Anyone in the Southeast having any Luck?

[Fisher_of_One]

I am in Georgia and I am having decent luck. My Big three this year have been three 4 Lb. black bass. They all seemed under-nurished and could have all held at least 7 pounds easy if they had enough to eat. I caught them all in three different places so I can't account for a specific body of water being the nutrition problem. Just wandering If I am the only one noticing this trend in big light fish.

Fisher Mike
ITS HOT OUT THERE!!!

[Richard]

They're probably post spawn fish.

[dvowell]

I agreethey were most likely post-spawn, though without knowing when you caught the fish it's hard to say exactly.

I caught a 7.5lb largemouth the very first day of June that was definately post-spawn...had I caught it just a little earlier, the fish would have probably been at least 9, maybe a little more. It does make a difference.

I live in Western Kentucky and the big fish (heck, all the fish) I've caught this year all seem very healthy.

[basskat]

As bass get old they start losing weight, then they die. I'm not saying these fish were old but you never know. I've caught my share of big fish this year here in Mississippi and they were all healthy.

[Fisher_of_One]

On close inspection of the guts of these fish I found no food. On a few of the pond fish they were riddled with tube worms on there intestines, but i have yet to catch a Sow with nice egg sacks. Most of the ones i been catching have been males. I think it is a management problem with the local ponds. There are no bait fish for them to eat. And what little food I have found in them have been incect parts.

[ghostbaits]

I fished a 2 day tourney last weekend at Orange Lake/Lake Lochlossa in Fl and weighed in over 33lbs of fish!!! The fish were very chunky and healthy...and fiesty!!!

Must be a management issue as these fish were picture perfect, especially the 7.14!!!

Jim

[Richard]

I read on a website that they were all caught on Ghostbaits hand poured baits. Now that's scary! Great going Jim

[Fisher_of_One]

Thats an awesome catch Ghost. I think it is the Fort Stewart Wildlife managment area. They charge us $20 a year plus the $9 for a georgia permit just to fish there and the fish are in poor shape....A real jip if you ask me. This area "supposedly" has 3 of the top 10 Bass fishing areas in the U.S.. Which i personally believe is BS! I catch my bigger healthier bass on the Altamaha River, back in the swamps and slues. And man are they tasty outta the river.

[bassaholic]

Here in NC the bite has slowed a bit, although my brother and I pulled a 7.5 and an 8 out of a pond 2 weeks ago. The pond is heavily managed, however. In the non managed pond behind my house the bass are thin- I've caught two this year with turtles in their mouths! When I released the bass, I let the turtles go too. Ponds definitely have to be aggressively managed for fish to thrive. Stocking shad and/or fathead minnows will fatten them up quick.