PDA

View Full Version : Big Bear Lake Opening Bass Tournament 21lb Limit



matthew-keller
04-06-2017, 08:39 PM
My wife and I fished the opening day bass tournament on Big Bear Lake. We had a great day, a little cold and windy but the fishing made up for it. We started out fishing points then moved to docks in the afternoon, all the fish were solid healthy fish. At the end of the day we had 21lbs 5.8oz and were able to take to win. 2nd & 3rd place both had over 19lbs, so overall it was a great day fishing in the mountains. With the water level coming back up bass fishing on Big Bear is going be awesome this year. Big Bear gets over looked for bass fishing a lot just thought I would pass on the news that the bite is on right now.

Matthew Keller

49752

bassnet
04-06-2017, 09:18 PM
Nice work! run into any smallies?

matthew-keller
04-06-2017, 09:30 PM
Thanks, no smallies for us that day. A couple teams weighed some in. The smallmouth population is doing great up here, most run 2 to 2.5lbs.

Big-Bob
04-07-2017, 11:35 AM
Awesome job!!! I've always wanted to bass fish Big Bear.

DarkShadow
04-11-2017, 03:54 PM
Solid fish!! They look like footballs.

Stinkbait
04-11-2017, 09:18 PM
Solid fish!! They look like footballs.
Northerns baby!

Viejo
04-12-2017, 07:55 AM
The smiles kinda tell a story. One doesn't normally think of any kind of Bass when you think of Big Bear Lake.

Do have two questions....I watch a few of the major bass tournaments on the sports channels occasionally and notice them carrying their Bass to be weighed up on stage in bags for those in the winning contention. Do they release the Bass afterwards or take them home for a fish fry? I know Bass boats have built in wells that circulate water.

Is there much of a surface bite once the water temp warms up (as much as it can up there)? Watching a Bass take a popper or slider is an amazing sight.

Thanks for sharing something many might not know about.

matthew-keller
04-12-2017, 09:32 AM
The smiles kinda tell a story. One doesn't normally think of any kind of Bass when you think of Big Bear Lake.

Do have two questions....I watch a few of the major bass tournaments on the sports channels occasionally and notice them carrying their Bass to be weighed up on stage in bags for those in the winning contention. Do they release the Bass afterwards or take them home for a fish fry? I know Bass boats have built in wells that circulate water.

Is there much of a surface bite once the water temp warms up (as much as it can up there)? Watching a Bass take a popper or slider is an amazing sight.

Thanks for sharing something many might not know about.

All bass tournaments are catch and release tournaments. To participate in them you need to have a livewell on the boat, we weigh them alive then release them to get bigger. The water on Big Bear gets into the High 60s low 70s, the topwater bite can get good. I like fishing a buzz bait or walking style bait but poppers work well also.

jonshibata1
04-12-2017, 05:51 PM
Fish fry? Wow, that would be horrifying! I can't stand the sight of someone taking largemouth home. The fishery would disappear pretty quickly if people took them home. Tournaments are great because they can show you the quality of fish that a lake or reservoir can produce, and you know that all of the fish caught went straight back into the water after the weigh-in. I know Big Bear has bass, but didn't think there was that kind of quality. I've only fished there in the Winter and early Spring for trout. I might have to get out there this Spring and Summer and check out the bass fishing!

rusn007
04-14-2017, 09:39 PM
Nicely done!! great job

seal
04-17-2017, 10:17 AM
Fish fry? Wow, that would be horrifying! I can't stand the sight of someone taking largemouth home. The fishery would disappear pretty quickly if people took them home. Tournaments are great because they can show you the quality of fish that a lake or reservoir can produce, and you know that all of the fish caught went straight back into the water after the weigh-in. I know Big Bear has bass, but didn't think there was that kind of quality. I've only fished there in the Winter and early Spring for trout. I might have to get out there this Spring and Summer and check out the bass fishing!

Um no fishery would not disappear from limited take in fact in many cases it would be healthy for the lake. Largemouth have absolutely no problem sustaining a population. Besides they suck to eat in most peoples opinion and with the shaming done by those that think they know better very few are actually taken, unless we are talking about park lake in the middle of big city's which is a completely different ball game.

DarkShadow
04-17-2017, 11:48 AM
....unless we are talking about park lake in the middle of big city's which is a completely different ball game.

Definitely. The oil that naturally seeps in from all the vehicles in the city makes the meat a little tastier, IMO.

Smokier, perhaps?

Cameron
04-17-2017, 02:38 PM
Um no fishery would not disappear from limited take in fact in many cases it would be healthy for the lake. Largemouth have absolutely no problem sustaining a population. Besides they suck to eat in most peoples opinion and with the shaming done by those that think they know better very few are actually taken, unless we are talking about park lake in the middle of big city's which is a completely different ball game.

Well said seal! Big Bear is a great lake for FISHING!
Thanks for sharing the tale and pic of them fatties. I need to go up soon, my buddy was just down yesterday from there for Easter. Came here missing BBL so really appreciate seeing a new thread here.

Big Ed
04-28-2017, 02:27 PM
Mathew do you need a special tag to get your boat on the lake? Besides being clean and dry are their any other requirements for a low lander to come up and fish?

Thanks: Big Ed!

matthew-keller
05-02-2017, 09:16 AM
Mathew do you need a special tag to get your boat on the lake? Besides being clean and dry are their any other requirements for a low lander to come up and fish?

Thanks: Big Ed!

Have your boat clean and dry, they also have a decontamination system so you won't get turned away if there is a little water. Other then that is it free to launch but you need a lake use permit. They are $25 for the day or $110 for the season, the east boat ramp is the only one open right now. The bass bite is still good up here, the water is still in the mid 50s so slow baits have been producing the best.