I'm just curious. How long does it take a bass to go from fry to say 6 inches. How long does it take to go from that to about a pound?

I'm just trying to gauge some things at some of my local lakes. I hooked (much to my surprise) about 8 inch bass this past weekend and wondered if it was born this year - which would give me some clue as to how early the lake had a spawn, etc.

Make sense?

Last question... how long do bass live (in general)?

I noticed that no one had jumped on this to answer your question so I thought I might sort of answer your question. I couldn't tell you exactly how much a bass grows specifically in its first year. That eight incher is definitely not from this year though. In our mostly warm so cal lakes a fry born in march or april can be six inches by fall if their is a sufficient nutrient source as they develop. The growth rate of a bass is determined, as I understand it, by several factors. First is geneology of the bass. A healthy strain of floridas will grow faster than a northern strain and consequently much larger too. Next comes the health of the impoundment in which they live. In flourishingly healthy lakes in annually warmer climates and with an abundant food source all year long bass will grow quite quickly. A bass can become a five pounder in a healthy warm water lake in a matter of a few years while in a lake say in Minnesota, it will take as much as ten years for a bass to grow to five pounds because their warm season is only a few months. I don't think bass do much growing with a foot of ice over their heads for six months. Once a bass becomes five pounds it pretty much becomes a member of the top of the food chain and eats whatever it wants and as much as it wants and grows accordingly. Since we have the wonderful opportunity to have a DFG that feeds our bass yummy little trout, once they can fit one of them in their mouths, they will grow at a rapid pace. I know this might not have answered all of your questions, but maybe it will insprire someone else who might have more information to post it for you.

Thanks. I appreciate the feedback.

You know I heard Aaron Martens talk about the notion that the bass in California grow so large and so fast because of the trout plants... but he offered a different point of view. He believes it's directly related to the catch n release that so many of us participate in. He noted that back east and down south there are huge gizzard shad that are just as capable of providing bass with a great deal of protein, maybe even more than a trout; however, so many people in the south keep their fish.

In any case - you've helped shed some light on the subject for me. Thanks again.