Pond Boss Forums FISH & FISHING Show off your catch Richmond Mill gives up a nice largemouth to my Dad

Here's Dad, using a Nebraska Cornhusker limited edition spinnerbait to catch a nice largemouth bass. Anybody else out there got a special "custom" bait like this that you use?

Nice pellet fed bass! I can tell by the small head and fins relative to the body. How much do you think it weighed?

I'm thinking this fish was a little over three pounds. And of course, you're spot on about the head and fins.

Love the color on that bass.

Love that spinnerbait. The fish and the smile on your dad's face aren't bad either.

That's also more proof that fish fed pellets can be caught on artificial lures.

I know a guy who has a giant yellow and green Green Bay Packers buzzbait for NP and TM.

Is it Dwight?

Do all pellet fed bass have small heads and fins? Is this a side affect of pellet feeding? Or do you have to feed so much then it happens? This is news to me, just trying to get more info about it.

It's not so much that they have small heads and fins. It's just that their bodies grow so rapidly that the heads and fins don't have time to catch up. Actually the heads and fins are very appropriately sized for fish of their age. It's the rest of the body that's out of proportion.

If they are fed correctly and there is plenty of pellets ready to eat yes. You would want this "side effect" as it means the bass is young and growing well. The bass is more likely to reach its max potential size. If the fins and head are larger in comparsion the body, the fish is underfed.

I don't know about other pellet fed bass but my bass would slow down in growth in the 4 lb. range and the fins would start to look more proportional even though they were still feeding on the pellets.

The small head and fins is not just isolated to pellet fed fish. Any fish that is getting plenty to eat is like this. Many of our Great Lakes salmonids are like this. Hence the term "football browns."

I have that exact Corn Husker spinner bait, but I have always been afraid to use it.

Do not be afraid grasshoppa. Bruce's dad has paved the way fo you.

Cecil:

Were you feeding them AM LMB pellets at that size?

For the most part no. Although I did feed some toward the end of the time I had largemouths.

There's some literature in aquaculture that says largemouth slow down in growth sooner than that as in the 2 to 3 pound range. They were using the regular pellets though.

Thanks everyone for the info!