Spotted bass in California: Was it a good idea, or bad?

[jazzwannabe]

I don't really know the history of spots in the west. Were they planted by DFG or did they come in some other way? Have they ruined the largemouth fisheries?

[Maackbass]

There are some pretty good seminar videos in the westernbass tv library done by Dave Rush and Bill Townsend on spotted bass. Check them out. They are DFG planted and my take on it is they were planted in most deepwater reservoirs that we have because it's easier for the spots to thrive than the largies due to the given cover, or lack of it, and water/spawning conditions. The goal was to provide a better fishery which I agree with. If you can get on a good spot pattern it's a blast 3-4 lbers give you a heck of a fight. I dumped a 6+ largie at the boat at shasta last summer that would have been a PB for me on that lake so that's not to say you can't get on a LM bite you just need to know where to find them

[ash]

I think spotted bass took over lakes and shrunk the largies Orroville, I think spotted bass makes the fisherman weak, instead of figuring out the large mouth we become complacent in catching the spotties. I think spotted bass in Shasta was the best deal ever .....so I am all over the road.

[Richard - Sonora]

Kokes and shad inhabit the same position in the biomass. They are both plankton feeders. There is a saying in marine biology - "there is no forgiveness in the water column". The shad population in Melones took a huge hit when they started planting Kokanee. Imagine how many shad could have fed on the same plankton as a 16 inch koke.
Spots have their place. I am not a fan, but like most others, I enjoy the fact that they bite better in cold water than do LM. However, the mid-sized largemouth are strangely absent in most lakes with spots. The big LM gals get a lot of attention on swimbaits, but how many 3,4 or five pouns LM do YOU catch on those lakes??

[Murph]

Not California, but they would sure make Lake Mead more enjoyable.

[acm95301]

The spotted bass out eat and out spawn and cross breed with LMB. Every lake I fish, Spotted bass have or are taking over the lake. Spotted bass are easier to catch in numbers, but don't attain the size of LMB. Tactics to catch the two types of fish differ. Spotted bass are more readily willing to take a reaction bait, but LMB are spookier and like worms or jigs.

I catch mostly spotted bass, so I can't through stones, but the LMB doesnt thrive with the spot.

[barse41]

if it werent for bucket biologists, ithink spots could have been a good part, everyone could have had their local spot fishery. but now there every wheere, and i agree they lower thhe number of midsized largemouths.

[flipit]

I used to think it was a bad thing. But over the years as these fish have thrived we have come to develop some great fisheries. Look at Oroville, the weights are climbing and the numbers of bigger spots are increasing. Id suspect it wont be long before we see a 20 lb bag of spots at Oroville, maybe even this spring. Berryessa is a place where the LMB have done fine. Besides who is gonna not enjoy catching 4+ lb spots?

Would I want em mixed in at Clear Lake? No, but I think any place with lots of grass and cover the LMB will thrive.

[BassManDan]

From a brief presentation I did about spotted bass. (From P. Moyle, Inland Fishes of California, 2002.)

Originally, the Northern spotted bass (M. p. punctulatus) species was brought to California. Shortly thereafter the Alabama spotted bass (M. p. henshalli), was brought to California.

Spotted bass first arrived in 1933 at Friant Hatchery in Fresno County. After propagation, fish were released in 1937 throughout the Central Valley and surrounding foothill rivers. Evidence shows that these subspecies have hybridized in lakes such a Shasta and Oroville.

Both spotted bass and smallmouth bass have also hybridized with redeye bass (M. coosae) in many California waterways. Redeye bass came from Tennessee and Georgia in 1962 and 1964, respectively, and introduced into several central valley and southern California rivers.

To answer the question "Was it a good idea?" That's up to interpretation, I say yeah, because that means more bass for me to catch, but others might argue the point

[Topwater Terry]

I think the Florida largemouths did the opposite at Perris. Used to be a lot of spots there, I think it even held the world record for a while. Spots did not take over there, the Florida bass did...maybe that is what happens in a smaller lake...

[Oldschool]

We had this same discussion under Santa Margarita lake being ruined by Spotted bass.
A combination of issues affected lake Perris spots; introduction of red ear sunfish, FLMB and tremendous fishing pressure from the live bait fishermen.
Pine Flat lake produced the world record spot; 10.27 lbs.
Tom

[Kevin Evans - Kap]

I agree with MAC's view... HAHA...

Kap

[Delaney]

Positives:

#1 They keep me from getting skunked in Jan. & Feb.
#2 I feel no guilt when fileting them.

Negatives:

#1 I don't know if they cross breed with smallmouths and largemouths, but I do know that after a few years smallies disappear, and largemouth fishing drastically declines in quality and size.
# 2 They are more predictable, easier to pattern, and therefore easier to catch.
# 3 They reduce bass tournaments to "turkeyshoots" where limits of cookie-cutter size fish are weighed in and anybody can win, usually with a weight under 10#.
#4 And, my biggest gripe about spots is that before they were introduced my favorite time of the year was March through May when I would throw spinnerbaits, sometimes all day. I catch a few spots on SBs now, but it's not my main bait this time of the year.

[Oldschool]

We had this same discussion under Santa Margarita lake being ruined by Spotted bass.
A combination of issues affected lake Perris spots; introduction of red ear sunfish, FLMB and tremendous fishing pressure from the live bait fishermen.
Pine Flat lake produced the world record spot; 10.27 lbs.
Tom

Look at Google for the story; Bryan Shishido, April 21st, 8 lb mono, Yamamoto clear/blk flake Senko. Bryan was fishing AB tournament when he caught the WR spot.
Tom
PS Pine Flat produced 3 WR spots!

[FishDiver]

The spots sure ruined a great smallmouth fishery at Folsom.

[Johnny C]

I think the spots hurt the smallies more than Largemouth..Examples are McClure, Camanche, Oroville and Shasta. Now with that being said I think they provide more year round sport than smallies. Water draw downs are what really hurt the largemouth in our deep canyon lakes. The high water of four years ago there were huge spawns at Melones and McClure for largemouth and those fish are there. The last two weeks I have been catching lots of beautiful football largies between 2 and 4 pounds. I have also been dropping the camera and there are lots of them. Just as it was in the pre spot days they are harder to catch in the winter. But wait till spring this year and you will be surprised. As for the spots I love them at Melones.

[ryan accardo]

johhny c you have to love them spots look at your photos

[CN]

They are a species that should of only been introduced to a few lakes in California.

If we had lakes that produced 15-20lb limits of them consitantly that would be great. I would just as soon catch a 3lb Spot as I would a 3lb Largemouth.

But then again someone transported them from Nacimiento over to San Antonio becouse I have cought some there and know of other people that have and that sucks. How else would they get in there becouse the DFG did not put them in there.

Not that San Antonio couldnt use some help to get a bite now and then

To answer your question yes Spots are ok.

[Joe Bruce]

I blame the slot limit for our crappy spot lakes, whos gona take a 12 and under ? yet every meat hunter out there will keep a 15 +.

shoulda been cant keep a 15 or over. reduce the cookie cutter size

I love spots but hate the shasta, mcclure & oroville 50 fish not a 2 lber tourneys.

[DanIsaac]

BAD, they've degraded our smallmouth fisheries to almost non-existence. Three-Four pound smallmouth used to be the norm is reservoirs such as Berryessa, Shasta, and Oroville. Go find one now!

Dan

[lowerider]

Flipit are you serious? 20 pound bag of spots at Oroville? I like your enthusiasm but it aint gonna happen anytime soon. I.M.O. When was the last time someone wieghed a bag at Oroville that went 20? Let alone ALL Spots.
They are fun to catch but I think they have done more harm than good in a lot of lakes. Some days its nice to catch 50 14 inch fish but it gets old. I would rather catch one 5 pounder than 50 one pounders. Just my personal preference.

[Larry Hemphill]

Some top Fish and Game folks have told me that a bigger limit (maybe 10 per day) would be good, but many can't tell the difference between largemouth and spots - mainly because they are almost the same color. Thus, too many largemouth might be kept. Also spots interbreed with smallies, not largemouth. Spots are very hard on a smallie population, having totally wiped out smallies in certain lakes like Collins. As was mentioned previously, the spots sure make fishing more fun in the winter - AND - are a great fish to get kids and beginning fisherman started. They bite every day - almost!!!!

[Phil]

Living at Lake Don Pedro and Mc clure, I have had the chance to compare, even thougt Don Pedro has Spots in it, it is still a primary Largemouth & Smallmouth lake, compared to next door Mc clure. You may get one bite at Don Pedro, and a limit at Mc clure. I believe due to Don Pedro bass Largemouth Bass enhancement program that they plant $ 5000 every year of Florida Bass in Don Pedro, it keeps the Spot population in check, not down but at least in check. Mc clure has no program and you can catch a Largemouth from time to time, but it is more like Shasta or a small Oroville. Tournaments are at least 2 to 1 on Mc clure as on Don Pedro, yet Mc clure is not half the size. I think out of the three and the largest of all, New Melones is the best, I think they also have a yearly Largemouth plant and boasts a good population of all three species to catch. So good idea ? . They, DFG could have maintained the Largemouth Bass in all of our lakes, yet the drawdown is so drastic on these lakes, excluding Don Pedro (because it is privately owned and TID only sells so much water to farmers) that the other lakes can not support the Largemouth spawn. State population seems to dictate the Spotted Bass needs.
Gotta have the water, bottom line.
My .02 only
Phil

[acm95301]

according to Glory Hole sports they do not stock bass at New Melones. Kokanee power and DFG and others stock Kokanee and Trout in cages up there.

New Melones is a very nice lake, wish I Had time to fish it as much as I would like.

[Joe Bruce]

sometimes I wish I had a fake Id on here

[brambo0311]

The spots sure ruined a great smallmouth fishery at Folsom.

I don't think the spots hurt Folsom at all. There has been a number of years when they dump Folsom in the early spring right when the smallies are making there beds. Leaves eggs high and dry. It's usually the smallies or the spots that lose there hatch there because of water management. I still catch big smallmouth there, you just have to know were and how to target them. Folsom is probably the one lake you can catch a good limit of spots, large, and small mouth in the same day. And blank the next.

[Johnny C]

sometimes I wish I had a fake Id on here

Joe you are so bad!!!

[barse41]

I blame the slot limit for our crappy spot lakes, whos gona take a 12 and under ? yet every meat hunter out there will keep a 15 +.

shoulda been cant keep a 15 or over. reduce the cookie cutter size

I love spots but hate the shasta, mcclure & oroville 50 fish not a 2 lber tourneys.

+1 go look at the fish cleaning station at barrets in the spring, youl see a few limits of fish heads that would have won most tournys there.

[Gumpa]

Guess I have to say it was a good idea. I mean heck. The world record Spot came out of Pine Flat and I believe there's even spot's bigger than that in that lake. Yes they breed like rabbit's and they have depleted the smallmouth population for sure. I remember going to PF with my uncle back in the early 70's and even with live bait we couldn't buy a bite but on the day's we did catch fish, the smallmouth bite was awsome. Now were talking 40yr's ago long before the spot's showed up. Over the year's untill current day the 1 constant has been spot's. You either like to catch something when you go or complain about how many of them are now in our lakes. Use 2, we never went to the dead sea. aka Millerton but I have caught um there in the dead of winter where in earlier years it was truly the dead sea.

Fun fish to catch just my $.02

[Johnny C]

How can you not love them

[Jason Milligan]

Heres what I don't understand. Shasta Lake vs Trinity Lake. Pretty close to the same elevation, both fluctuate, neither have much cover, etc... Trinity= world class Smallmouth fishery and a lot of nice Northern Strain Largemouth. Shasta= a million little spots, a lot of big spots and very very few largemouth....
Could Shasta be the same great fishery that Trinity is if spots were never introduced? If so, why in the world did they introduce the spots?