06-27-2010, 09:37 PM
I believe there are two reasons why the bass are so small in Ririe.
#1 Short growing season. The water is very cold for most of the year there. Smallmouth require a little bit warmer water for longer periods of time in order to get their metabolisms up to eating speed. If you think about it they just started feeding heavily and they will slow down in late Sep. early Oct. When the water temp goes down again.
#2. Shortage of food at times. The last couple of years have been pretty good, but some years we do not have good water. When the water is lower the reservoir does not fill and flood the brush. When the brush does not get flooded then there is not place for the baby perch, bass, suckers etc... to hide. When the bass don't have sources of food other than crawfish they quickly can lower the crawfish population. You get the idea.
Without a steady food supply the bass go on a feast or famine diet at times. You have to remember they are competing with the cutts for food at times as well.
I personally think it is the cold water plus low food availabily that leads to small bass.
Windriver
[signature]
#1 Short growing season. The water is very cold for most of the year there. Smallmouth require a little bit warmer water for longer periods of time in order to get their metabolisms up to eating speed. If you think about it they just started feeding heavily and they will slow down in late Sep. early Oct. When the water temp goes down again.
#2. Shortage of food at times. The last couple of years have been pretty good, but some years we do not have good water. When the water is lower the reservoir does not fill and flood the brush. When the brush does not get flooded then there is not place for the baby perch, bass, suckers etc... to hide. When the bass don't have sources of food other than crawfish they quickly can lower the crawfish population. You get the idea.
Without a steady food supply the bass go on a feast or famine diet at times. You have to remember they are competing with the cutts for food at times as well.
I personally think it is the cold water plus low food availabily that leads to small bass.
Windriver
[signature]