Would a bass caught by a tournament fisherman near Redbud Park in the south end of the lake and then transported to the Lakeport area to be weighed in ever return to the area from where it was caught? Many fishermen say it would and a like number say the bass will stay where it was released. It”s an argument that”s been going on as long as there have been fishermen. However, extensive studies done by Department of Fish and Game (DFG) and other biologists prove that largemouth bass move very little throughout their entire lifetime.
A number of years ago the DFG tagged 580 bass (497 were smallmouth and the remaining 83 were largemouth) that were caught in a tournament at Lake Shasta. The bass were then released at the weigh-in site. Fishermen catching a tagged fish were asked to contact the DFG. The study lasted three years.
Anglers returned 34 largemouth bass tags. Thirteen were caught less than a mile from the release site. Twenty-one were caught from one mile to seven miles from the release site. During the first 40 days after being released the average distance traveled by the fish was less than a mile and the average for the entire three year study period was less than two miles.
The smallmouth bass used in the study traveled much farther after being released. Of the 497 smallmouth bass tagged and released, 87 percent were recaught from two to 15 miles from the release site. Within the first 20 days after being released, the majority of the smallies traveled at least three miles and a few traveled as far as eight miles.
The conclusion of the biologists was that largemouth bass travel very short distances after being released. They establish new territory and continue on with their lives. However, smallmouth bass will travel back to where they were caught. Why smallmouths have this homing ability and largemouths don”t, no one knows.
Clear Lake has very few smallmouth bass with only two or three being caught per year. However, there is a large population of largemouth bass scattered throughout the lake.
The question that many fishermen are asking; does holding most of the bass tournaments in only one area result in stockpiling fish? For example, last year just about all of the major bass tournaments held at Clear Lake went out of Konocti Vista Casino and Resort. Konocti Vista is located near Lakeport and has excellent facilities to host bass tournaments. Typically during a two day tournament approximately 1,000 to 1,500 adult bass will be weighed and released in the vicinity of Lakeport. Many of these bass will have been caught in the south end of the lake or from the Nice-Lucerne area and then transported to the weigh-in site. If the DFG studies prove to be true, those fish won”t be returning to areas from where they were caught.
Does taking that many bass from the south end deplete the fishery? To date, there hasn”t been any evidence shown that supports that theory. Actually, the bass fishing from Monitor Island to Redbud Park has been excellent. The Rattlesnake Arm continues to produce huge quantities of bass. The same applies to the docks along the Nice-Lucerne shoreline.
If the DFG determines that one area of the lake is being overloaded with bass they can require that tournament release sites be spread around the lake. But I don”t look for that to happen. It only takes a few adult bass to repopulate an area and there are enough bass that are never caught to accomplish this. Studies have shown that in a lake as large as Clear Lake, less than 20 percent of the bass ever feel the sting of a hook. Most are born, live and die and never come in contact with a human.
Terry Knight can be reached at tknight3021@ sbcglobal.net or by calling (707) 263-1699. Letters intended for publication that respond to Mr. Knight”s column can be sent to news@clearlakeobserver.com.
