Effect of Blue Green Algae blooms on Largemouth Bass

Nitro Owners Forum

Help Support Nitro Owners Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Mike Wagner

Well-Known Member
Joined
Feb 18, 2012
Messages
78
Reaction score
0
On several of the lakes I fish in New York, there have been recent heavy blue green algae blooms. In some areas, it is so thick it looks like pea soup on top of the water. Weedy areas that consistently produced nice largemouth all summer long do not hold fish any longer. Or if they are still there, they are not responding to any of the presentations that worked all summer (spinnerbaits, senkos, creatures, etc.).



I was wondering if any of you encountered this before, and have any suggestions of how the algae blooms affect the bass. Do they leave the area entirely? Or stay in the same area and go deeper? Thanks,



Mike
 
Blue algae will push bass clean out of an area, but more importantly that same blue algae can be highly toxic to anglers and create respiratory problems with some. When I run into it I fish elsewhere and thoroughly clean my boat after use. Good luck! ;)
 
Kinda like the dang disease you get that makes you go blind from fishing under bridges with a loot of bird poop. I don't spend a lot of time there anymore either!!
 
It was so bad on Grand Lake St. Marys that they have been treating it for over a year now with tons of Alum but, very little success.

It has destroyed local buisnesses and may be in a few other lakes here in Ohio.

It seems it's more of a problem with shallower (run off) lakes.

It was in Ceasers Creek last year but, has seemed to clear up on it's own.

Although it's one of Ohio's deepest lakes.

Not good:(
 
Yes, it is definitely nasty stuff. It is getting bad on Honeoye Lake and Sodus Bay in New York. In the past, they have closed the beaches because of it. Everytime I have encountered it, the fishing has gone down hill as well.



I was on Sodus and the bass all seemed to leave the areas they had been because of the algae. I found some other weedy areas that were free of the algae, but the weeds were already brown and decaying. Seems early to me, but maybe the lack of rain is causing this earlier than normal.



What do the largemouth do when the algae chases them out of their home and all the other weedy areas are already decaying? Do they bury themselves deep under boat docks, or maybe even move out deep and act like smallmouth? Will they even leave the bay and head out into Lake Ontario to find cleaner water?



Mike
 
I look for the closest moving water with some type of structure or current break. The moving water (current, wind, etc.) usually has a much higher degree of dissolved oxygen and will draw fish from their rapidly depleating home environment. Healthy, green water borne vegetation in that area can be a gold mine for bass fleeing an algae bloom. I put deeper water low on my selection for the higher dissolution rates of oxygen in the areas I've mentioned. (And I LOVE fishing deep water!) Keep in mind, for a largemouth to leave its resident haunt more than 100 yards in a day or so takes quite an event. The algae infested area growing will push them out, but a rapid PH change, climate, runoff/rain, and the like can move them faster. I believe schoolers tend to vacate an area with blue algae before us fishermen even realize there's a problem. Good luck! ;)
 

Similar threads

S
Replies
4
Views
566

Latest posts

Back
Top