Article on big bass behavior

[Sam]

I'm not defending or criticizing any stocking programs, I don't know enough about them.  Point was - animals, even down to the level of fish, show a surprising amount of individual behavior and preferences that make it hard to predict just what they'll do.  You can generalize and be right about fish behavior patterns in certain conditions - but as far as narrowing that down for sure to a certain trip, or day, or bait, or presentation, etc., well that's where things get uncertain.

That's why it's called "fishing" and not "catching".  Ain't it grand?  

[Old plug]

7 hours ago, Iclass said:

Instincts and experience based on what?Incomplete scientific research? Everyone uses the scientific method in some form or fashion...fisherman especially so, otherwise the fishing industry would be broke. Do fishermen not try to gain more information by trying different techniques? Sounds awfully scientific...and maybe it's called fishing not catching because it's incomplete science.

You are not worth my time. 

[cheesemaster]

3 hours ago, Old plug said:

You are not worth my time. 

Hahahaha. LMAO.

[snagged in outlet 3]

10 hours ago, fishinwrench said:

These biologists aren't as smart as they pretend to be.

Tru dat!!!

Don't even get me going on GMO's.

Pete

[dtrs5kprs]

23 hours ago, Fish24/7 said:

 thx, Quillback

If they put  transmitters in biggins at TR and BS and followed them after the spawn they'd  have another new book to write, and I'd buy that one.

This is probably as close as we will get.

http://mdc.mo.gov/about-us/research-papers/movement-habitat-selection-and-home-range-largemouth-bass-table-rock-lake-m

We have had links up to the full work before. Only issue I saw is that it was conducted during a flood year. No way to work around that, or account for its impact.

Think you are very close to spot on about them simply moving vertically throughout the year. Not enough of us focus on spawners on those bluffs.

[Quillback]

Good find ^^

[merc1997 Bo]

kind of interesting thoughts, and even though they did track some bass, they are still thoughts.  most texas lakes are more what i would call a long ditch.  table rock on the other hand has many longer arms feeding the lake.  true, some of those bass traveled several miles within the lake system.  but, they did not document where the main food source in the lake was at the time.  lets take kings river for example.  can you catch quality bass in the very upper reaches year round??  the answer is no.  why??  because of food source first, and then water temps and currents flow can be factors.  crappie are the same way.  the upper kings is a great place to catch crappie in the spring, but then they disperse and move.

there are areas of table rock that bass will tend to move very little because there is food present.  same can be said with other lakes.  bass have no need to move and travel other than to follow food.  they have a pea sized brain.

i will say this about big bass.  they do become more wary or spooky to anything that is not natural to their environment.  big bass always set up in the best spot to feed with the least amount of effort.  many of you that are of the wait forever the set the hook, this is exactly why when you do happen to hook a big one can never get it out and to the boat.  by the time you are setting the hook, you are already in trouble.  first, you never get the best hook set because your line is already several feet back around or through something.  so, often the hook is not set all the way past the barb.  then the next problem is, you have to try to pull a very strong bass all the way back through or around what the bass was hiding in.  the longer you wait to set the hook, the worse your landing percentages are going to be, especially when dealing with big bass.

i have seen tracking studies that go both ways, either show traveling bass or bass that tend to stay in a small area.  what any of those studies need to go with them is the availability of FOOD.  food is the first and foremost reason for bass to move.  if you had an endless supply in your house, would you ever have a need to go to the grocery store???  just sayin".

 

bo

[dtrs5kprs]

1 hour ago, Quillback said:

Good find ^^

Here's the old thread...

http://forums.ozarkanglers.com/topic/42557-in-fisherman-2014-bass-guide/#comment-320436

[dtrs5kprs]

58 minutes ago, merc1997 said:

kind of interesting thoughts, and even though they did track some bass, they are still thoughts.  most texas lakes are more what i would call a long ditch.  table rock on the other hand has many longer arms feeding the lake.  true, some of those bass traveled several miles within the lake system.  but, they did not document where the main food source in the lake was at the time.  lets take kings river for example.  can you catch quality bass in the very upper reaches year round??  the answer is no.  why??  because of food source first, and then water temps and currents flow can be factors.  crappie are the same way.  the upper kings is a great place to catch crappie in the spring, but then they disperse and move.

there are areas of table rock that bass will tend to move very little because there is food present.  same can be said with other lakes.  bass have no need to move and travel other than to follow food.  they have a pea sized brain.

i will say this about big bass.  they do become more wary or spooky to anything that is not natural to their environment.  big bass always set up in the best spot to feed with the least amount of effort.  many of you that are of the wait forever the set the hook, this is exactly why when you do happen to hook a big one can never get it out and to the boat.  by the time you are setting the hook, you are already in trouble.  first, you never get the best hook set because your line is already several feet back around or through something.  so, often the hook is not set all the way past the barb.  then the next problem is, you have to try to pull a very strong bass all the way back through or around what the bass was hiding in.  the longer you wait to set the hook, the worse your landing percentages are going to be, especially when dealing with big bass.

i have seen tracking studies that go both ways, either show traveling bass or bass that tend to stay in a small area.  what any of those studies need to go with them is the availability of FOOD.  food is the first and foremost reason for bass to move.  if you had an endless supply in your house, would you ever have a need to go to the grocery store???  just sayin".

 

bo

Type of lake makes a huge difference. 

There is the old saw about "a bass is a bass" all over the country. Not sure it really applies to highland reservoir largemouth. MLF starts this afternoon, filmed at Dale Hollow. Will be interesting to see how many blacks are caught during daytime competition there.

[Old plug]

1 hour ago, dtrs5kprs said:

Type of lake makes a huge difference. 

There is the old saw about "a bass is a bass" all over the country. Not sure it really applies to highland reservoir largemouth. MLF starts this afternoon, filmed at Dale Hollow. Will be interesting to see how many blacks are caught during daytime competition there.

Yep dtrs5kors there is another old saying " bass are where you find then ". My feelings are some of these people do not want anything to do with the fishing end. They just want to be told what ,when ,where and how and go do the catching. There is somehing wrong with that. I would not consider myself successful  or be proud of myself if I was told everything.