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Why Your Favorite Bass Lake Doesn’t Produce Big Bass
Have you ever wondered why your favorite bass lake doesn’t produce big bass like the ones you see professionals catching? We have a jewel of a lake where we take people who’ve never caught many fish before. It’s a hoot watching them hook one high-flying smallmouth after another. However, we’ve never seen a four-pounder, not even close. The lake has plenty of fish, but they tend to be modest in size.
Understanding the Growth of Bass
It might seem like a shortage of food prevents fish from growing big. However, as Dr. David Philipp explained on our recent Doc Talks Fishing podcast, food is rarely the limiting factor in most bass lakes. Dr. Philipp, a renowned scientist, serves as the Director of the Fisheries Genetics Lab at the Illinois Natural History Society. In partnership with Queen’s University, Carleton University, and the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, he leads groundbreaking research into bass management in southeastern Ontario. They have collected over 30 years of data on certain populations and snorkeled thousands of miles of shorelines following the fish.
The Role of Sexual Selection and Parental Care of Bass
“The life history of these bass is characterized by two important factors,” Philipp told us. “One is sexual selection—female choice—and the other is male parental care. When bass are immature, they grow quickly. However, once they mature, their growth slows down significantly. A bass that matures at 12 inches at age three may eventually grow to about 13 inches, then it spawns for six years. So, a three-year-old male tops out at about 13 inches. One that waits to spawn until age six, when it’s 16 inches, then grows to about 18 inches. One that waits until age eight, when it’s 18 or 19 inches, then grows to 20 inches or so.”
Female Choice and the Impact on Bass
The growth and maturity of smallmouth bass in northern ranges are influenced by female choice. Males can choose their nesting areas and perform courtship rituals. However, if a female decides he isn’t suitable, the process ends there. “Females look for the most aggressive, biggest, toughest males to defend their offspring,” says Philipp. “However, the biggest, hardest, most aggressive fish get caught by anglers in the spring.” Aggressive males often get hooked first, as they defend their nests vigorously. As a result, spring fishing removes these aggressive males, leaving smaller males to spawn.
Consequences of Catching Bass
Removing big bass leads to stunting in centrarchids. It’s not that they grow slowly; it’s that they mature early. According to Philipp, if the big males are gone, the remaining smaller males spawn sooner. “All a male has to do is be the biggest one out there, and he’ll get picked by the females.” You can listen to the entire Doc Talks Fishing Podcast with Dr. David Philipp on your favorite podcast provider.
Spoiler alert: It’s hard to believe what he and his team have discovered after tracking smallmouth bass in southeastern Ontario since 1990. For the first 15 years, the population remained stable. However, since 2004, it has dropped dramatically. Now, there are 30 percent fewer males defending nests containing 40 percent fewer eggs. To make matters worse, the hatching success rate has dropped from 70 percent to 35 percent. Consequently, the number of fish has decreased by 70 percent.
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