Page 33 - Lady Bass Digital Magazine Stelly Special Ed 2022

their young, can cause them to be more vulnerable to being caught by sport fishermen.” Additionally, bass in
northern waters live longer than bass in southern waters. 15-17 years in the north and 9-11 years in the south.
All that being said, huge largemouth and smallmouth are extremely rare due to habitat destruction, water qual-
ity, overfishing and some other factors.

Can bass hear? Yes, bass can hear some vibrations, but they can also use their lateral line to feel other vibra-
tions. This could explain a lot of things, like how a bass living in water where the clarity is limited can still catch
food and flourish.
Are bass predictable? The answer is yes, but maybe not for the reasons you are thinking. Fish living in deeper
waters are much more predictable than those living in shallow water. Deep water bass are not affected as much
by weather changes as their counterparts living in shallow water. When it comes to tournament fishing, un-
derstanding this could be the difference between successfully adapting during the competition or going home
empty handed.

Is there a new impoundment near you? Bass growth rates are the fastest in newly impounded waters. Because a
bass is considered to reach maturity when it is 12-inches in length, even the introduction of smaller bass im-
proves the reproductive rate. It should also be noted that after a few years, the growth rate of the newly im-
pounded waters declines by 50% in the following years.

Some of this information may be new to you and some of it may not. We hope you find something in here ben-
eficial or at least interesting!

Lady Bass Anglers Association 33