My views on fishing for bass on beds.

Spring has arrived and here in California the bass have already started their yearly ritual of moving up to the shallows and spawning. This time of year makes the bass very venerable to being caught because they are highly visible and will instinctively protect their beds/nests from predators. This is the time of the year that we as anglers must especially practice catch and release to ensure the future of our sport.

While some may really enjoy this time of year and thrive on bed fishing, me personally, I don’t purposely fish for bedded bass. That’s not to say that I haven’t in the past targeted them, especially when fishing a bass tournament because at certain times of the year if you don’t target them you don’t stand a chance of cashing a check. Even when I’m out pleasure fishing and just making random casts towards structure I know at times the chances are that I have caught bedded bass on occasion however I do my best to get them back into the water quickly so they can return to their nest.

Then you have the people who look for bedded bass with the intention of poaching them by snagging them off the beds and taking them home to eat. Not only is this morally wrong and detrimental to our sport it is illegal as well.

From the 2011 CA Department of Fish and Game site;

Fishing Methods and Gear Restrictions (CCR, T14, Chapter 2, Article 1)

2.00. Fishing Methods — General.

(b) Snagging is prohibited. Snagging is defined as impaling or attempting to impale a fish in any part of its body other than the mouth by use of a hook, hooks, gaff, or other mechanical implement. This definition does not include activities otherwise authorized under these regulations for the lawful use of a gaff, bow and arrow, or spear.

If you ever witness a person attempting to snag fish or doing anything that breaks the law at anytime of the year it is our responsibility as sportsmen to do something about it. While I don’t suggest approaching them and take a chance of getting in harms way I do suggest, if possible, getting some kind of description of them, their vehicle license, what they look like, etc. and reporting them to the DFG. With technology today a person could very easily take a picture and place a call to report them. Again, don’t put yourself in harms way. Remember when someone is poaching, they are breaking the law, therefore they are a criminal and might not hesitate to retaliate right then and there if they feel your reporting them. Then again, if you make it known that your aware of there illegal activity they might stop, at least for the time.

Here in CA we have a program called CalTIP, Californians Turn In Poachers and Polluters. This is a confidential secret witness program that encourages the public to provide Fish and Game with factual information leading to the arrest of poachers and polluters. CalTIP was introduced in California in 1981 in order to give Californians an opportunity to help protect the state’s fish and wildlife resources. The toll free telephone number, 1 888 DFG-CALTIP, 888 334-2258 operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You do not have to give your name.

I figure some were hoping that this would be a “How to” article on catching bass on beds, sorry to disappoint you. Like I said above, we need to try and practice catch and release even more so during this time of the year, especially if you want your kids and grandkids to be able to experience the thrill of catching them in the future.

Thanks for visiting my site. Be sure to tell all of your fishing buddies and come back soon.

Until Next Time, Good Luck and Tight Lines To Ya!