Controversy: Fishing Bass Nests During Spawn

Every year I hear the same debate. Bass nests in the spring are sure to provide anglers with the most exciting fishing there is. That is because male bass sit tight and watch over the nest so predators won't come and eat them. They will attack anything that comes too close, I even have a friend who told me a story about him scuba diving into a bass nest and getting the head butt of a lifetime from a big male. Though the action is sure to be fast and furious, the immediate consequences are that a bass that get shooked while protecting his nest will likely not go back to the nest after being released.

So what is the real long term impact of this practice?

I tried reading a little bit of scientific materials to see whether or not this practice has an impact on bass, in other words does fishing bass nests during spawn impact the bass population of a given lake or river.

Here are some of the articles I read:

http://espn.go.com/outdoors/conservation/c...st/1535917.html

http://floridafisheries.com/faqs/#spawn-ans

http://www.dec.state.ny.us/website/dfwmr/f...ackbassrpt.html

http://www.boats.com/boat-articles/Environ...Spawn/2434.html

It appears from reading these that there is not enough evidence to support claims that fishing bass nests during spawn will harm the bass population in any way shape or form. But there is also no evidence that it doesn't have an impact. Apparently there are no valid longitudinal studies that could provide a sure answer to this question.

However, from an ethical standpoint, the fact remains that this is a time when bass is most vulnerable. For us walleye anglers, it means we need to make a decision for ourselves about whether or not we should avoid bass nests while we do our thing. I know I do, but I can't say it is because of any scientific evidence, but rather because I prefer to leave them alone.