Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Evaluating and adjusting fish populations LMB life expectancy

when do they die of old age? and under what conditions.

Since fish do not stop growing, unless food becomes in short supply, their longevity influences their ultimate size. Bass in the "north" tend to live longer than southern bass. Bass have been reported to live for 15 yrs in WI compared to 11 yrs in LA.

Is is generally assumed that male bass do not live as long a females. One study of LMB in two AL lakes did not find any male LMB over 6 yrs but females occured there that were 9 yrs old. General life spans of fish will vary somewhat from lake to lake due to local conditions.

Longevity of bass - it all depends.

Note that bass have typically been aged by counting number of annulli on the scales. This method becomes progressively more difficult and more inaccurate as the fish gets older. The scale reading method was proved to be 80% accurate for known ages of bass in AL. New methods of fish aging techniques (otolith) may revise the longevity estimates for numerous fish.
Information was from LMB Life History in Black Bass Biology and Management by Stoud & Clepper, Sport Fishing Institute.