Released Fish -how soon do they feed ?

[tcesni]

I think it was Paul Elias that caught his limit in downtown Cincy. where they released the previous day catch after weigh in a BASS event. They had a rule change after this to no fishing within the weigh in area. This was years ago and I'm sure I do not remember all the details.

It was definitely the Classic in Cincy that changed BASS rules. Because there was no obvious cover at the release site they had no off limits area. Turned out that some of the released fish stayed along a concrete wall and were caught again. I don’t know about Elias, but there was an angler who I believe caught a limit on the second day at the release site. He had a Polish last name (Jurkewicz) and I fished with his brother many years ago in a club in Lafayette, Indiana.

[darryl1966]

Large majority of released fish swim back to were they were caught.

how many miles and how quick , some fish are hauled a good distance , but I have heard that same thing

[Almag6]

how many miles and how quick , some fish are hauled a good distance , but I have heard that same thing

Give BTL a listen from the last 2 days.

[basscat21]

Many many events have been won in Lees. They will bite the next day, no problem.

[Jake8]

If I remember right it was within 24 hours.

there’s a bunch of studies out there that show that’s not the case. Some stay, some go back quick, some take a long time and some do something totally different. It was lake and species dependent. Champlain is an interesting study to check out.

On a different note, how far do the BASS release boats generally travel from launch sites to release the fish?

[wwc3]

I have caught the very same bass 3 times in just a couple hours. I tore its mouth the first time, made it worse the second, and darn near ripped its face off the third ! That little sucker sure must have been hungry a11111111111

[basscat21]

how many miles and how quick , some fish are hauled a good distance , but I have heard that same thing

I fished a tourny on a sat. I caught a 3-3 smallie with a small black patch on his gill plate in 20 ft on a isolated rock on a Black Hair jig. Weighed it in. Was the biggest smallie in the tournament. Note Weigh in was about 2 miles from where caught. The following Sun. I Caught the same smallie on the same rock on the same jig. It was noticed by the weigh master, since it was the same guy and he remembered the mark on the gill...... he busted on me that it was my pet. OP- Greenwood. (Froggy was the weighmaster)

[friogatto]

Broke off on a bass, retied and he hit it again. Got both my baits back. No more than 5 min between bites.

Most our tournaments start from the same launch. We fish tidal rivers and the fish can come from more than 20 miles away. Being tidal I feel the fish disperse much faster i.e. roll out with the tide, but no idea how long it takes for those fish to make it back if ever.

Other factors may be if the fish are chasing migratory bait moving through areas.

[NAMVET1968]

All I know is.. When my nephew was a kid. He caught a very small bass fishing off our boat dock. He ran in the house with it and threw it in our 55 Gallon aquarium. Instantly, that small bass ate every tropical in the tank,. My wife was freaking out.

[stratos273v]

I broke off and this happened about 5 casts later. there is a tail of the plastic worm in his throat.

[omcforever]

Wade fishing back in the 60s and caught a rockbass and put it on a rope stringer and put my foot on the other end. It got away with the stringer. Next day caught him again under the same stump with the rope stringer still in his mouth.

Couple years ago caught a catfish off in a cove. Gut hooked so cut off line. Caught same catfish about an hour later....

[IndianaBassMan]

Large majority of released fish swim back to were they were caught.

Maybe....maybe not. You didn't answer the question at all

[IndianaBassMan]

If I remember right it was within 24 hours.

I call BS

[tcesni]

I broke off a bass throwing a Senko, tied on a replacement and caught the fish on the next cast with my first Senko hanging from its jaw. Not quite caught and released but close. Several years ago at a BASS Open on the Upper Chesapeake the release boat was going a short distance from the weigh in site and releasing the fish in the middle of the Northeast River. And right on top of a sunken tree the leader and eventual winner was fishing. I marshaled with this angler in the Elite tournament on the Bay several years later and he told me that BASS kept restocking his spot, and couldn’t have dreamed of better luck.

[jdwo2212]

I dont know the answer to your question but like others have said they seem to bite right away. I caught about a 2lber on a spinner bait once. Took the hook out dropped my rod and spinnerbait was about 2 inches in water hangin off the side. Released the fish and it spun right around and bit my spinnerbait again as it was dangling off the side. Had to grab my rod quick as it surprised me and bout took it in. Needless to say... I threw that spinnerbait all day if they wanted it that bad. Lol

[pabasshawk]

I have had smallmouth caught off a bed that would go right back to the bed and hit the same lure on the next cast. I think that they could be caught out of the live well.

[zbasser]

Good stories, enjoy reading them.

[rbreedi1]

I was wading a creek once and caught a nice spotted bass, reeled him in, unhooked and took a look at him then released. He swam maybe 10 ft and turned around towards me. I threw my senko back out there and he ate it as soon as it hit the water. So I guess it just depends on the fish.

[bassnleo]

Few years back during a tournament I caught a 2 lb largie off a dock, it was no help to the limit I already had so he it was immediately released. 3 hours later caught that very same largie on the same dock on the same bait as the first time around. I could tell it was the same fish by the hook wound.
A buddy of mine fishes a kayak tournament series. He caught a smallmouth in a shallow flowing river, did the whole measure and picture thing that yakers do, then released it. He watched the fish swim right back to a gravel area where it had been caught from. Yep, you guessed it, threw back out and caught it again. Said he couldn't believe it when he saw it turn on his tube the second time as it drifted by. After it's second release, it swam the other way. guess he'd had enough. lol.

[jbassman87]

Not sure after being hauled around and released in a different location. Did have something happen in a small paper tournament one time. Caught a fish off a stump that had a plastic worm still on the hook in its mouth. I figured it had broke someone's line, but it was kind of hard to get the hook out. Measured and released the fish. After we were all done, I was telling the story asking if anyone lost a fish around that stump. Had a guy tell me he caught the fish, but the hook was deep and he just cut his line instead of trying to get the hook out. Asked him about what time he had caught it and it was about 3 hours before I caught it.