Well, it’s that time of the year. In ponds, streams, major reservoirs and your neighborhood lake, largemouth bass are bedding. Quietly cruising the brushy shallows where you fish will result in visually spotting large bass females sitting in a bowl-shaped indentation along the bottom laying eggs and waiting for the males to fertilize them. Tempting, isn’t it? Softly pitching a plastic worm, crawfish imitation, or some other imitation may, after a few tries, induce the “big old bass” into picking it up to move it from the bed. You spot it, set the hook and, likely, catch one of the biggest bass you catch that day or any other day.
Rewarding huh? I say no. Unless you are in a competitive tournament and need the critter to be part of your stringer at weigh-in and elevate your standing or even win the competition, leave her alone and allow the process of fertilization by a local male to proceed. Let’s think about it. In the “bed,” hollowed out by one of her male partners, she will possibly be depositing about 20,000 to 50,000 eggs. Before she deposits the eggs and leaves the bed, she’s your target. If you catch her, you’ve reduced the repopulation potential of bass by that amount. Yes, I know, many of you will catch her, take a photo and release her back to perform her task. Do you know she will? Maybe, maybe not. With what she’s been through by being caught, man handled and returned, she just may swim away and abandon the job. You don’t know. But I will tell you what you do know. Leave her alone. That will give the local bass population the opportunity to be replenished or “added to.”
The hatched bass minnows will fight for their lives from other bass, bream, crappie and whatever else may by prowling around hungrily and later, during a sunny fall day, you and your son or daughter may catch a few two pounders and make the day memorable. Give it some thought. It’s a good lesson for us all.
By the way – something personal – in June of this year, my beautiful wife and life partner will celebrate our 60th wedding anniversary!
