Your strain?

Hey everyone, i just read something interesting in the new bass times
that Florida strain largemouth, though they grow bigger, they are harder
to catch. I grew up in San Diego, and from what I thought there were
100% florida strain largemouth there, and I never really had a rough
time catching those fish. I was wondering, do they also plant northern
strain largemouth in California, as well as hybrids?

I know here in Wisconsin we have Northern strain, and granted they are
not difficult to catch once you find them. From the studies done in
BassTimes they found that when they mixed a pond with Floridas, Hybrids
(northern/florida), and Northern strain, They caught the northern strain
more than once over 80% of the time, and the floridas made up the
smallest percentage of fishing being caught.

Now, from what I had read previously, Florida strains are "lazy", and
Northern strains are more aggressive. Now , this current study in bass
times leads you to believe that the Florida strain fish are more
difficult to catch implying (in my small mind) that they are in a way
smarter than northern strain fish?

I guess I don't know either way, but I would think that if the pond was
filled with both strains, the more aggressive fish are going to be
caught more often hands down, probably not giving the floridas a chance
to even get a shot at the bait?

Just a thought I guess, and to get to my original reason for the post.
I was wondering what strain each of us fishes over? Do you have
hybrids, floridas, northern strain? Are there any observations you make
specific to the strains you fish over?

Thanks guys,

Chris

"Chris Rennert" wrote in message
. ..
Hey everyone, i just read something interesting in the new bass times
that Florida strain largemouth, though they grow bigger, they are harder
to catch.

Every time I'm reminded that northerns are easier to catch, I get depressed,
cuz they don't seem that easy! Good thing there's no Floridas around here
(NY).

Marty wrote:
"Chris Rennert" wrote in message
. ..

Hey everyone, i just read something interesting in the new bass times
that Florida strain largemouth, though they grow bigger, they are harder
to catch.


Every time I'm reminded that northerns are easier to catch, I get depressed,
cuz they don't seem that easy! Good thing there's no Floridas around here
(NY).


Marty :-), sometimes I feel the same way..hahahha....Thanks for
responding. I thought this would spark a really good discussion from
everyone. Oh well, and life goes on :-D

Chris

"Chris Rennert" wrote in message
. ..
Marty wrote:
"Chris Rennert" wrote in message
. ..

Hey everyone, i just read something interesting in the new bass times
that Florida strain largemouth, though they grow bigger, they are harder
to catch.


Every time I'm reminded that northerns are easier to catch, I get
depressed,
cuz they don't seem that easy! Good thing there's no Floridas around
here
(NY).


Marty :-), sometimes I feel the same way..hahahha....Thanks for
responding. I thought this would spark a really good discussion from
everyone. Oh well, and life goes on :-D

Chris

Well, you could stock your local ponds with mean mouth bass. Basically they
are a hybrid that grows like Florida strain and is more aggressive than
Northern LMs. Supposed ly it work well in ponds that are C&R only because
it forces the existing bass to be more aggressive also in order to get a
meal before the mean mouth strain eats everything.

"I read it in a fishing magazine. It must be true."

Bob La Londe
www.YumaBassMan.com

Bob La Londe wrote:
"Chris Rennert" wrote in message
. ..

Marty wrote:

"Chris Rennert" wrote in message
et...


Hey everyone, i just read something interesting in the new bass times
that Florida strain largemouth, though they grow bigger, they are harder
to catch.


Every time I'm reminded that northerns are easier to catch, I get

depressed,

cuz they don't seem that easy! Good thing there's no Floridas around

here

(NY).



Marty :-), sometimes I feel the same way..hahahha....Thanks for
responding. I thought this would spark a really good discussion from
everyone. Oh well, and life goes on :-D

Chris


Well, you could stock your local ponds with mean mouth bass. Basically they
are a hybrid that grows like Florida strain and is more aggressive than
Northern LMs. Supposed ly it work well in ponds that are C&R only because
it forces the existing bass to be more aggressive also in order to get a
meal before the mean mouth strain eats everything.

"I read it in a fishing magazine. It must be true."

Bob La Londe
www.YumaBassMan.com



Hahaha, I wouldn't go so far as "I read it in a magazine, it must be
true", but I would say that it gets my mind working, and gets me
thinking. I don't take these things as gosipol , and I don't discount
everything they say.

I read as much as I can, to get a many different viewpoints as possible,
that is pretty much it.

Oh well, I get to go and fish again tonight, so hopefully I catch a few,
no matter what strain they are :-D

Chris

Where in NY are you. I'm in Jamestown, NY
================================================== ====

"Marty" wrote in message
...

"Chris Rennert" wrote in message
. ..
Hey everyone, i just read something interesting in the new bass times
that Florida strain largemouth, though they grow bigger, they are harder
to catch.

Every time I'm reminded that northerns are easier to catch, I get
depressed,
cuz they don't seem that easy! Good thing there's no Floridas around here
(NY).

Bill & Sue wrote:
Where in NY are you. I'm in Jamestown, NY
================================================== ====

Did you have snow again this morning, Bill?

We had frost.

"Chris Rennert" wrote in message
. ..

snipped for brevity

Great topic! Did Bass Times do the study themselves or are they quoting
somebody else? IMHO much is often lost from magazine writers' quote to
quote-type reporting. The topic certainly needs more study AND discussion
with more Florida strain stocking throughout the world..

I was wondering, do they also plant northern
strain largemouth in California, as well as hybrids?

Not to my understanding. With the budget crunch and anadromous hatchery
closings, California is probably planting much less of anything than when
you
lived there.

Now, from what I had read previously, Florida strains are "lazy", and
Northern strains are more aggressive.

I have read this too but have not seen any research supporting the
assertion. However some time ago I did read a study where hatchery raised
trout were "more aggressive" (= got caught more frequently) than wild trout.
This was determined by angler creel surveys taken from a stretch of trout
water which had been electroshocked and equal quantities of native and
hatchery fish were re-introduced. As I recall hatchery trout were caught
about 2 to 1 over wild trout. "Hatchery-raised" was determined by visually
observing concrete eroded fins - not DNA scale analysis. The biologists
speculation was that concrete-trough raised catchable trout were used to
fighting for pellet food which made them more aggressive. It is not clear
if this trout study even applies to bass. Also I am not sure if
this aggressiveness trait observed in catchable-sized fish applies to
usually fingerling-planted bass who grow to catchable size in the water
body.

Now , this current study in bass
times leads you to believe that the Florida strain fish are more difficult
to catch implying (in my small mind) that they are in a way smarter than
northern strain fish?

Was this "difficult to catch" characteristic measured over multiple years?

There is some possibility that difficult to catch is NOT related to a
species being "smarter or dumber". Another way of saying it, it could be
that the Florida strain is simply more reclusive than the northern strain.
Another possibility is that the much larger Florida strain chases off their
smaller brothers and sisters from the choice holding spots and the northern
strain could simply be more exposed and vulnerable to anglers. Still another
possivbility is that the northern strain wanders or roams around more in
underwater habit trails and this trait exposes them to anglers more often
than stationary Florida strain.

I guess I don't know either way, but I would think that if the pond was
filled with both strains, the more aggressive fish are going to be caught
more often hands down, probably not giving the floridas a chance to even
get a shot at the bait?

This is an interesting speculation, It should be tested, IMHO.

Was the pond stocked with both northern and Florida strain hatchery-raised
fish or just Florida strain alone?

Just a thought I guess, and to get to my original reason for the post. I
was wondering what strain each of us fishes over? Do you have hybrids,
floridas, northern strain? Are there any observations you make specific
to the strains you fish over?

Over time in a ample sized closed waterbody system with continuous stocking
of EQUAL quantities of each species, we can expect that the overwhelming
population will soon become intergrade hybrids with equal northern and
florida genes. If one strain or the other is stocked in higher proportion,
we can expect the hybrid population will become genetically skewed toward
the higher stocking. Over time the probability of any pure strain found in
the waterbody becomes lower and lower.

All the above notwithstanding, the key issue is: As Intergrade hybrids
increasingly dominate the waterbody population, Do the hybrids become more
increasingly aggressive? You said the study showed 80% northern strain were
caught vs. 20 % hybrid AND Florida strain. One would expect hybrid caught
bass would outstrip both pure northern AND Florida soon.

But not necessarily! Texas' ShareLunker program is re-introducing
fingerlings from Big AND fast-growing pure strain Florida strain. So far
they have not been able to transplant these two characteristics into their
hybrid gene pool. This year's ShareLunker class, none were over 15 pounds.
But as I recall, they are only about one half way through the study.


Thanks guys,

Chris

Thanks to you for a great, thought provoking topic.
John