They could loose a few.I’m sure some large mouth would end up being called spots or hybrids
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
They could loose a few.I’m sure some large mouth would end up being called spots or hybrids
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
you may not have ever had to fish Norman pre spots?You guys must fish a different part of Lake Norman than I've ever been to. While I will agree that there are some good sized spots in Norman, they are few and far between. And I don't think spots have "saved" Lake Norman, unless you consider decimating the largemouth population as saving. They are fun and easy fish to catch, but I think they outgrew the forage base at Norman a long time ago.
I did fish fish Norman pre-spots. It was basically like it is now, except now it's spots instead of largemouth. Numbers are better now, but the average size is not much different in my opinion. The guides do always produce action, but that doesn't mean they are producing size. If you follow those national tourneys, most of the winner's bags will be comprised of largemouth, or at least a good portion of it will be. There are still good largemouth in the lake, but the are harder to find, especially if you are only there occasionally. You can definitely have some fun with the spots for sure, but after 30 or so 12-14 inchers, it gets old. I like to feel 'Ol Big pull my string every now and then.you may not have ever had to fish Norman pre spots?
the LMB were hammer handles.
now norman routinely hosts national tourneys with spots being a player in most bags.
I haven't heard many if any complain of the decimation of the sorry LMB population pre spots.
guides can always produce action , they are almost as easy as the crappie to catch, not much to not like.
^^This.^^ You would be amazed at how many people don't even know that a spot and largemouth are different. A bass is bass to a lot of folks.I’m sure some large mouth would end up being called spots or hybrids
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
when I had to fish norman it was due to tournament trails visiting there. We would have full fields of bass master classic contenders and winners folks like david fritts, woo daves, that crowd,I did fish fish Norman pre-spots. It was basically like it is now, except now it's spots instead of largemouth. Numbers are better now, but the average size is not much different in my opinion. The guides do always produce action, but that doesn't mean they are producing size. If you follow those national tourneys, most of the winner's bags will be comprised of largemouth, or at least a good portion of it will be. There are still good largemouth in the lake, but the are harder to find, especially if you are only there occasionally. You can definitely have some fun with the spots for sure, but after 30 or so 12-14 inchers, it gets old. I like to feel 'Ol Big pull my string every now and then.
So if wildlife took off restrictions on spots do you think it would bring them back in check? Do you think I enough people would keep them to make a difference?
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Well.........if you look at TN’s stance on spotted bass, I’d say the answer to your question would be no only a no, but heeeeelllllllllllll no.
Too many “bass fishermen” have been brainwashed into thinking all bass regardless of type, should be thrown back “so we can catch this girl again”.................it don’t matter if it’s a pond (that thinking has ruined many a farm pond), river, lake or reservoir.........
Maybe John could find a recipe for pickling them nasty devils?Coons gotta eat.... though I feel bad feeding the masked bandits such rubbish
You wouldn’t believe how many times we’d go shock a pond only to tell the owners they need to keep some bass. You’d think we’d called their momma a whore. LolCoons gotta eat.... though I feel bad feeding the masked bandits such rubbish
Their in the upper part of the yadkin, you can catch them from Idols dam up regularly.I thought spotted bass had always been in the river. Seems like I had heard of people catching them on occasion, but I could be mistaken.
Sent from my LG-US996 using Tapatalk
You guys must fish a different part of Lake Norman than I've ever been to. While I will agree that there are some good sized spots in Norman, they are few and far between. And I don't think spots have "saved" Lake Norman, unless you consider decimating the largemouth population as saving. They are fun and easy fish to catch, but I think they outgrew the forage base at Norman a long time ago.
They do not do well with some populations of largemouths. Cape fear below buckhorn being one example where the largemouth have been knocked back.Lake Norman was a bass desert before the spots came along. No one likes it, no one wanted to fish it. The largemouth in that lake are 100 times healthier now than they were before the spots. And it has some huge spots in it, you just have to figure them out to catch them consistently. I've been saying for years it is the best lake in the state. Those little green ditch pickles are boring after you catch smallies and spots. I know that they don't do well with the smallmouth population, but they cohabitate very well with the largies. Norman and Hartwell are classic examples of that as well as several other lakes in the southeast. Spots are the best thing that ever happened to some of our lakes. I wish the Alabama strained spots would get introduced to some more of our lakes.
My guess is a big yes.Are the largemouth in LKN doing better because alewives and bluebacks were also illegally introduced there?
You might want to give badin another spin or two or three. The catches it gives up these days versus pre blueback introduction are amazing. it's revival is the only thing close to Norman's.As for the cape fear......Idk about that body of water......I've never fished it although I know people who have and do and it's never been known as a bass fishing mecca to begin with to my knowledge. I fish a lot of lakes where there are both spots and largemouth and in all of those lakes they do really well together. I could name off a double digits lake list. Norman is just one of them. But it doesn't bother me that so many people hate spots.....I go to Norman any day if the week and hardly see a soul......I try going to ttown, badin or another largemouth lake and constantly fish behind someone. Y'all can have the green trash fish. A 2.5 lb spot will pull a 6 lb across the lake. But it's all in what you like......some people spend their time looking for 5-8 lb largemouth, I spend my time looking for 2-5 lb spots and big smallies when I can. And I'll take however many 1.5-2 lb spots I can catch because they all pull like trains.
As for the cape fear......Idk about that body of water......I've never fished it although I know people who have and do and it's never been known as a bass fishing mecca to begin with to my knowledge. I fish a lot of lakes where there are both spots and largemouth and in all of those lakes they do really well together. I could name off a double digits lake list. Norman is just one of them. But it doesn't bother me that so many people hate spots.....I go to Norman any day if the week and hardly see a soul......I try going to ttown, badin or another largemouth lake and constantly fish behind someone. Y'all can have the green trash fish. A 2.5 lb spot will pull a 6 lb across the lake. But it's all in what you like......some people spend their time looking for 5-8 lb largemouth, I spend my time looking for 2-5 lb spots and big smallies when I can. And I'll take however many 1.5-2 lb spots I can catch because they all pull like trains.
You might want to give badin another spin or two or three. The catches it gives up these days versus pre blueback introduction are amazing. it's revival is the only thing close to Norman's.
You might want to give badin another spin or two or three. The catches it gives up these days versus pre blueback introduction are amazing. it's revival is the only thing close to Norman's.
1 section I fish was a BIg Bass hot spot. No more. Spots have taken over and you rarely catch a big one anymore.
and yes LM are lazy in a lake. catch a 6lb largemouth in a river and he is gonna drag that spot for days. lake LM are not river largemouth. I see hardly any difference between a river LM and a river SM . but yes it is all in what you like.
maybe I can help you on the summer structure bite. it is still in play better than before for some. I will fish Saturday on Jordan with a great structure fisherman who considers badin his home lake. I'll see what he will say.I've fished badin my whole life and I've been to badin several times this year, I liked it a lot better before the blubacks were introduced. The lake is so different since the bluback herring. It's amazing how different spots and largemouth react to bluebacks. Badin used to be an awesome offshore structure lake in the summer. Now they roam out over open water chasing herring and don't hardly relate to structure at all and it makes it extremely tough(at least for me and a lot of people I know). It's like lake Murray and all the southern lakes that have largemouth only and bluebacks, it's great in the spring, decent in the winter and terrible summer and fall. I wish someone would introduce spots in badin, I think they would thrive there. The tournament weights may be as high or higher but that doesn't make it a place to go have a fun day of fish catching.
maybe I can help you on the summer structure bite. it is still in play better than before for some. I will fish Saturday on Jordan with a great structure fisherman who considers badin his home lake. I'll see what he will say.
Granted he has the entire lake bottom pictured on a lap top from a few years ago when it was drawn down but the new electronics are just as good anyway.
Just giving you some options, maybe.
Like Lake Chatuge.. Originally they claimed the Alabamas they stocked were bucket stocked by fishermen.They finally admitted what they did. Same people that some here are falling all over themselves patting them on the back. The Bamas are going to ruin the largemouth fishery at Norman.. And Belews..Spots are going to have a target on their backs soon enough. hopefully there numbers will be dropped way back, they have destroyed some great small mouth lakes in WNC.
I’m sure some large mouth would end up being called spots or hybrids
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I believe they do hybridize with the Alabama bass. The Alabamas are now in the upper reaches of the Yadkin, from the Rockford area north. Most of the fish called "spotted bass" are Alabama bass, except for some down east stocked by the NCWRC which are truly spots. The fish at Norman, Belews, and other lakes are the Alabama bass, which has shown through genetic testing not to be closely related to the spotted bass. Alabama bass' closest relative is the shoal bass.I’m sure some large mouth would end up being called spots or hybrids
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk