Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Evaluating and adjusting fish populations Stray Bass ??

While fishing this evening I caught 1 LMB 380 mm, 107% RW which falls in line with all the others and a 20 MM LMB (8 inches) 156% RW so healthy. This is the only one of this size class I have caught.

Could this be a male or a "stray" that washed in at some time.
Didn't think about trying to age it until after it was released, or will the Betadine method work on young fish?

LMB stocked June 2023

Can you explain the betadine method for me

Learninboutfish, I think several possibilities. It could be a fast growing male or female from this year's spawn if you had one or it could be a slow growing male or female from last year's stocking. If 1 1/2 years of age, maybe a male would be more likely but that's not a sure thing. Also possibly a stray if the right conditions for entry existed. People sometimes move fish. On the age ... did you happen to remove a scale to attach a tag? If so, if you could locate the scale it should have an annular ring if 1 1/2 years of age.

If by betadine method you mean using dye to examine the genital pore region to identify sex (as with TP), I am not familiar with such an approach for largemouth bass. The best method I am aware of for field use are probing methods using a plastic broom straw for the probe. I don't think I would use it for a fish that small. But it has been proven more than 90% reliable for fish in the neighborhood of 12" and a little larger. Google "Practical field methods for sexing largemouth bass".

Thanks JPS, I did not remove a scale to be able to age it. If I recall correctly I saw a video where Mr. Lusk explained you can age a fish by removing a scale from the lateral line and put a drop or 2 of betadine on it to count the rings as you indicated.

I was not sure if that would work if the fish was less than 1 yr. Not sure how to correctly age a fish if it is less than one year.

I have only caught 14 LMB total from the pond.

All but this one and 1 other which was 2 inches and caught on a crappie lure while BG fishing were over 14". Just found it very odd to catch one half the size of the others.

Nearest pond downstream is several miles away but there are several ponds upstream 1 mile or less. Going to ask some of the neighbors if they have stocked LMB. None of the ponds up stream are managed and are for watering cattle but it is possible they were stocked.

Can you age LMB less than a year by counting the rings? If so, is it safe to assume it would it only have 1 ring if less than 2 years old?

Ahh, I see.


I think it would be reasonable to determine the age of an 8" fish from scale inspection if there is no noticeable annulus to be in its 0-year. Now the second question. I could see caveats but an 8" fish that fat and caught in October probably would not be older than 1 1/2 years and would in most cases have only one prominent ring (if older than 1 year). I once moved some 9" fish of unknown age (but stunted) in late September that grew to 13" by early April. The scale growth over that winter may have appeared to be a year in and of itself by April. Heck possibly two as I think most of the growth occurred on the two warmer edges of that roughly 6 month period. I would like to think your fish above is from this year's hatch. If so, it is growing very well. If not, it just emphasizes that each fish has its own growth path.

Very nice LMB. Quick question. Do you have a dandy hatch of 1" to 1 1/2" BG going on? I am trying to recall when you stocked your BG but BG that size would have hatched in the mid August time frame.

I have not caught any Straight BG only HBG and RES.

I stocked 200 1" CC, and 1000, BG, Sept. 2022 the pond was only 5' deep and less than 1/2 acre with absolutely no cover. I suspect there were existing YBH and GSF as that is all we had caught prior to stocking 120 BG, 30 RES, 50 HBG all 4-6", 8 TGC 8-10", in August of this year. The recent stocking was after a conversation with Mr. Lusk as what to do for corrective stocking and pond weed management. I also added 35 2" BG from a neighbors pond. Picture below, quite sure they are BG.

Still disturbs me that I have not caught any BG. I posted several pictures just after joining PB in July and none were positively identified as BG.

In answer to your question I need to set my trap again to see if any of the 4-6" BG stocked in August spawned.

Looks like a BG to me.

Yep