|
Forums59
Topics1,038,925
Posts13,955,565
Members144,183
| |
Most Online39,925
Dec 30th, 2023
|
|
 Health of Athens Bass
#11763178
08/07/16 05:00 PM
|
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 1,501
jbcarroll3000
OP
Extreme Angler
|
|
OP
Extreme Angler
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 1,501 |
I've noticed this the past couple of years, but not nearly as bad as a recent trip to Athens--many of the fish I'm catching out there look SICK. I'm not talking skinny--I'm talking skinny to the point of deformity. Knocking on death's door...and it's not just one here or one there. It was every other fish.
Has anybody else noticed this and have any good guess as to why? I'm definitely in the camp that says Athens has been hit too hard in the last year or two (if you've fished this lake for 10+ years, you've seen the pressure increase exponentially), but would that really cause these fish to be that skinny? I know ingestion of plastics can make fish look like the ones I'm seeing, but I can't believe that Athens fish are ingesting that much more than in every other fishery. There seems to be plenty of bait on Athens--fish are schooling and in some areas of the lake, there are huge bait balls of shad. I just can't figure it out--what's everyone else's thoughts?
|
|
|
Re: Health of Athens Bass
[Re: jbcarroll3000]
#11763200
08/07/16 05:14 PM
|
Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 1,725
Chris_K
Extreme Angler
|
|
Extreme Angler
Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 1,725 |
I've noticed this the past couple of years, but not nearly as bad as a recent trip to Athens--many of the fish I'm catching out there look SICK. I'm not talking skinny--I'm talking skinny to the point of deformity. Knocking on death's door...and it's not just one here or one there. It was every other fish.
Has anybody else noticed this and have any good guess as to why? I'm definitely in the camp that says Athens has been hit too hard in the last year or two (if you've fished this lake for 10+ years, you've seen the pressure increase exponentially), but would that really cause these fish to be that skinny? I know ingestion of plastics can make fish look like the ones I'm seeing, but I can't believe that Athens fish are ingesting that much more than in every other fishery. There seems to be plenty of bait on Athens--fish are schooling and in some areas of the lake, there are huge bait balls of shad. I just can't figure it out--what's everyone else's thoughts?
Yes I've noticed this as well
|
|
|
Re: Health of Athens Bass
[Re: jbcarroll3000]
#11763267
08/07/16 06:06 PM
|
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 3,892
5Redman8
TFF Team Angler
|
|
TFF Team Angler
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 3,892 |
Not anything new....the summer is tough on them. The water temp boosts their metabolism and they burn calories.
I have plenty of old pics showing the same thing.
I've been fishing Athens for 32 years but I'm only 40
|
|
|
Re: Health of Athens Bass
[Re: jbcarroll3000]
#11763295
08/07/16 06:36 PM
|
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 1,501
jbcarroll3000
OP
Extreme Angler
|
|
OP
Extreme Angler
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 1,501 |
Redman--why only Athens? What you're describing should then affect all Texas bass. Don't get me wrong, bass from other lakes can get skinnier during Summer, but not like they get on Athens, and not where it's every other fish.
And I'm not convinced it's just a summertime thing on Athens. This last trip was more pronounced, but I've definitely caught bass on Athens in Spring or Fall where the head size and length should have made it a 5 or 6 lber on any other lake, but instead it's a 3 or 4. There are exceptions, because I've definitely caught healthy fish--just more unhealthy in comparison to other lakes. This is a pattern I've noticed over quite a few trips the last few years.
|
|
|
Re: Health of Athens Bass
[Re: jbcarroll3000]
#11763344
08/07/16 07:09 PM
|
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 3,892
5Redman8
TFF Team Angler
|
|
TFF Team Angler
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 3,892 |
Not sure why it is worse on Athens. Clear water, relative small size of lake, relatively shallow living fish??? I have seen it over and over there. 2010   
|
|
|
Re: Health of Athens Bass
[Re: jbcarroll3000]
#11763353
08/07/16 07:16 PM
|
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 1,501
jbcarroll3000
OP
Extreme Angler
|
|
OP
Extreme Angler
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 1,501 |
Yep--those are the kinds of fish I'm talking about Redman (especially that 2nd one which almost looks deformed--caught a lot of those this past trip). Maybe it is nothing new. Maybe I've just been paying closer attention to it.. And you're right--take a skinny fish and it looks even worse mid-summer, but I just don't get why in what seems to be a healthy fishery, the majority (in my opinion) of 16+ inch fish are so skinny.
|
|
|
Re: Health of Athens Bass
[Re: jbcarroll3000]
#11763434
08/07/16 08:13 PM
|
Joined: Jul 2014
Posts: 64
SS7
Outdoorsman
|
|
Outdoorsman
Joined: Jul 2014
Posts: 64 |
I think it is pressure, I.e. Plastics and hooks in their belly. Lots of very healthy fish as well, only thing it can be. A 24" bass can range from 4lbs. to 9.5 right now. Caught a 19" last week that dindnt weigh 2lbs. 3lb 22". I also catch lots of fish with line sticking out of their gullet.
|
|
|
Re: Health of Athens Bass
[Re: jbcarroll3000]
#11763448
08/07/16 08:21 PM
|
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 3,484
meP2too
TFF Team Angler
|
|
TFF Team Angler
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 3,484 |
I would agree that quite a few recent catches have been skinny. Last night while launching a fellow angler asked my partner to photograph a 10+ pounder that he had just caught, it was in perfect shape. It looked like a pre-spawn bass. Unlike the fish I caught last Friday night, which were scale wrapped skeletons, the bass last night were in better shape. They were caught in extremely shallow water.
|
|
|
Re: Health of Athens Bass
[Re: jbcarroll3000]
#11763610
08/07/16 09:25 PM
|
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 352
SK1
Angler
|
|
Angler
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 352 |
I too fish Athens quite a bit and you're right about the skinny/anorexic looking bass. They don't fight well at all, but to the lakes defense there's also alot of fat chunky bass in the lake too.I assumed that there were to many fish and not enough food but the lake is slap full of shad so I don't know.
|
|
|
Re: Health of Athens Bass
[Re: jbcarroll3000]
#11763766
08/07/16 10:28 PM
|
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 10,437
BThomas
TFF Guru
|
|
TFF Guru
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 10,437 |
Only way to get your answer, is harvest a few of them and check the stomach contents.
|
|
|
Re: Health of Athens Bass
[Re: SK1]
#11763799
08/07/16 10:48 PM
|
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 27,401
Der Vorsteher
TFF Guru
|
|
TFF Guru
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 27,401 |
I too fish Athens quite a bit and you're right about the skinny/anorexic looking bass. They don't fight well at all, but to the lakes defense there's also alot of fat chunky bass in the lake too.I assumed that there were to many fish and not enough food but the lake is slap full of shad so I don't know. Time for a fish fry.
Team Wolfs
|
|
|
Re: Health of Athens Bass
[Re: jbcarroll3000]
#11763815
08/07/16 10:57 PM
|
Joined: Jan 2016
Posts: 673
Amackmac
Pro Angler
|
|
Pro Angler
Joined: Jan 2016
Posts: 673 |
They fight good there every time I go
|
|
|
Re: Health of Athens Bass
[Re: Amackmac]
#11763822
08/07/16 10:59 PM
|
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 1,501
jbcarroll3000
OP
Extreme Angler
|
|
OP
Extreme Angler
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 1,501 |
They fight good there every time I go Cool...thanks.
|
|
|
Re: Health of Athens Bass
[Re: jbcarroll3000]
#11763840
08/07/16 11:08 PM
|
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 11,554
txmasterpo
TFF Guru
|
|
TFF Guru
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 11,554 |
100 club and other tournaments a year?
|
|
Moderated by banker-always fishing, chickenman, Derek 🐝, Duck_Hunter, Fish Killer, J-2, Jacob, Jons3825, JustWingem, Nocona Brian, Toon-Troller, Uncle Zeek, Weekender1
|
