Sight Fishing vs Bed Fishing

There has been a long debate on whether sight fishing is unsporting and unethical. More accurately, we are talking about "bed fishing,"… fish that are spawning. There other kinds of fish that are caught by “sight fishing”, such as bonefish. Is it fair to take advantage of a fish in his/her most vulnerable moment? In terms of public opinion, does it represent a “black eye” in tournament competition? There are people who think it is a tremendous challenge, even an art, to catching a fish while spawning, especially one that could make the difference at the weighing station. There are those who think taking a fish full of roe during this vulnerable time is sinful. In truth, many anglers who disapprove of bed fishing, probably catch bedding fish blindly in the spring more often then they know. After some detail on bed fishing, I will let you know what I think.

Let me start out by saying, some of the year’s biggest fish are caught by bed fishing. On certain days it may be easy, but on other days it may be impossible to catch the fish that swims so clearly in your vision. For the hard to catch bedding fish, one needs a lot of patience, observation and skill. Some of the ploys bedding fishermen use to catch these fish are: using polarized sunglasses, maintaining a distance from the nest, keeping a low profile, keeping the sun to your back, keeping the boat positioned, no sudden movements, no trolling motor, staying quiet, and even noting moon phases (full/new). The bottom line is you must have patience, skill and be able to experiment.
Being that bass can see up, they can see everything you do. However, a slight ripple on the water can put the odds in your favor because surface refraction will distort your image. On the other hand, the greater the wind and wave action, the harder it is for an angler to spot fish below the surface. A wide-brimmed hat or baseball cap can help cut down glare while deflecting the sun's light rays. However, sun light can be a good thing because it can produce well defined shadows lines, especially in early morning or late afternoon. Overcast days allow less glare/silhouettes, and lightly stained water is best. Also, the color of your clothing can also play a role. Bright garments can be spotted by fish, so light and neutral-colored hues are better. Green lenses are more comfortable but are average in terms of contrast. Gray lenses offer more true color distinction but are lacking in terms of contrast. Amber lenses can be uncomfortable in the bright sun but offer the most contrast. A yellow tent gives excellent definition.
One may start looking for bedding fish at 50 degrees from 1 to 20 ft of water. Do not disturb the spawning beds when looking. Bass spawn around wood, rocks, heavy cover and shallow stumps fields. Bedding fish are generally not hungry, and will hit baits out of pure aggression. Sometimes a change of many lures is needed before the fish will react. Always make note of the fish’s reaction to the lure. Try to move the lure to the different sections of the nest. Sometimes a fish will have a key spot in the nest that elicits aggressive behavior. Provoking the male will make the female more aggressive at times. If a fish stays on the bed, noses the lure, and/or has a key spot in the nest, they all may increase the fish’s catchability.
As far as baits to use, soft plastics are best. Lizards, tubes, craws, creature baits, and wacky worms all work extremely well and don’t forget the top water lure. Present the lure in the most lifelike manner possible. Weightless lures may work the best at times. On some days, neutral colors may work best while other times bright or dark lures will be better and spraying it with a commercial fish scent can also help. The lure should fall naturally, and if the fish doesn't inhale it right off, let it come in to investigate. Quiver the lure, pulsate it or slowly raise it off bottom. If the fish is guarding nest, it will be more protective and will strike out of aggression, not out of hunger. In this case, it will be necessary to cast closer to the fish as it will be less likely to leave its bed unprotected. If the fish is not guarding the nest, cast beyond the fish and retrieve it until it is in front of it to get its attention. If the fish is moving, cast in front of it. A side-arm cast is best because it will allow the lure to land gently. Feathering your line with your fingertips just prior to entering the water can aid in a splashless entry. Try to cast five or six feet in front of the bass, and never directly at it. The further you can stay away from the fish the better. In clear water, use a smaller the line size.
How you position your boat is very important in bed fishing. Most of the time a nesting fish will have an escape path, and if it does, you need to position your boat accordingly. The distance between you and the fish is important as well. You may need to make long cast to prevent spooking the fish and for greater hook set. The use of a push pole can help move and anchor the boat into position.
As for as ethics goes, one must abide by state and tournament law and rules when bed fishing is allowed. However, there is no biological or genetic data that supports the banning of bed fishing. Evidence shows that the number of fish spawning does not determine the number of fish in the year class. DNA studies show that only a few nests are successful and produce a population of fish that recruit to the lake and fishery. Temporarily removing the occasional bass from a bed and then immediately releasing it will not affect the fishery long term. Only a certain number of eggs hatched make it to fry stage and to young adults, and a certain amount of those will fall to prey.
The only reason to ban bed fishing comes in pro-am tournaments where the amateur is regulated to the back seat and has no chance of catching the fish. Then again, the amateur could use a Carolina rig to fish prestaging females in deeper water from behind and end up catching a bigger fish. Another aspect to tournament fishing is “defensive fishing.” An example would be a pre-tournament fisherman trying to disturb spawning fields the day before the tournament starts by catching as many fish off the bed as possible so the fish would be harder to catch for his competitors the first day of the tournament.
Well, here is how I feel about “bed fishing.” The research that has been done on this subject says in the overall picture that “bed fishing” does not harm fish populations. I can accept that. However, unless you are fishing for money, why do you need to disturb spawning fields during the one time of year it takes place? I personally do not eat bass. I like crappie and bluegills much better. And here is the real reason I don’t fish spawning beds. When I was 8 years old, I went fishing with my father to a pay lake. As I was fishing from the bank, I saw the biggest bass I had ever seen in front of me close to the bank. I said nothing to my father because I couldn’t speak. I quickly dropped rubber crawfish in front of this fish and she took it. It took me a while to land this fish and by that time I had my father and owner of the lake was by my side. The owner took the fish and weighed it, which weighted 9.4 lbs. The owner begged me to turn this fish loose because it was a fish he wanted to keep for stocking purposes. There was no way I was not going to take this fish home. I had paid my fee to fish, and I was going to keep this fish. My father didn’t say a word to me in the contrary, and now I wish he had. So, off to home I went with my fish. I cleaned the fish and ate it. That has been 60 years ago, and I still feel badly about keeping that fish, because keeping that fish was a total waste. The meat was strong to the taste and not very good. This fish was a beautiful creature and should have died a natural death. I would have not caught this fish if she had not been on the bed.

I know I'll get some flack over it, but I'm not a fan of catching bedding bass, more so in tournaments where you might catch her a mile or more from the weight in location. you take her away from her bed and depending on where she is in her egg laying cycle she may not lay that year and there's a years fry down the drain. I know this is the best opportunity for that big trophy fish, but I think about the next generation of fishermen behind me and i don't wanna ruin a lake by messing up a fishes laying cycle or even worse take a trophy fish and remove it from the gene pool and risk no more trophy fish being produced from that pool. It;s hard to roll by a 7 lb fish on the bed, but all in all it is a good decision, just my opinion though.