Bed Fishing

[Durand Dan]

I watched Ken Strickler's Hook and Look this morning on bedding Smallies. The Smallmouth they focused on was able, in a few short minutes to find it's way back to the bed after a catch and immediate release.
What's everyone's thought on bed fishing? Pro Bed Fishing or against?

[blakstr1]

PRO PRO PRO PRO PRO ....  Did I mention PRO!

With a bit of sensitive conservation; BALANCE the key to most anything.

[dartag]

PRO

bed fishing is fun and you can learn things watching fish in clear water.  i live on a clear lake with lots of smallies that spawn in about 4 feet of water.  they are real easy to catch.  i always bend the barb down on my hook.  i usually never handle the fish just reach down and un-hook them.  it is fun to take the wife along and let her catch a few.  they will return to the nest upon release.   i have caught the same fish 3 times in a short time period to prove a point.  sometimes it is just fun to sit and watch them work the beds. 

most paper tournys this spring will be bed fishing events.  my own preference is not to fish them because it is too easy to catch the same big fish more than once.  i know the rules say you can't but it seems to come up each year..  the DK open is my only exception.

[Cheetam]

most paper tournys this spring will be bed fishing events.  my own preference is not to fish them because it is too easy to catch the same big fish more than once.  i know the rules say you can't but it seems to come up each year..  the DK open is my only exception.

So, what your saying is you will only catch the same big fish more than once in DK's open    JK partner...

[dartag]

to be able to catch said Big Fish you must first find Big Fish.  that seems to be my problem. 

[fiker]

This is a little off topic, but....

This Hook and Look series by Kim Stricker is pretty darn cool. 

The shots today of the nesting, and mating smallies was great. 

Next week's show they said would be about fishing St. Clair during the Mayfly hatch.  Tricks and tips.....

Sounds pretty cool.

[Revtro]

Does dreaming about fishing at night count as "Bed Fishing"?  If so, I'm a serious bed fisherman.

Seriously tho.  There's not been much in the way of scientific evidence that C&R bed fishing hurts a fishery.  Many states don't have closed seasons at all and have thriving bass populations. 

[Duke]

pro

[TritonTR20]

I love smallies on the beds in clear water!

[SethV]

Many states don't have closed seasons at all and have thriving bass populations. 

Only a few weird law-and-restriction loving Yankee states have such things as bass seasons.

Needless to say, I love bed fishing for smallies.  Wish I could see them better in deep water, but what a blast!!!  Some guys (like Rufus) can point right at them and sometimes I still can't see them, but I do love fishing for them!!

Seth

[Hooksetter]

I'm all for bed fishing! It's as much fun as topwater, maybe more!

Willie

[ronhuntfish]

Bed fishing is fine with me.  I think there are some people who do not like the fact that we catch them and then let them go at the boat ramp after weigh-in, which is potentially very far from the bed they were caught on.

[skeeterman190]

 Im Pro Bed fisherman. Theres always a skill to it especially with largemouth. As the last post from ronhuntfish says I think that some people have problems with us catching them in tourneys and releasing them so far away. I fish alot on the westside and have a few jewels of lakes that always have good bed fish in them and it does concern me about the fish  i take as along with the others. Its about a 70 mile run to get to them and they've been hit hard the last few years. but alot of the fish are coming prespawn coming in from lake michigan. so we'll see.-skeeterman-

[rustydog]

My opion! When we have a tour. in a lake stay in that lake. Everything else no run, it would at least keep them in same bodt of water. Besides its to expensive to run so far these days. Just my thoughts .