Bed Fishing

[Smithvillesteve]

Okay boys, not trying to start a heated argument or anything like that. Just want to get some opinions from you guys. Guys I respect about their bass fishing abilities and want to do things right. How do you guys feel about bed fishing? I read the reports in the KC Star this past week about the elite tournament at Bull Shoals and Norfork. A lot of those guys seem to be bed fishing. I was kinda glad the guy who won did not do that. I have never done it but I have never been able to go down a bank and see a lot of beds either. For whatever reason. And i dont know what the research says about yanking a big female off her nest and what that does. A lot of you OAF guys on here always talk about doing things right to make Table Rock the best it can be. I was just wondering how you boys feel about this after reading about it during the tournament.

[m&m]

Steve, I'll be the first to chime in and it is just my opinion.  I am a CPR guy so when I Catch a fish that is worthy, I take a Photo immediately and Release it on the same side of the boat I caught if from.  I have no scientific proof whether bed fishing is good or bad.  I'm a common sense kind of person.  If someone catches a fish on a bed and releases it in a different location I think that interferes with that fish's spawn for that year.  I don't know if it hurts the overall bass population but in my opinion it does not help it. Again this is just my opinion and since I am retiring to TR next year, I want the fish population as good as possible.

Mike

[Flysmallie]

You can probably save that fish but the chances of it having a successful spawn are great diminished. Even if you release it right where it was.

[DADAKOTA]

Not a fan of bed fishing.  I can't see how it does not reduce the success of the spawn.  Have no idea how much, but it can not help.  Of equal concern is the effect of bass caught all over the lake being continually being returned to the water in one particular tourney launching point.  How can this not adversely effect the bass numbers where the fish were caught and increase the quality bass numbers at the release point.  There needs to be a better way.  Major league bass fishing might be the way to go for all tourneys.  Weigh and release on the spot.  Should decrease the mortality.

[fishinwrench]

I have done a ton of bed fishing through all stages of the spawn and I've noticed that if you just toss the fish back in the water they'll shoot off in any direction and be gone awhile, but if you ease them back in the water calmly they'll swim off slowly and end up right back on the bed in less than a minute.   

I actually caught the same 19" fish 3 times during a club paper tournament and racked up some serious points.  It was brought up during the scoring and the TD's determined that it was within the rules.   

I am becoming staunchly against hauling fish to a set of scales miles away during ANY time of the year, but immediate C&R doesn't seem to hurt the fish noticeably at all, regardless of when it is.

[5bites]

I personally thoroughly enjoy bed fishing. Putting a fish back immediately (unless the area is saturated with gills) can't hurt a thing because the fish returns to the bed and resumes their job. I hooked and lost a fish just this weekend and caught it again a few minutes later. Next day that fish was still there. If catching them hurts the spawn then stay off the lake every spring because you meandering down the bank spooks them off the bed too.

 

I I sight fish in tournaments too. I do it knowing that when I catch it and weigh it, it stands no chance at a successful spawn. That doesn't bother me. The reason why is history. Look at the area lakes conditions and tell me they're suffering, especially Grand. It has way way more pressure than any lake around here and is a good sight fishing lake. It also keeps pumping out good bags all year every year. 

 

You ou don't have to like it and I respect that. In order to not be a hypocrite though you better stop fishing April 1st through July 1st. The bottom line is its just hard to argue with history and real results.  

[Sprint21fter]

I just suck at sight fishing unless one is dumb enough to stay on the bed while I am fishing down a bank.

[Flysmallie]

51 minutes ago, 5bites said:

You ou don't have to like it and I respect that. In order to not be a hypocrite though you better stop fishing April 1st through July 1st. The bottom line is its just hard to argue with history and real results.  

 

I didn't say I didn't like it.

I used to be actually quite good at it and cashed some checks doing it. But I've also watched what happens when you drag a fish off of one. If it's a female that hasn't spawned yet and you put her back immediately then maybe, just maybe everything still works out. But if it's a male that is guarding the nest then it will have nothing to guard by the time it get's back.

I just think it's funny that die hard C&R fisherman  and those that want MDC to start stocking fish think it's perfectly acceptable to drag fish off of beds. That's what a hypocrite really is.

I'm not saying don't do it. I've done it in the past and I will probably do it again.

 

[vonreed]

I'll admit to eating a few bass a year, but even someone like myself that likes to eat fish of all species,  would NOT try to catch a fish off a bed.  If I was a strict C&R guy, there is no way I could reason in my mind that fishing for bedding fish is fine.  It just blows my mind that strict C&R people can justify catching a bass on the bed.

[Hunter91]

Does anyone have any hard evidence that if a prespawn bass is caught on a bed and say, taken into a weighin, and then release, will not go out and spawn anyway?

I like the Major League fishing idea but as has been brought up before, it is not practicable in most large tourneys due to the fact you would have to have an official in each boat. Not hard for MLF with 6 to 10 boats but difficult to find 100-150 officials for some tourneys.