Bed fishing? Yay or nay?

[Springmillvol]

Just curious about the boards opinion of plucking them off beds? I haven’t done it much but seldom fish in tourneys. Have there been any studies to determine if it hurts the population any. I don’t judge anyone for how they catch fish but something about it just doesn’t feel right to me. Then again, I’m all about catching them on the way in or out so that may have the same effect.

 

[Oldman]

not me

 

[Volfish]

No way.

 

[RRB32]

There have been a lot of studies that have concluded that bed fishing has no significant impact on bass populations. If bed fishing was to be the demise of a fishery, then we should have seen that way before now across the country. That being said, I don't judge people on how they fish if its legal. They can make their own decision on what the believe they should do, that's why we live in this great country. Personally, I will attempt to bed fish if I come across one but the majority of the time I'm catching them blind as I don't go searching for beds. I don't tournament fish so all my fish are released in the same area.

 

[Kman]

I don't target bed fish, but I see a 10 lber on a bed it may be hard to pass up.
Of course it would be quickly released after a few pictures

 

[jb366]

Pulling the females off beds isn't really a problem. Release them there and they'll go back to where there were, haul them in to weigh in and they'll find a new spot to do the deed. Either way, eggs are dropped. Pulling the males off beds after eggs have been dropped is what has the potential to hurt. If you pull those males off while they are guarding eggs or fry it only takes a few minutes before there's nothing left.

I won't bed fish if I'm just out there for fun, but I will in a tournament if I need to

 

[hoop235]

I personally don't do it because I'm not very good at it but I don't have a problem with others who do. Like was said earlier as long as it's legal then each person to their own decision.
When I was a marshal with the Elite series at the Guntersville tournament a couple of years ago, I liked the rule they had about the hook must be inside the mouth in order for it to be a legal catch when bed/sight fishing.

 

[Springmillvol]

hoop235 - 4/11/2018 1:02 PM

I personally don't do it because I'm not very good at it but I don't have a problem with others who do. Like was said earlier as long as it's legal then each person to their own decision.
When I was a marshal with the Elite series at the Guntersville tournament a couple of years ago, I liked the rule they had about the hook must be inside the mouth in order for it to be a legal catch when bed/sight fishing.

Definitely agree with that rule as well. I assume this was to prevent anyone from snaring fish?

 

[jb366]

Springmillvol - 4/11/2018 1:06 PM

hoop235 - 4/11/2018 1:02 PM

I personally don't do it because I'm not very good at it but I don't have a problem with others who do. Like was said earlier as long as it's legal then each person to their own decision.
When I was a marshal with the Elite series at the Guntersville tournament a couple of years ago, I liked the rule they had about the hook must be inside the mouth in order for it to be a legal catch when bed/sight fishing.

Definitely agree with that rule as well. I assume this was to prevent anyone from snaring fish?

Yes. Sometimes they just won't bite or inhale and spit the bait so fast you can't react. Last year on conroe I think it was Evers that sat on a bedded fish for 2 hours and never caught it. A big baitless wide gap could have ended that.

 

[fishinvol]

Nope . Just not fun to me .

 

[rusty50576]

I have only successfully done it in ponds and shallow rivers and to me, it's not nearly as fun as catching a hungry bass. I don't think you can harm a bass population with rod and reel, so I have no problem with people bed fishing. I just don't enjoy it

 

[elwestb]

No!

 

[FishingwithRusty]

this time of year if youre fishing 10' or less(depending on water clarity and species) youre catching fish in some stage of the spawning process. smokem if you got em

 

[Old Astro Man]

I catch fish in bedding areas, but I don't sight fish

 

[Blue76]

Old Astro Man - 4/13/2018 1:44 PM I catch fish in bedding areas, but I don't sight fish

Same here... I caught a 5lber off a big stump in muddy water yesterday that "might" have been on bed or getting ready to.....

 

[rusty50576]

Blue76 - 4/13/2018 3:10 PM

Old Astro Man - 4/13/2018 1:44 PM I catch fish in bedding areas, but I don't sight fish

Same here... I caught a 5lber off a big stump in muddy water yesterday that "might" have been on bed or getting ready to.....

Nice fish!

 

[swamp]

tching a hungry bass. I don't think you can harm a bass population with rod and reel, so I have no problem with people bed fishing
That was probably true at one point in time but now i'm not so sure, with the numbers of people fishing.

 

[Blazer09]

I will catch them anyway I can legal

 

[Dirtroadhound]

I do, but usually end up wasting 3 hours on a fish and then troll off and then the next boat to pull in catches it on the first cast.

 

[SPOONMINNOW]

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: #ffffff; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; display: inline !important; float: none">I'll fish areas where fish bed, but not target any bass guarding a nest. Usually during the spawn you have shallow bass hanging out waiting to spawn. I only cast topwater lures to watch bass form a wake as it darts forth to slam my lure - usually 10' of more away. No bass would go that far from the nest and make that viscous and attack. Not all bass spawn at the same time in any one water and I target pre-spawners (post spawn bass not in the mood to do anything but recuperate.)
</span></p>

I don't know if catching and releasing a fish off the bed hurts the fishery, but I respect the vulnerability of fish on the nest and don't feel that it's sporting. Tried it once, caught a 3lb bass and then never again - and that was over 35 years ago. </p>

</p>

(note: the highlighted area was me quoting myself from Chrome where hypertext isn't allowed.)
</p>