View Full Version : Bass in the Cape Streams
I was wondering if anyone goes to the streams, and targets the bass specifically. We all know that there are plenty of bass there, and all agree that the trout co exist quite happilly with them. In years gone by, I used to "remove" the one's i caught, but in recent years i have come to release them back into the river. What do you guys do with your bass?
According to the bio diversity act, the trout ar refferred to as "valuable and desirable" aliens, in the context of the demarcation zones. How does this effect the bass in these trout zones?
Is it better to release them, or to remove them?
visserman
10-01-09, 01:00 PM
I think that the bass in these rivers should be released because there is an steady increase in the number of people that specifically target bass. However the bass in rivers which contain endangered fish species, which are preyed upon by the bass, should be removed in order to preserve our indigenous fish.
I am sure that there are MANY American guys who would travel to SA to fish our streams for bass, esp Smallies. They have a almost a smallie cult in the US, these guys only target them, and with great sucses as well. I say they are an undiscovered gem of our western cape. Everyone *****es about the bass, who has been on the Breede redently?? The bass population is very spread out with Carp and Barbel being at the top of the food chain, and they are far worse than the bass. Why dont we rather focus on getting them out the systems and then worry about the bass. What about the Blue gills, they are an awsome predator in their own way, and I have seen a big blue gill eat a 1/0 deciever...nobody complains about them either.
Just my 2c
poppernel
10-01-09, 05:28 PM
When one comes to think about it, us humans have f@cked with nature so much. Maybe if we practiced conservation in all aspects and left nature to control it's own.
My H.O. If it is a stream that has trout/ yellowfish that is unstocked, but is self sustaining, take the bass out. But a stream that is stocked, let nature take its course.
Dave
aaahhh at last. The question we have been fumbling with for a while now, Morne and myself. Do we or don't we.... I fished with some guys before and they just tossed the bass out onto the "hard". Being a newbie at that stage it stuffed with my head a bit and I was silently willing this ouk to flop back into the water. My personal feeling, and not knowing the science, behind the two co-existing, and who eats more than the other, is that, as as far as I know, the buggers have been fighting each other for space for a long time and seem to be both eating out the fridge. In saying this, however, we have found a lot more bass on hotel beat than we have before. A bit more food for the trout? This beat is being poached by the builders of those horrible buildings, and we have seen them. If bass are the problem then maybe they get more bass than trout. But yes a very interesting question Andre
ps. Happy B'day. been offline for a while:)
Conrad Botes
10-01-09, 06:24 PM
I target smallies specifically and I definately don't kill them. Smallies are a lot of fun plus you can rev up cricket scores if you know how to target them. Killing bass in trout streams is hipocritical in my view since it's only done to improve another alien.
And remember this: bass in streams are here to stay. Only way to remove them completely is to chuck poison in the water.
Michael
10-01-09, 07:19 PM
I target smallies specifically and I definately don't kill them. Smallies are a lot of fun plus you can rev up cricket scores if you know how to target them. Killing bass in trout streams is hipocritical in my view since it's only done to improve another alien.
And remember this: bass in streams are here to stay. Only way to remove them completely is to chuck poison in the water.
Please remember something...there is actually no such thing as a "trout stream" in South Africa. They were introduced, just like the smallmouth bass.
Lots of conflicting views...if anyone wants to hear what damage smallmouth bass (and other bass species) have caused our indigenous fish, please contact Peter Arderne from FOSAF. Only then will you understand the impact.
mwardern@mweb.co.za
I love fishing for bass too...in dams I let them go. In rivers I catch them more by accident, and then I do kill them.
PS: a "Cricket Score" with smallies in a river just shows you how many there are...so no wonder the indigenous yellowfishes's numbers have plummeted in the Cape. It's actually really worrying, and if people can't see the wood for the trees, it's even more worrying.
Cheers
Mike
Herman Jooste
10-01-09, 09:42 PM
:rolleyes:I have to agree with Mike, when a fisherman drifts from Stroome. specifically targeting Bass and gets 18 in a morning then it's time to rethink C & R.
:rolleyes:I have to agree with Mike, when a fisherman drifts from Stroome. specifically targeting Bass and gets 18 in a morning then it's time to rethink C & R.
If this is true, I would love to go out to this place with you and hit some Vaal Bass, while you catch Yellows.
I have heard reports of Bass being caught at Leppies, but in all honesty I have never gone out to fish for them on the Vaal.
Will rethink this when my boat's gone through all the upgrading. I know the Bass okes hit the Bass above the Barrage. Would even like hitting them there.
Andre Sorry for going of the point here.....:o
poppernel
11-01-09, 09:02 AM
HI GUYS,
If you feel you want to kill fish, by all means. Just dont throw them onto the bank, that is cruel, kill them and at least on your way home stop and give to the needy. That way maybe you will keep them away from your yellows. After all, must be confusing for them to be told they are not allowed to catch yellows and must release them, when they have maybe just witnessed you ''chuck'' a bass onto the bank. The same applies to trout ff.
Dave
swsmith
11-01-09, 11:14 AM
i think this comes down to the individual.guys like conrad that target them will release them.others might take them out.im on the fence with this one.whats the biggest bass caught on the cape streams?
I fished a 7x tippet 2 weekends ago for the first time. I had a nice smallmouth on about 750g and it burned me off.
I kill the bass that I catch but I put them back in the water for the crabs and what else to break it down and recycle.
This is me and I do not request anyone else to do the same.
From last season to now the telly on the bass have definately increased.
MaXiMuM
12-01-09, 09:47 AM
I kill the bass that I catch but I put them back in the water for the crabs and what else to break it down and recycle.
I used to do the same, but all you're really doing is creating more food for the bass fry, I normaly toss any bass onto the bank for the birds, otters and watermousedogs...
The Americans must go... FFFFfffrrrrrrrrrrrreeeeeeeeeeeddoooooooommmmm
Good morning guys
It sucks being back in the office on a Monday morning!!!!!:mad:
Anyway, it is imnportant to evaluate Andre's question in the context of only a Cape Trout Stream and specifically not to view it as a genaral question of competition between Bass & Trout or between aliens and indigenous species.
On the Cape streams (being the Smallblaar, Elandspad, Witte and Holsloot), the Bass hardly ever grow to the same size as the Trout. I suppose that there are numerous reasons for this but I believe it is primarily because the streams don't hold enough food to sustain any Bass of a good size and proper holding water is extremely limited from a Bass' perspective. We must also remember that they can only migrate into the Trout zones during the summer months whenm temperatures allow.
When these small Bass do migratate up into the Trout zones, they are in direct competition with the Trout for food and holding water. If we let them be, our Trout will be worse off simply because there is less food for them. The Bass must surely also predate on the Trout fry early in the season and this is just another good reason to kill the Bass.
This makes the question a very easy one for me to answer.
On Cape streams I kill every single Bass I catch.
On the Breede it is a different story and every Bass is released with the same care as a Trout taken on Cape stream.
On the Olifants, the Groot and other Yellowfish rivers, the aliens must obviously also be removed and here I am afraid they end up on the bank for the Baboons to feed on.
Just my 2c.
Cheers
MC
Please remember something...there is actually no such thing as a "trout stream" in South Africa. They were introduced, just like the smallmouth bass.
Lots of conflicting views...if anyone wants to hear what damage smallmouth bass (and other bass species) have caused our indigenous fish, please contact Peter Arderne from FOSAF. Only then will you understand the impact.
mwardern@mweb.co.za
I love fishing for bass too...in dams I let them go. In rivers I catch them more by accident, and then I do kill them.
PS: a "Cricket Score" with smallies in a river just shows you how many there are...so no wonder the indigenous yellowfishes's numbers have plummeted in the Cape. It's actually really worrying, and if people can't see the wood for the trees, it's even more worrying.
Cheers
Mike
Mike you know how feel about them :D, but I agree I think it depends on the environment. I'd rather catch yellows in sterkies than bass and carp because neither should be there.
If there weren't trout or bass in the cape streams the fishing wouldn't be very good.
Most of the trout ponds or dams that I fish were man made and there probably wouldn't have been any fish in them until someone put them there so I don't really care so long as there is something to catch.
Personally if I catch a bass or a carp in the vaal - I'll think really hard before I release it, if there is someone to give it to they might get a free meal.
Apologies for straying off Andre's topic but if I fished the cape streams I'd probably let them live. They have just as much of a right to be there as a trout.
i think this comes down to the individual.guys like conrad that target them will release them.others might take them out.im on the fence with this one.whats the biggest bass caught on the cape streams?
My biggest bass (while fishing for trout) was caught in the Berg river, weighed 960g after I cleaned it, weighed it at Dewdale after my session as they asked to kill all bass. I think it was on my second or third trip to the river. I thought it was a trout as it was sipping insects of the surface, but once hooked it put on a spectacular show, jumping out etc, took me over 5 minutes to land it on a 2/3wt, smallmouth bass I might add...
Took it home and chucked it on the braai, was delicious :)
Stuart K
14-01-09, 11:36 AM
If it is a trout stream I would say cull the bass but on any other water I would say let them go as they can be fun to catch.
Funny thing is killing the smaller bass in a dam actually creates bigger bass as the remaining ones have less competition for food.
But it seems people are more prone to killing bass than carp who are the real baddies in terms of fing up waters.
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