# Got him!!



## me223 (Apr 23, 2005)

Been trying to catch this fish for three days now. He is on the bed at the TFG. Yesterday the wind had the water a bit cloudy. I snuck up about 20' from the bank and made a cast with a tube craw. It landed about a foot from his bed. Got some weird looks from a couple other guys sitting close by, but the soon smiled when I hooked him. He was 19" long and weighed 3# 4oz. Not huge, but I finally got him!



















Mike


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## mrfishohio (Apr 5, 2004)

Nice bass. Hope it spawns more babies to grow up just like him


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## atrkyhntr (May 31, 2004)

Thats was C & R I hope... Nice bass...


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## Rooster (Apr 8, 2004)

Its legal to bed fish, and that look like a keeper. Fry her up with some hush puppies!


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## atrkyhntr (May 31, 2004)

You hit your head Rooster? That don't sound like something you would say...
I say toss her back and eat more crappie and gills


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## Guest (May 20, 2005)

that a pretty good bass, hope you let it go.


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## bkr43050 (Apr 5, 2004)

Nice catch Mike! She looks like she is already spawned out based on the girth.

Congrats!


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## me223 (Apr 23, 2005)

atrkyhntr said:


> Thats was C & R I hope... Nice bass...


You bet he went back! The wife and I release evrything we catch, except for a couple gills a day, for catfishing  All bass are catch and release there, although I have seen a few people take them out. The lake is loaded with 12" and under fish. Wed. we caught around 10 between 1.5 and 2.5 pounds on 4" jerkbaits fished on the north side. The wind was blowing into it at a slight angle. Lots of fun!

Mike


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## atrkyhntr (May 31, 2004)

Hey Mike thats great!!
We need more on the shore (boat too) like you and your wife


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## H2O Mellon (Apr 5, 2004)

Great deal, way to go.


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## Master Angler (May 26, 2004)

The fish was a male not a female...males guard the nest...19" is huge for a male...the point of not keeping bedded males is that you will kill the nest and with a male this size great genetics could be lost.


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## bkr43050 (Apr 5, 2004)

Master Angler,

I am just curious to know how you can tell that it is a male and not a spawned out female? I am not arguing your point but just wanting to understand it more.


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## flathunter (Apr 5, 2004)

Very nice bass, looks like a nice lake.


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## smalliehunter1 (Apr 13, 2005)

Its legal to bed fish, and that look like a keeper. Fry her up with some hush puppies!

Are you kidding me  ......... that is a male and MA is right on not keeping a bedded bass...... let alone any bass........... C&R only......... I am surprised Rooster at that comment........ especially from a true master of all species of fish........


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## Rooster (Apr 8, 2004)

Message boards really need to designate a special color or font for Sarcasm

*** not all species....just MOST species!


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## Master Angler (May 26, 2004)

bkr....males guard the nest...I have watched alot of bass spawning activity and the female doesn't hang around long and if she is around the nest at all after spawning she does not assume guarding behaviors...like I said, 19" is a darn nice male bass...notice that 95% of bedded male bass are 12-16", with a few 16-20" granddad males around


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## me223 (Apr 23, 2005)

Master Angler said:


> bkr....males guard the nest...I have watched alot of bass spawning activity and the female doesn't hang around long and if she is around the nest at all after spawning she does not assume guarding behaviors...like I said, 19" is a darn nice male bass...notice that 95% of bedded male bass are 12-16", with a few 16-20" granddad males around


I totally agree with you. We saw sveral other beds, most with smaller fish and one with another 2.5-3# on it. Did pick up three more today on a jerkbait, no real size all a pound or under. Didn't fish the bedding bass, just the deeper water on the wind blown shore. BTW, I checked on him today and he was right back on the nest   

Rooster,

I was hoping you were joking!

Mike


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## H2O Mellon (Apr 5, 2004)

Gee Rooster, you had everybody. IF anyone has seen Roosters post over time, you'll know hes Catch, Photo, Release!


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## mrfishohio (Apr 5, 2004)

Rooster didn't fool me, not for a second....he doesn't like hushpuppies !!


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## catking (Apr 5, 2004)

For sure it is a male bass............... CK .........


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## ostbucks98 (Apr 14, 2004)

Damnit Rooster I took Your advice.


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## catking (Apr 5, 2004)

Now THAT'S funny......................


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## bird (Jan 27, 2005)

LOL! Where was that caught at? TGF?


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## Spidey2721 (Apr 6, 2005)

Nice fish I got a 18'' off a bed at the family pond that I have been tring for finally too. Last week. Good catch. Thanks for the c&r. I always do the same.


later,
jay


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## me223 (Apr 23, 2005)

bird said:


> LOL! Where was that caught at? TGF?



Yeah, TFG pond. There are some alot bigger. Last year my son was dragging a buzzbait across a brush pile. He had cast over a small brach. While trying to get it off, he got wrapped. In his attempts to get unstuck, the bait was slapping the top of the water. There was a big splash and a largemouth I would guess at better than 6#, going by it's head/mouth size, came after it. He didn't hook him, but nearly crapped his pants. He did get the bait back and fishes it everytime we go.

Mike


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## Darwin (Apr 12, 2004)

bkr43050 said:


> Master Angler,
> 
> I am just curious to know how you can tell that it is a male and not a spawned out female? I am not arguing your point but just wanting to understand it more.


Now not wanting to answer for MA as he already did this himself. I would say a male bass as well. For the simple fact that if it were not for me223 lipping him that MALE bass would have his mouth shut. You can always tell the females from the males, the famales alway's have their mouths wide open!


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## me223 (Apr 23, 2005)

Buddy Punk,]

That's a good one!

bkr43050,

I say male because I watched and fished for that same fish for three days. He was always in the same spot, every day. A female will deposit the eggs, hang a round a little bit, then leave. The male has the responsiblity of gaurding the nest and the fry. 

He is likely skinny beacuse when they are on the nest, they won't eat. The only reason I hooked him was because I put the tube right in his nest. He wanted it out of there. I have done this before and missed bass I could see with he bait in thier mouth. They will grab it, move off then spit it out. If you use a small bait, they are more likely to the hook in thier mouth. The tube craw I used was 2.5" long and the hook was a 3/0 long shank. The bend of the hook was sticking out about 1/2" beyond the lure.

As a side note on fishing for spawning bass. Please, please, please play the fish quickly, get a pic and send him back ASAP. This one was hooked, turned and out of the water in about 5 seconds. Back in the water in about 30. Use tackle that will allow you to do this. He was still there this morning, looking fine.

Mike


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## bkr43050 (Apr 5, 2004)

I knew the male were responsible for the guarding of the nest once the eggs were laid. I thought MA was able to tell by the appearance of the fish itself in the picture that it was a male. But I guess based on the additional info concerning the guarding of the nest that the assumption of the fish being male is a pretty safe bet. That does indeed make it a very nice size male bass.


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## oufisherman (Apr 10, 2004)

Congrats on the nice bass! This time of year allows for some great opportunities for sight fishing.


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## Jitterbug (Apr 13, 2004)

Not meaning to be offensive, but I'm just wondering why you'd want to play a bedding bass for less than 5 seconds before landing it only to turn it loose. I'm C&R but also don't target spawning bass (male or female). Again, I'm just curious as I've always wondered the answer to this question. Why hook a fish and just practically pull it out of the water with virtually no fight?


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## me223 (Apr 23, 2005)

The longer you play a fish, the more tired it gets. If it isn't able to defend the nest from 'gills and other pests, the eggs/fry are on there own at a critical point in thier lives. Just my opinion and all, but I think it makes sense.

Mike


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## Jitterbug (Apr 13, 2004)

Sure that part makes sense to me. I don't even understand why target these fish when you are only going to get to tangle with it for such a short period. I guess the fight is so much of the sport to me that I can't understand what thrill there is from yanking a spawning fish up on the bank to snap a picture and then return it. Just a questing that I have and maybe just a difference in opinion.

Anyhow, thanks for returning this beauty.


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## Bass_Hawg (Apr 12, 2004)

I dont care if you pulled it off a bed, a chair, or the dining room table. . . its a nice fish. Your choice to throw it back or keep it. I know TF$G makes you throw back the bass no matter what. Shoot I didnt even know there were some bass of that size in there. I may half to frequent that place more often.

Again, super nice fish ME223.

Some people dont understand why people wouldnt bed fishing.

Some people dont understand why anyone would bed fish

Everyone understands that everyone has an opinion

Not everyone wants to here everyones opinions

Everyones opinions are cool with me. I may not agree but you have the right to have your own and I respect that.


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## me223 (Apr 23, 2005)

I love the fight a bass can put on, but I also love the challenge of actually hooking them. Something kind of cool about fooling a fish into biting on a hunk of plastic, soft rubber or metal. It's just another way to challenge them and see who wins. For me, most likely the fish  That is why I tried to get him out of and back into the water as fast as I could. No offense taken on any of the comments, as stated everybody has an opinion and is entitled to it.

Mike


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## Jitterbug (Apr 13, 2004)

Thanks Mike. I appreciate the kind reply. I've always wondered the answer to this question and I value your input...that makes some sense to me. There is something about that anticipation huh? Nice catch and good luck to you.


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## Alter (Apr 8, 2004)

> Some people dont understand why people wouldnt bed fishing.
> 
> Some people dont understand why anyone would bed fish
> 
> Everyone understands that everyone has an opinion


I understood everything...until I read this   

Steve


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