Fish with bloody tails

[Jbyrd]

I read an article today about bass that you catch with bloody tails. Most everyone thinks that if you catch a big female and her tail is bloody that she has already spawned. But according to a fish biologist the females do very little fanning and most of the bloody spots or worn off part of the tail is caused from the extra weight of the eggs. It throws the fishes natural swimming balance off and as she swims around close to the bottom the bottom part of her tail drags. That would explain cases of when you catch a fish that looks like it is going to pop but the bottom of her tail is almost worn completely off. This only applies to the females and most of the time the males tail is bloody or worn all the way across , I guess where they turn up on their side to fan

[Les Young]

Never really though about it, but makes sense now that you think about it. We've always been told the male does most of the fanning.

[Embrey]

nope, not buyin it

[Jbyrd]

Hey embrey how many times have you caught a bass that you know is a female because of the big belly and there is not a bed to be seen anywhere but its tail is bloody and / or worn off at the bottom? I have done that hundreds of times over the years . Also the next time you catch one under those conditions notice that it is ALMOST always the very bottom of the tail not up and down the whole tail like the buck bass usually is...

[Embrey]

i agree 100% that that doesnt mean theyve spawned, but ive caught many that has the whole tail tore all to hell and back

[bullmerc]

I read an article today about bass that you catch with bloody tails. Most everyone thinks that if you catch a big female and her tail is bloody that she has already spawned. But according to a fish biologist the females do very little fanning and most of the bloody spots or worn off part of the tail is caused from the extra weight of the eggs. It throws the fishes natural swimming balance off and as she swims around close to the bottom the bottom part of her tail drags. That would explain cases of when you catch a fish that looks like it is going to pop but the bottom of her tail is almost worn completely off. This only applies to the females and most of the time the males tail is bloody or worn all the way across , I guess where they turn up on their side to fan

My question is if they are so heavy that they can swim right then why are their bellies also not a bloody mess. Their big bellies would have to drag before their tails did if this is the case. If you are lucky enough to hang into one of these real heavyweights you can experience firsthand just how much difficulty these big girls have in swimming when they are trying to destroy your equipment.

I have personally witnessed females fanning a nest along with males on numerous ocassions and have actually caught a few of the females in the process. Granted the males do most of the nest building and caretaking but the females also do their share prior to laying their eggs.

I have been told by numerous state biologists and fishing guides that the largest bass in the lake don't spawn when the majority of bass do but they instead spawn earlier than anyone would imagine, sometimes in late February or early March. This is the reason why late February, March and early April are the true trophy season. Mid to late April and May for numbers but late February to mid April for real trophys. This is the reason also why you will catch huge bass in March and early April with bloody tails and flabby bellies because they have already laid their eggs. I have also been told by these same people that these giants are not nearly as fertile as the smaller bass and for the most part these giants simply go through the motions of spawning with very limited success.

I have personally taken bass over 10 pounds from Barkley and Kentucky lakes and every one of them was taken in March and most had already spawned. I caught a 9-12 this year on March 30 and it was a large spawned out female with a worn tail that was in the process of healing.

[Jbyrd]

Maybe ,maybe not , with the location of the swim bladder the fish swim more at an angle as the eggs develope. Did you filet the 9-12 you caught in March? That is the only way to tell if it had spawned ,Plus I agree with you about the big ones not spawning as they age, they sometimes become sterile thus would explain why someone would think they had spawned as early as march.They never developed the eggs in the first place. The water temp has to be a certain degree in order for the eggs to develope in the fish . Then the moon phase and the length of daylight hours play a vital role in the spawn. The water can muddy up will delay the spawn . Sometimes if all the factors are not right the fish will absorb the eggs and not spawn at all. Or even just discharge the eggs into the water and never go on the bed.

[bullmerc]

Maybe ,maybe not , with the location of the swim bladder the fish swim more at an angle as the eggs develope. Did you filet the 9-12 you caught in March? That is the only way to tell if it had spawned ,Plus I agree with you about the big ones not spawning as they age, they sometimes become sterile thus would explain why someone would think they had spawned as early as march.They never developed the eggs in the first place. The water temp has to be a certain degree in order for the eggs to develope in the fish . Then the moon phase and the length of daylight hours play a vital role in the spawn. The water can muddy up will delay the spawn . Sometimes if all the factors are not right the fish will absorb the eggs and not spawn at all. Or even just discharge the eggs into the water and never go on the bed.

I sure did filet the fish. It was hooked in the gills and died in the livewell.

Fish are like people, the older they get the less they are capable of reproducing. Just because you read somewhere that bass only spawn in ideal conditions does not make it a fact in the real world. Mega bass live by their own rules. I have caught spawned out bass in the middle of March and I have caught spawning bass in the middle of July. Maybe I am a feak of nature and only catch wierd fish but I know that the spawn does not always happen when all the factors are ideal. Also I don't believe that a large bass full of eggs cannot swim correctly and drags their tails causing them to wear off 1/3 of their tail. This would be a horrible affliction placed upon them by nature. If they cannot swim correctly how are they supposed to eat? The creatures they make food of have no problem getting around and these mega bass seem to be able to retain their body weights quite nicely so I am almost 100% positive that they do catch their share of prey to feed on.

If we had all the answers bass would have gone extinct many years ago.

[Jbyrd]

I sure did filet the fish. It was hooked in the gills and died in the livewell.

Fish are like people, the older they get the less they are capable of reproducing. Just because you read somewhere that bass only spawn in ideal conditions does not make it a fact in the real world. Mega bass live by their own rules. I have caught spawned out bass in the middle of March and I have caught spawning bass in the middle of July. Maybe I am a feak of nature and only catch wierd fish but I know that the spawn does not always happen when all the factors are ideal. Also I don't believe that a large bass full of eggs cannot swim correctly and drags their tails causing them to wear off 1/3 of their tail. This would be a horrible affliction placed upon them by nature. If they cannot swim correctly how are they supposed to eat? The creatures they make food of have no problem getting around and these mega bass seem to be able to retain their body weights quite nicely so I am almost 100% positive that they do catch their share of prey to feed on.

If we had all the answers bass would have gone extinct many years ago.

So because it didn't have eggs in it you concluded it had spawned... As cold as the water was in March maybe they hadn't developed yet ,or as we BOTH have agreed mabye the fish was so old it was sterile and wouldn't have laid any eggs this year anyway.

Oh well who knows or really cares just making a point that a fish can have a bloody tail and not be on the bed....

[bullmerc]

So because it didn't have eggs in it you concluded it had spawned... As cold as the water was in March maybe they hadn't developed yet ,or as we BOTH have agreed mabye the fish was so old it was sterile and wouldn't have laid any eggs this year anyway.

Oh well who knows or really cares just making a point that a fish can have a bloody tail and not be on the bed....

I didn't say the fish was on a bed, I said it had already deposited it's eggss and it's tail was beginning to heal up.

I really don't understand what you are trying to say. Do you think I am a liar???? I said that I have caught 10 pound plus bass in March and the majority have already shown signs of spawning, flat belly and either a bloody tail or a healed up tail. Not al but more show the signs of a spawn that do not.

Just for sake of argument I caught an 8-4 last Friday out of Kentucky Lake and it showed no signs of having spawned and it't belly was massive. I didn't clean this one so I can't guarantee 100% that this fish hadn't spawned yet but from the evidence at the scene it appeared that it was still carrying it's eggs. MAYBE, it had just eaten a 3 pound crappie was the reason it's belly was so huge, I don't know.

And it's bottom tail lobe was fully intact.

[Jbyrd]

No not at all about the liar that is between you and God. If you would read the whole thread the point is that the females tail can and will be torn up from activity OTHER THAN FANNING !!!! All there is to point out, ALL there was behind this thread And it was brought up that some BIG fish don't spawn at all..........Think you brought up that point ?????

[barkleyhawggitter]

its from too much break dancing. they are happiest in the spring.