Pet Bass

johnnie crain outdoors · Wed Nov 30, 2005 7:05 pm

My Grandson and fishing partner, Trayven, caught a bass about eight inches long and we put it in an aquarium just to see what happens. I have learned a lot from this little bass and will report on old and new findings through these posts.
First thing we noticed is bass do sleep. The bass lowers his head down to the bottom of the tank and rests his chin on the bottom. The rest of the body which is suspended doesn't even move. When I tap on the tank he wakes up. Seems a lot like me, takes him awhile to re-start after resting. His movements are slow and he doesn't move much.
After awhile I added some articial stumps and rocks to the tank, along with one slightly larger than the fish-bass statue. The little bass which we call T-bass after my Grandson, always suspends right next to the bass statue. I've also added some artificial weeds. T bass only uses the weeds when he is in a hunt mode. Each week I add new minnows. The bass eats four or five instantly when the bait is dumped in then he doesn't eat another one of the original stocking, seems to get used to them. The bass will eat an occassional nightcrawler, but doesn't seem to really like them, he spits them out two or three times before he swallows one. T bass won't eat a wax worm at all. I feed the minnows crackers and when they feed the bass feeds as well. More later. Johnnie

carl · Post by **carl** » Wed Nov 30, 2005 8:31 pm

Interesting. Keep the reports coming. Carl

brendanc · Post by **brendanc** » Wed Nov 30, 2005 9:20 pm

Hello Fellas... How is everyone? Sorry I haven't been around, between work and the new baby, life has sure changed over the past year.

Johnnie, I also took a pet bass for a while. He was about 6 inches when I put him in my tank and over 1 winter he grew to almost 11 inches. Just a "heads up", they can really dirty up a fish tank quickly... I had a friend who recommended using a "diatomic filter" to keep the tank clean. All I can say is that they are a truly amazing filter for fish tanks. If things start to get a little out of control with your T-Bass, you might want to look into getting one.

Nice to see everyone still sharing information...

Happy Holidays to all!

Brendan

bassin butch · Post by **bassin butch** » Wed Nov 30, 2005 10:50 pm

Johnny; interesting post, seems like T bass is telling us something:
All bass relate to structure when available
Lure size matters ( he wont touch the wax worm but eats the larger minnow)
Must feed right away when you first add minnows (sounds like an opportunistic reaction bite)
Uses the weeds when on the prowl for food ( like a big brother in a lake chasing forage in weedbeds)
Wont eat those last couple of minnows (sounds like his big brother again, we change colors and we get bites)
Sleeps nose down to the bottom (we slow drag jigs or worms on the bottom to get bites). Maybe we are actually waking them up for dinner?

Nice to see your getting your grandchild into fish, I have done the same from my grandchildren.

Keep the updates coming

Thanks
Bassin
Butch

johnnie crain outdoors · Sat Dec 03, 2005 1:07 am

Thanks for the input guys.
Here's some more. My Grandson and I play music in the basement where T-bass lives. When we play the minnnows get aggitated and T-bass tears into them, sometimes he eats them some times just takes them in and spits them out. I know it's from the music vibrations. When I play bass guitar the bass really goes nuts, more- heavier vibrations. Maybe rattling and vibrating lures do aggrevate bass into feeding.
I once saw Bill Dance with a box in his boat that supossedly transmitted sound waves into the water that sounded like minnows swimming. I personally didn't think much of it, thought it was just another gimmick. Now I wonder??

mofish · Post by **mofish** » Sat Dec 03, 2005 7:47 pm

Man that is some great info Jonnie!!
Its got me to thinking alot on the music being played???!!! I know how much rap music irritates the heck out of me,, I may have to rig up some speakers in my boat and blast that stuff while I'm fishing to see if I can't irritate ole bucket-mouth into biting!!

I used to have a fish tank with all kinds of different fish in it and it was amazing what they would respond to. I need to do it again with a bass in it.

Good to hear from Brendan been wondering how you were!!

johnnie crain outdoors · Sun Dec 04, 2005 12:22 am

Conley, maybe you shouldn't play rap crap, you'll only catch carp and other rough fish. Try some good ole hillbilly music. Fish are a lot like us hillbillies, don't think much, just react, then it's too late. Johnnie

johnnie crain outdoors · Sun Dec 04, 2005 12:26 am

Brendan, great to have you back on line. Hope the baby is doing well. I fully understand how a baby might interfere with your fishing, but work?? Days spent fishing are not deducted from our lives, days spent working are and doubled at that. Keep on postin'. Johnnie

mofish · Post by **mofish** » Sun Dec 04, 2005 1:22 pm

Your right I couldn't stand to be in the boat with that stuff playing anyway. I'm not knocking anyone that listens to it each to thier own but I just dont like it.

It does bring up a good point about the Biosonics product that is out. I still think its just one of those thing that catch fishermen than fish. No matter what they come up with you still have to find an area were the fish are. That is the lesson that should be learned before any thing else> FIND THE FISH!!!

carl · Post by **carl** » Tue Dec 06, 2005 8:54 pm

This is all facinating stuff. Johnnie, I also saw that Bill Dance promo, and like you thought the same. A guy from my club one day got on my boat with a radio, almost thru him and radio overboard. With me it's a distraction, breaks my concentration, but maybe I'll have to learn new tricks. Once read an interview with a pro, maybe Iconelli, but who ever it was he said he didn't mind jet skis, thought they stirred up up the fish to point of biting. Food for thought. Carl