Where are the under 10 inch bass this year.

The 10 inch and under bass that we historically catch tons of in the spring and early summer just didn’t show up in numbers. I sure don’t mind the bigger ones but the lack of smaller ones has me a little concerned. Is it just my imagination or do others see the same thing happening.

I agree. On Sat/Sun – caught nearly 15 fish over 16″ and just 4 under 14″ that size. Of course, I was hoping it was just the new tubes!

Also, have you (or anyone else) been catching Largemouth with dime-sized black spots? If so, what might it be? I caught a ~17-18″ fish Saturday with the spots – seemed otherwise ealthy.

An old wives tale says that are marks from the DNR shocking studies. I don’t kow if I buy that but it sure sounds good.
jc

Were those the signs of the Largemouth Bass Virus that was posted here last year? Too lazy to go back in the archieves right now!!

I also caught two with the spots in Pool 6 this weekend.

Would 10″ bass reflect on last year’s spawn, or the previous year? Wondering if there’s any possible relativity…………..

I caught a 17inch large mouth yesterday that had black spots on him too ..But looked an acted very healthy.

Guy’s,

I’ve been fishing 5A and 6 the last couple weeks and I am seeing juvenile large and smallmouth. The worry is a year class missing due to a poor spawn. I assume fish in that size class would be 3 years old. I suspect the sucess of a spawn could vary from pool-to-pool. My memory is lousy so I don’t remember what 2000 was like. Were the conditions different from pool-to-pool?

It’s my understanding the black spots are healed fungus infections and are only seen in the spring of the years as the healing happens over the winter. Have any of you seen these spots in the summer or fall?

I am seeing fish with a single sore like the ones in the photo’s from last fall. None of the fish showed any signs of stress. That may happen as the water warms. lets keep our fingers crossed that it doesn’t happen.

Thanks for the update Riverfan on teh black spots – I think that is good news!

As for the single sore, a buddy of mine caught a LGMB with a lamphrey (I believe) stuck to it. When removed, it left a pretty gapping “sore” taht looked like it would heal. The fish seemed fairly healthy, so let’s hope she grows old now. I caught one similiar last year, too.

Anyone else have any comments.

Lamprey? Did someone say Lamprey?

I know this one guy that had a run-in with a Lamprey over the weekend? Very entertaining to say the least.

Yeah, I think someone said something about one dropping of a Gator and trying to meet up with this guys trouser snake. That stinking snake must have been a foot long ! Die vermin.
jc

Jeremy,

So your tellin’ me that a big ol’ fearless tournament
angler, such as yourself was skeert of a little ol’
over sized leech How bad did you grind it into
the carpet?

Big Bass Bane

I’ve never seen a money wrench take the kind of abuse it did when he tried to smash that bugger with it. I finally cut it’s head off with my scissors and promptly deposited it back to the murky depths of the river. It was a pretty good sized eel. But it was no match for a monkey wrench and some scissors.

Tom,

Having fished with Jeremy, I am not sure I would have stuck
my hand in there, with a scissors. I like all of my
fingers nice and pink and round With him wielding a
monkey wrench, with a lamphrey on the loose in the boat,
I would have just sat back and tried to not roll out of
the boat laughing. Was that his Triton floor he was
pounding on, or was it your boat? That would have been
the only reason I would have risked getting between Jeremy
and that scarry beast. I am coming to tears laughing right
now!

Big Bass Bane

Thankfully we were in his boat. I did sit back for a while and watch the mayhem unfold on the bow of his Triton. I only brought out the scissors when that slimy P.O.S. came dangerously close to wiggling into my tackle bag.

Truth be told I think Jc was taking a page out of the Yankees playbook the night they got no-hit by the Astros. He kept missing the target. CLUNK! BANG! WHOMP! That [censored] thing won’t {bleeeeeeep!} DIE! Sorry Jc it was too tempting to resist.

Next time I am brining a 12 guage! I just hope we are in your boat.
jc

Just holler “PULL” first. Would that fall under the ‘Slippery Eel Skeet Division’?