Monster 16-Pound Bass Caught in California

[divemaster99]

Dude, if I lived in your area i'd be fishing all the time.....you got excellent FW and then the mighty Pacific and let's not forget the Sound

Same goes here. You've got your runs of five native species Salmon, including my favorites the Chums and Pinks. There's also resident species like Largescale Suckers and Bull Trout (although I believe some Bulls are anadromous). Then you've got saltwater species like the Halibut, Lingcod, Rockfish, etc. Honestly, I don't think I could ever live away from big water, in the US that means I'm either on the Great Lakes (what I currently fish), the Atlantic, or the Pacific.

 

[divemaster99]

I heard another theory that since the zebra mussels filter the water so clear the salmon would only go up at night so that they wouldn't have to be exposed to sunlight. I think that theory is a load of bs but it is a theory.

The Salmon might not like the mussels but we divers like the clarity haha. Although, one good way to decrease the number of mussels as they're an invasive species would be to get a good Lake Sturgeon population going again. They and FW Drum are the largest consumers of them (and round gobies) in the Great Lakes.

 

[MN_Rebel]

Probably one if not the stupidest thing I have ever heard you post here.

I could say same thing to you, Jason. To be honest, bass isn't that hard to catch and you can use anything from your tackle box and still landing a bass. If you want a challenge, go chasing Brook/brown trout, muskellunge or your favorite invasive trashfish, the carp.

 

[JasonsPlecosCichlids]

I could say same thing to you, Jason. To be honest, bass isn't that hard to catch and you can use anything from your tackle box and still landing a bass. If you want a challenge, go chasing Brook/brown trout, muskellunge or your favorite invasive trashfish, the carp.

Please do, I'd love to hear it. Coming from someone who is into conversation so much with working with the state, it's sad that you call any fish a trash fish. Any loser can call a fish trash fish but they are indeed not trash fish. Just because you can't catch them or because you catch a fish before you catch your favorite fish doesn't mean it's a trash fish. You should be doing the educating since you supposedly work for the state that no fish are trash fish. Carp are known to be one of the toughest fish out there to catch if you want to go that route. Folks in Europe spend DAYS and DAYS out there on the water trying to catch big carp. I have a buddy who goes out to the Green River and catches several musky a day, so much for that fish of 10,000 casts. What's the big deal with brook and browns? Browns and Rainbows are number 1 down at Wolf Creek Dam, we have very few places to fish for Brookies in KY. If they were close to me, you can bet that I would be catching them as I do everything else I go for. You can use anything in your tackle box to catch a bass huh, anything? You speaking of bass as a whole or big bass or small ones? Small bass, sure they are easy to catch but you don't go out and just catch bass with any lure in your tackle box on any given day and that's with any fish. Big bass are hard to come by unless you are in a big bass state and since MN has a small state record, I guess you wouldn't know. My biggest bass in KY is the same size as your SR in MN. I fished for a while before I got that bass and it wasn't as easy as using any lure in my tackle box.

 

[divemaster99]

...but they are indeed not trash fish. Just because you can't catch them or because you catch a fish before you catch your favorite fish doesn't mean it's a trash fish...no fish are trash fish.

Couldn't agree with you more about this, Jason. Trash fish, rough fish, game fish; they're all just derogatory terms. In the end there are only two terms to describe fish: native and invasive. I personally love to fish for everything that's native from Brook and Lake Trout to Redhorse and Creek Chubs. That said, I can also appreciate angling for invasives to a degree like the infamous Common Carp and acrobatic Steelhead. When it comes to invasives, they're all not equally as bad for the waters they're in either. Some fish like the common carp (somehow) barely affect Smallmouth Buffalo populations which occupy an almost identical ecological niche. Other fish like Round Gobies have completely extirpated native species of Darters and Sculpins in the Great Lakes. More of a problem yet are "gamefish" which have been introduced outside their native range. A good example of this are Pacific Salmon in the upper Great Lakes where they compete directly with native Lake Trout for forage species, most of which aren't even native themselves!

 

[JasonsPlecosCichlids]

Couldn't agree with you more about this, Jason. Trash fish, rough fish, game fish; they're all just derogatory terms. In the end there are only two terms to describe fish: native and invasive. I personally love to fish for everything that's native from Brook and Lake Trout to Redhorse and Creek Chubs. That said, I can also appreciate angling for invasives to a degree like the infamous Common Carp and acrobatic Steelhead. When it comes to invasives, they're all not equally as bad for the waters they're in either. Some fish like the common carp (somehow) barely affect Smallmouth Buffalo populations which occupy an almost identical ecological niche. Other fish like Round Gobies have completely extirpated native species of Darters and Sculpins in the Great Lakes. More of a problem yet are "gamefish" which have been introduced outside their native range. A good example of this are Pacific Salmon in the upper Great Lakes where they compete directly with native Lake Trout for forage species, most of which aren't even native themselves!

Exactly, I remember you said this before when someone else mentioned about trash fish. You remember hearing about this two guys clubbing musky because they were trash fish? You have folks that read things and take it to heart, one person says trash fish then another thinks that it's ok to be called that then you have little kids that do the same. People need to be educated not continuing the trash fish talk. Invasive do in some case, not all but some cases take out others but I remember reading about the round goby that it is beneficial and detrimental at the same time, I forget what they say they are beneficial at, have to look it up.

 

[MN_Rebel]

Jason, it's pathetic for you to attack my opinion. I'm just saying largemouth bass isn't much challenge for most anglers, even big ones. As for my opinion on common carps, they're great fighters but offers little to the ecosystems, especially they gets overpopulated easily in many lakes and rivers and used up resources. Massive carp die-off are common in this state. Why would a conservationist promote an highly problematic invasive fish as a sportfish to the public and educate them that a carp isn't a "trashfish or a roughfish"? That's almost like we better promote the feral hogs to the hunters and allow them to destroy the ecosystems. BTW I never said trashfish is preferred to any species other than carps. Roughfish is like sportfish and panfish, it's not negative name for less popular fishes.

As for the big bass, there are plenty of big bass in Minnesota however because of our cold climate they do not get big as stocked pond raised Florida largemouth bass. I often caught bass in 20"plus range with corn that is intended for sunfish and biggest bass I caught was on a stinkbait for catfish. Brook and brown trout can be challenging since they ain't easily to be fooled. I can catch lot of stocked rainbows but I can't catch a wild Brook trout even they came in and check out the lure before swim away. 50-60" muskies are very challenging for many anglers and I has yet catch one over 40" but had few big ones followed my lures. But I can go out and catch big bass with just worm or a leech. I had a new PB record for smallmouth bass last summer on a leech. Fights harder than a largemouth but it's not that hard to fool the big bass.

You have your opinion and I have my opinion.

 

[MN_Rebel]

Couldn't agree with you more about this, Jason. Trash fish, rough fish, game fish; they're all just derogatory terms. In the end there are only two terms to describe fish: native and invasive. I personally love to fish for everything that's native from Brook and Lake Trout to Redhorse and Creek Chubs. That said, I can also appreciate angling for invasives to a degree like the infamous Common Carp and acrobatic Steelhead. When it comes to invasives, they're all not equally as bad for the waters they're in either. Some fish like the common carp (somehow) barely affect Smallmouth Buffalo populations which occupy an almost identical ecological niche. Other fish like Round Gobies have completely extirpated native species of Darters and Sculpins in the Great Lakes. More of a problem yet are "gamefish" which have been introduced outside their native range. A good example of this are Pacific Salmon in the upper Great Lakes where they compete directly with native Lake Trout for forage species, most of which aren't even native themselves!

Depends on what the type the lakes, not all invasive species are bad. Common carps are seldom a problem in coolwater lakes but they're in low numbers, unlike in warmwater lakes.

Zebra mussels could be good thing for some lakes with algae bloom problem. It's also becoming important food items for rock bass, pumpkinseed, redhorses, yellow perch, drums, round gobies and carps while it also offers shelters for sculpins which leads to an increase in sculpin populations (inland waters, not Great Lakes). But zebra mussels did caused high mortality in fry of smallmouth bass by clearing the water clarity and from predation by sculpins. That's why many smallmouth bass are trophy sized in zebra mussels infected waters with very few young smallmouth bass. We also have problem with northern pikes and largemouth bass getting in trout lakes via illegal stocking and wiping out native trout pretty fast.

Goldfish can be problematic in metro lakes in this state, but they're also important forage fish for muskellunge and tiger muskies.

Brown trout can be good thing in few streams to control stunted Brook trout populations as well as the introduced green sunfish (these dang things are everywhere) and rock bass. These rock bass and green sunfish never get big in trout lakes and trout streams too.

My biggest beef with other anglers are how they treating sturgeons, northern pikes and muskellunges like carp. I find it to be very strange that in recent years many anglers took a dislike on sturgeons and northern pikes. I found a pile full of dead northerns last month. Perfect eating sized ones, yet discard them on ice like trash.

 

[JasonsPlecosCichlids]

It's so much of a challenge that it’s the number 1 sport fish in America. It's a challenge to catch certain size bass is any state. It's a challenge to learn everything about bass, how the weather affects the bass, how the moon affects the bass, how to catch bass at certain depths, certain temperatures, certain lures, how rain affects the bass, how baitfish affect the bass, how breeding affects the bass pre, during and post spawn, I can keep going.



It's pathetic that you thought I attacked your opinion. But hey it happens all the time now doesn’t it, I'm sure you have "attacked" another’s opinions many times before but don't like it when you get the same in return. Put your big boy britches on and get over it, that's life.



Any fish can be caught on any bait, fake or real and just because it hasn't happened that you know of doesn't mean it won’t happen. I have also caught bass on liver fishing for channels, so what? Happens all the time, how do you think most state records are broken, folks fishing for bluegill catch a 14lb bass on 4lb test or as in my case, I was trying to catch the state record grass carp in KY, my biggest was 47lbs at the time and the record was 54lbs, some guy went fishing or bluegills for bait, he ended up catching the new record grassy in KY, again, so what, happens all the time.



If you match the hatch, learn about that species, over time you won’t have any problems catching the fish you want, you can “fool” any fish. I can tell you right now, I can't go out and catch a musky most likely on my first trip, but if I went with my buddy on the green river, my odds are just about 99%, why?; because he knows the fish. You think all those fly fishermen are out there for their health or are they actually catching brookies or whatever? I guarantee you they are catching something. 10" doesn't make a difference in the musky you caught or could have caught, how do you know a 65" musky was about to take your lure before the almost 40"? You don’t but it could have happened, right place, right time, right lure, right presentation, and bam you got a musky or any other fish for that matter.

Yes trash fish is a BS term that I see you have no problems tossing it around. Yea I agree they can over populate doesn't mean it’s a trash fish. It's a fish that needs to be managed, simple as that. Trash fish and rough fish are two totally 100% different meanings, I'm surprised you don't know that. I guess Gar is trash fish to you as well right; because they are not, according to you carp are not beneficial to the ecosystem. What is so beneficial about all the other species, money that it brings in the state? Any lake can have a healthy balanced ecosystem with carp, I know of a lot of lakes and ponds that are awesome for fishing, and then I know of ponds and lakes that are over run by carp. They just need to be managed, like deer. Pigs are carp are nothing alike, pigs 100% destroy anything in their paths, and carp don't destroy everything in their paths.

Yes well know smallies pull harder than a largemouth…

Remember this MN “These fish -- species like redfish, sea robin and Atlantic Pollock -- have been dubbed "trash fish," and rejected by fishermen and chefs alike, who choose instead to keep only what consumers demand. Yet there is actually no such thing as "trash fish."


It's our responsibility to utilize all fish species, and not waste precious choices just because they are, for lack of a better word, unpopular.” This goes for ANY FISH. Your opinion on this subject of trash fish is useless. There is no such thing.

 

[MN_Rebel]

To me, a common carp is a trash fish because they are overpopulated here and there are programs for carp removal and hiring commercial fishermen to netting all carps out to balance the resources out. Minnesota is better off without common carps if they had stayed at Europe. Only lakes that didn't have a carp problem is the coolwater lakes with gravel and pebbles.

Minnesota laws are different from yours, we cannot fish for bass and other sportfish during closed season, nor do we can go after them during spawning season either. But it's much easier to pattern bass here than in your state. In summer/fall they're aggressive feeders as they're putting pounds in before the ice starts to form then they'll become aggressive in late winter when it gets warm up. In middle of dead winter, they just don't feed at all, nor do they can see very good around them.