Bass reports

[fowl hook]

Just wondering if any one has been out bass fishing recently, should be pickin up pretty soon.FH.

 

[Yote]

I'll be out tomorrow, just trying to decide which lake to go to.

 

[fowl hook]

has any one been out lately around nanaimo?

 

[Eric]

Went yesterday with the fam at Quennell lake. Wife caught the biggest with 3.4lbs. A few over 2 lbs and a ton of little guys. Guess we missed the nests (due to awful water clarity) Water temp was 72-74 degrees F by my fish finder.
Will be heading to Shawnigan next week for a look. Tho I imagine the temps will be far lower.

 

[Yote]

All lakes are good right now.

 

[Eric]

Shawnigan is awesome right now! Granted, nest fishing is not all that sporting but it sure is nice to see all those bass over 4 lbs! Lots of fish on a white tube. Nests were in 4-9 feet of water. Water was 61 degrees F.

 

[Yote]

Caught a nice 20 incher last night from Langford.

 

[Eric]

Y'know, it's funny but I always assumed that bass sizes were done by weight. Now I know that weighing a fish is a little hard on them but I can't imagine how big a fish is by stating it's length. Specially since they start getting really fat later in stages. How much do you estimate it's weight was?
Are they spawning out of Langford?

 

[Yote]

I estimate this fish at about 4.5 lbs and she was super fat so I might be on the light side. I measure all the ones that go over 17". She jumped about seven times and she fought the whole way to the tube. It's fun on my 5.5 foot HMX and Shimano 1000 with 6 lb. test.

They do spawn in the lake and a quick catch and release doesn't seem to harm the population of bass too much by the look of the numbers. They are quite prolific. I live right there so I just walked across the street at 7:45 and tried my luck for a while it was great. Caught another one about 16 inches too. 8-9 pm on Wednesdays is my time while the wife watches her wanna be a supermodel show. I don't mind.

 

[bite me]

what was the magic lure?

hey!...wheres my float?
uh oh...

 

[bigchrome]

bass are spawing now or soon are they not

 

[Yote]

Yes they are at least staging now and getting on thier beds. I catch and release all year on these and fish barbless. You can only catch and release right now till some time in June to allow for eggs to be laid. They are super aggressive and take lures readily, like they do most of the summer.

As far as what I am using, I stick to the basics, and use soft plastics 95%.

 

[Eric]

Well they are 100% spawning in Shawnigan and a couple little local lakes. I imagine the spawn is ending in Quennell lake since it was far warmer there than Shawnigan.
I target the nests with white tubes, rigged weedless with a 2/0 hook and internal weight. I have found that the females will stage nearby the nests in ambush spots waiting to lay.

 

[yo mama]

Sounds like you've mastered the art of picking on spawners!

 

[Eric]

Yeah it makes me feel kinda dirty.

 

[Eagle Eyes]

anyone tried bass in the nanaimo area besides quennell? might give somewhere a shot this week.

 

[Yote]

Yo Mama.

Do you say that about people that salmon fish the rivers in the fall?

 

[yo mama]

Yes I do if the are badgering a fish on there redds. As for the rest of the river, while fish are heading upstream, I feel that is open game. I do also fish bass, but I won't use the nests as the main method of catching them.

The reason they are so aggresive is because they are gaurding there nest. Some of these fish in popular lakes have been picked on so much that, they will hardly have the energy to spawn or recouperate afterwards.

Eric Wrote:

"I target the nests with white tubes, rigged weedless with a 2/0 hook and internal weight. I have found that the females will stage nearby the nests in ambush spots waiting to lay."

If this quote was about steelhead there would already be 100+ posts on it.

 

[Eagle Eyes]

so anyone been out in the nanaimo area lately? was thinkin of tryin green or long tomorrow...

 

[Eagle Eyes]

fished long for about an hour today, landed a nice one about 17 inches(black lizard) and my buddy lost one about the same size on a popper(hes a rookie, and got a hit on his first cast and had no clue what to do). decent for only a short trip on the lake..