Can some one confirm this is a small mouth bass?

[Alien Invader]

boepens wrote:

Sheeze that's a beaut spot hey.

I wonder sometimes if there aren't crossbreeds floating around. Here our spots all have orange eyes.

Aggressive buggers too.

The Florida and northern strains cross breed readily. Spotted and small mouth have been known to "rarely" interbreed in the wild... However, in captivity, Northern and spotted have been successfully interbred... Sometimes I wonder hoe "clean" the blood lines are that were stocked way back then. Have a look at some of the bass dams around the country, especially farm dams in Natal. One dam has bronze LM bass with no stripe at all, the next dam's fish resemble spotted bass. We have been "playing" here for a few years putting northern strain blood back into some cold water "pure-eish" Florida bass strain.. Fish are growing fast but very difficult to catch when they reach the 3kg mark.(perhaps they gettting smarter) Heres the strange thing, half of them are clean bronze colour, the half/larger ones have a broken stripe along the sides, black top and almost white belly... These guys are used to keep Tilapia numbers down when i'm trying to grow LARGE breeding stock. very well fed/spoilt fish! To answer your question, with exception to a few closed/private farm dams in Natal, I think all/most of our Bass bloodline is tainted. My opinion anyway... PLUS! I believe most of our "producing" Bass dams in SA are over populated (among other things)and the Bass are not getting the required food to reach the weights that they should..

 

[boepens]

Yep I think u right. I used to fish bass for border 10years
Fished all over the country. And ja the strains are not really pure

A northern/florida cross grows fast and big.
Northern prefers slightly colder water to florida.
Smallies eish. Winter time is bronzback time.
Spots. Well we only have a few here in the river and on a couple small farm dams. Love their aggressive nature. Strong fish too.

I don't fish bass anymore really but would choose clan anyday. Quality and quantity. Smallies and largies.

But watch the largies will eventually take over.

 

[Alien Invader]

boepens wrote:

Yep I think u right. I used to fish bass for border 10years
Fished all over the country. And ja the strains are not really pure

A northern/florida cross grows fast and big.
Northern prefers slightly colder water to florida.
Smallies eish. Winter time is bronzback time.
Spots. Well we only have a few here in the river and on a couple small farm dams. Love their aggressive nature. Strong fish too.

I don't fish bass anymore really but would choose clan anyday. Quality and quantity. Smallies and largies.

But watch the largies will eventually take over.

Perhaps we will see you re-enter the bass side again, Wriggleswade dam could see a cold water tolerant Tilapia being re-introduced early spring this year... This specie as a fodder fish will bring the weight up in that dam within 6 months... The fish already have the length, all they need is some tissue/muscle added on.. lets the games begin! I would love to see the dam record jump up to 7kg's in 2013, even if I have to "force feed" them, it's going to happen! lol

 

[boepens]

Good ole wriggleswade. Used to be my stomping grounds
Dams been sliding down for about 7-8 years now.

Silting up. Lack of decent fodder. Gillcastella r for small bass. When there was stiLl a massive bluegill population a 7kg bag was average.

Still think there's a population problem aswell.

 

[Alien Invader]

boepens wrote:

Good ole wriggleswade. Used to be my stomping grounds
Dams been sliding down for about 7-8 years now.

Silting up. Lack of decent fodder. Gillcastella r for small bass. When there was stiLl a massive bluegill population a 7kg bag was average.

Still think there's a population problem aswell.

Yep! Got it in time though... studies have been done and verified.I start work on the dam next week, Hyacinth first then stock management to get everything in balance again.. Should take about a year... Hmmm. living and working on Wriggleswade for a year! Suppose it could be worse. lol! Good thing is the Stutt community understand and actually get involved with dam management.. Water needs a continued management plan and every user/role player needs to be involved and do his bit.. As I said, i'm going to start force feeding Bass in prep for the Amatola Bass Classic in March.
NB!!! The bidding for my GPS points will start closer to the time. Individual names of fish, weight and length will be supplied to the highest bidder...
I must speak to my Zim mates, perhaps they can help with this Hybrid??? would be awesome.

 

[boepens]

U must be oeloff or involved with his studies there

One of my last goens I got before I quit

 

[Alien Invader]

Awesome fish!
No, I'm Mike! Olaf is the guy with the brains! He identifies and confirms the issues and heads up case studies. He is the head scientist with a whole bunch of degree's etc... I am the guy who "sometimes" gets asked to put the relevant plans into action to fix things.... The bigger the problem, the bigger the hammer! I am more involved in the indigenous fish side and breeding,, plus! Other things that I wont even mention here because the guys get a bit "red around the collar" Haaa haaa haaa MUMFAASA!

 

[boepens]

Lol.

Tell olaf justin from wriggleswade bass (ex) says howzit