Dead bass inner bay

Bentrod

Bentrod

Well-Known Member
Went to the bay trying for pike yesterday - not a lot of success on the south shore - only got a small one. But we did notice a number of dead bass floating on the water (and a huge carp). And there were many boats fishing right outside of the Sanctuary line. Why would all these bass die?
 
People catching and releasing? Maybe swallowed hook.
I also think it's stupid people fishing just outside the sanctuary.
Huge lake why fish right there.
 
I was not close to the line, but I noticed several dead bass as well. On the opener last year we saw a very large number of dead bass. I have wondered about that. I have fished for perch and pike out there for that last 3 weeks and only yesterday noticed the dead bass. All of the bass I saw looked well decomposed so they did not die very recently. We had a very high east wind on the previous Saturday night (2 weekends ago) and the thought ran through my mind that maybe something happened due to extreme water turbulence. I would like to get an opinion from a fisheries biologist on this phenomenon.
 
I wonder if it is the span it self that is killing the bass ,I wonder if it is all males or all females that are dead ,could thy be over doing it and stressing them self to death ...not sure just a thought ,,Dutch
 
If you noticed they were all roughly the same size...most likely males . They were are smallmouth as well as I did not see a single bucket mouth floating . My guess is the largemouth has already spawned and missed the cold snap. The smallies that were spawning at the time of the water temp change were probably the ones affected and out floating.
 
Many years ago my uncle was fishing out past the bluffs closer to the point I think and came close to a commercial fishing boat and there were lots of dead discarded bass from their nets. They motioned firmly several times for my uncle to get away. I wonder how often this happens and maybe we dont really want to know anyway? Pete
 
There were some dead smallmouth on the surface yesterday. A couple were fish in the 4 lb. range. I keep think that strong east wind
a couple of weeks ago may have blown in a lot of colder water from the outer bay stressing those fish. The water level rose almost 2 feet at one point. I always thought of bass as being pretty hardy fish, but maybe I'm wrong.
 
I think it has more to do with the change in water as there are no nets in st Clair so the nets wouldn't be the cause there so I'm thinkin the incidents are related as well there's not many commercial boats that fish long point bay anymore
 
I wonder about inland run off?? Spring run off is mainly snow pack melt. But we've had some pretty heavy rains in the last few weeks, and now that all the crops are in, have to wonder how much fertilizer, pesticide and manure is flowing down stream?
Example here, field across the road with a open drainage ditch and field tile flowing into it, had two heavy coatings of chicken shit spread on it, then plant sterilant sprayed, then seeded with pesticide coated corn seed, then once germinated sprayed again with ??, all between some very heavy rains. Not knocking farmer's but have to wonder what is getting into waterways and lakes?
 
I also saw a number of dead bass Sunday. There were also a couple pike, a catfish 2 - 3 carp and a sheephead. I'm inclined to think it was weather related.
 
I don't think it has anything to do with farmers and pesticide use. The Ontario farmers are getting enough crap over killing the bees latley with the insecticides used on the seeds, they don't need anyone accusations about killing our fish too. Bee hive populations have been growing steadily the past 2 years in Ontario, yet the government has choosen to ban the use of this insecticide based on a few large beekeepers complaints. 2 months ago the USDA said there was no evidence that neonics where harming their bee hives, and non of the other provinces have seen any evidence of it either. Sorry to hijack the thread this wasy, but lets leave the farmers out of this one please.:stop: I'm of the opinion that it was weather related stess at the time of spawning. (and yes, before it is thrown back to me, my opinion about the weather is not based on science either;))
thanks
 
Respectably, Fish4fun, I have to disagree. I grew up on the farm, and can still here granddad saying how great of a farming tool DDT was, rest his sole, I'm thinking maybe they were wrong back then??
I'm not pointing directly at neonic's, but that said, not going to coat my veg garden seed's in it either, to boost yield's? I do need to add to my previous reply, it's not only, possibly, farm run off during heavy rain, many municipality's dump raw sewage into water-ways during big rain event's. Quite a while back someone posted a aerial pic of algae blooms on Erie, showing most creek's and river's with the blooms coming out of them. I believe caused by nitrate's.
I've seen carp and bass live in some pretty shitty water, can't really buy that a cold spring and storm's stressed them to a fish kill off, think they've done that before? But when I see that green/grey liquid shit sprayer running in road gear, before a 3 day rain, just to empty their tank's, have to wonder? Have to also mention the commercial chemical spray company's who's brew kills all life 10 feet into the bush while spraying field edges, guess fish must be immune to that stuff too?
I agree with you, not trying to hi jack this thread, glad to see we are both concerned on fish health
 
A barrel of ddt would cure malaria in Africa if used properly. But let's let hundreds dye instead. I personally farm organically that being said I know that the world would starve to death if everyone did. Roundup ready beans provide 10 times the yield of organic beans for example. It's time we as outdoors men support the real men who actually make a living out doors. We need to support farmers not curse them for using fertilizer, and not letting you hunt their fields. As for fishing nets we need those guys providing a crop as well.
 
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