So I had a club tourney Saturday and caught great fish in a particular spot and took them around the corner for weigh in! My dilema is that I now have the B A S S Federation team top six competition this Wednesday thru Friday on the same lake. Do the bass return to around the same area you caught them or go elsewhere its not a great distance but would guess it would take a day for the fish to return. I have heard of research done but cannot find anything online about it.

Still Pre-spawn phase!!!!!!

From what I remember, if the fish find what they need near by they will stay, but not all fish. Some will go miles in a day to their original home teritory others will wonder around looking for a new place. I know this does not answer your question but remember this, there was a reason that fish was there, others will move in.

John Hope did some great research on this subject. He wrote a book and put out a video.Google John Hope Tracking Trophy Bass. You should find some usful info.

Thanks will have to check it out! You are right about there has to be a reason why they were there just havent honed in on what has been holding them there!

I would think they wouldnt travel far from where they are dropped back in at... could be wrong tho

If that is the case I guess I am gonna start fishing the boat ramp areas and marinas a whole lot more! If I could just convince our tourney director to push our weigh in an hour later could just fish when people are releasing their catch from weigh in! Just kidding no sport in that!

Just read an article from 2004. They did a study and most fish returned home. Some would travel miles in a day most would move around a mile per day. They did say that they would stick around release area for a couple days before going home. The longest it took one to get home was just over 200 days!

John Hope's results will be good news for you. He determined that the adult fish would return to the area and that smaller fish would sometimes establish a new home territory where they were relocated to. So if the fish was good enough for you to get excited about it probably is large enough to return to the area.

That part I recall. The part I don't recall is at what size this happens. Seems like it was fish over 3-4 lbs would return. You have to keep in mind his book was "Tracking Trophys", so he didn't study a lot of small fish habits.

Don't worry about the fish you caught last weekend. If it's a good spot, it will fill back in with replacement fish. The only question is "Will it hold up for three days of competition?"

Better find another spot or two just in case.

How many boats are they expecting for that tournament?

Thats great news! They are all 5 - 7 pd fish I am referring too, so hoping saturday released by 3 pm and state tourney is wed - friday maybe a few will return!

And the lake I a referring to 5 - 7 pdrs can win you tourneys and are considered GREAT size for this lake but most likely will never weigh in a Sharelunker from this Lake!

Around 125 boats,thankfully its a home lake for me and i have many spots but have not produced like this lately!

Bag full of 5-7 lbs'ers on Belton is a prize....Stillhouse turn on yet?

Do you have a link to that article? Me and my partner were arguing about this exact thing last weekend.

No stillhouse has not turn on yet! TWPD fisheries just did a Gill net test on Stillhouse and we are waiting on the results. The last year stillhouse has been off, alot of 13 1/2 inch non keepers throughout the year, thinking this year will be good for 14 to 15 inch fish! Stillhouse has the ability to produce 4-6 pd fish just not like it used too on a regular basis!

But if you can find the spot Stillhouse has a way of hookin you! Ya catch one 5 pdr and cast right back to same location and catch another one!