nesting fish.

And your copy and paste is correct. It makes no difference what time of year bass are harvested.Harvest is harvest. But it speaks nothing about the mortality of the eggs and fry that were being protected by that bass that was targeted whether it was released back into the water or a stringer. And that is what we are talking about. Not the harvest of legal bass. That was a nice deflection though.

[ness]

Nice welcome, Chief.

Your thinking of the Fox river in Algonquin Il. I lived about 700 yds from it. No salmon or walleye there but there were smallmouth.

The Fox river I'm speaking of flows into Green Bay Wi.

Gotcha.