Is it Cows? or Bulls?

[DZ]

Every now and then I look into my old books and magazines that I've collected that deal with striped bass fishing. Just love to read the old and sometimes forgotten methods of catching bass. One thing that has always amazed me was that many old timers described large bass as "Bull Bass" back in the 1960s. Even noted authors Woolner and Lyman called them bulls. Nowadays most female bass are referred to as cows. Bulls are generally regarded as males and never achive the size of a cow.
So - what do you call them? Anyone have any history on this change from "bull" to "cow"? My best guess was it happend in the 1970s?

DZ

[Back Beach]

What's up DZ. Nice to meet you at the show last week.

I used to use "cows".

I use "slobs" now. It has kind of a primal ring to it that I like.

[goosefish]

Big dolphin are bulls. Big bass are cows. I go with the male, female thing. And in the fish world, generally, the females are bigger. How would we (men) like to be the male deep-sea anglerfish, forever attached to the underside of the female body, there to do nothing more than deposit sperm. I like to think I've got more of a function than that. But not much more.

[LeCounts1099]

Cows are the big girls...

Bulls are the 12- 18 lb. males that strike hard, & fight harder!... & make you think you have a 25+ lber 'till you slide them over the berm!

[RIJIMMY]

Unless I see pictures, most Cows are bull......

[LeCounts1099]

Jimmy, I'm a C & R & stealth- type guy... who fishes alone 99% of the time, and in the dark mostly... Even when I remember to bring a camera with me, it stays in my pocket & I never end up using it! 99.9% of my Bass (of all sizes!) are released, and I don't want to weigh them hanging from the lip on some Boga... nor keep them out-of-water more seconds than I have to! So: I have over a hundred "cows" lifetime from the surf, but only cow- pics from boat where others were there to work the camera. I think this is true for most hard- core guys here, really...

I CAN show you a pic of my (own) boat- caught "40" from last Spring, that broke my rod during the fight, using "only" 20 lb. mono., yet I landed & released her fine. I weighed her in a net with accurate hand-scale attached-- not lifting by the lip which I believe kills! She swims today, I'm sure of it...

[baldwin]

Most stripers over the low 30" mark are female. Biological fact. But, I see a lot of fishermen coming back with a lot of bull sh**, and talking only of very large bass, so it gets kinda confusing.
That piece above about handling large fish is great advice. Some Australian researchers found that lifting large fish by the jaw damages the gill arches, among other things. Fish are not made to be lifted out of the water that way, it may cause organ damage, also. They evolved to exist horizontally in a weightless situation, suspended in water. The delicate connective tissue holding organs in place aren't designed to be pulled on in unnatural positions. Also, having fish scrape on the rocks or boat decks removes slime and even scales that exist as a barrier to infection.

[Clammer]

Don,t care what,s what .....called them bulls //UNLESS they are F#$%^&*( BLLLLLLLLLLOOOOOOOOOOfish /// Then called them F #$%^&*(*&^&* D E A D

[eelman]

Old the Oldtimers called them "Bulls" or "Bull Bass" Even the Clammer! Jobin and all the other comms call them Bulls, still do...Cows is relatively new...I use cows but I like Bull Bass better....Its the Old way!

The term Bulls was used alot especially in Narragansett Bay.

I can tell you this..Either Cows -or-Bulls is a hell of alot better than some of the stupid names they use now ...The one I hate most is "Slobs" Shows ZERO Respect in my opinion..Another term we used was acually, McKenna and I would joke with this one ..we called Teen size bass "Colts"....Anyway we never used a derogatory name or slang like "Slobs" or "Pigs"......

But again, it looks like some get overly technical with biology etc...and becasue there female call them cows....but Females or not big bass are strong and a strong fish reminds one of a bull!!

[bloocrab]

Originally Posted by baldwin

... Some Australian researchers found that lifting large fish by the jaw damages the gill arches, among other things. Fish are not made to be lifted out of the water that way, it may cause organ damage, also. They evolved to exist horizontally in a weightless situation, suspended in water. The delicate connective tissue holding organs in place aren't designed to be pulled on in unnatural positions. Also, having fish scrape on the rocks or boat decks removes slime and even scales that exist as a barrier to infection.

....I honestly believe that if you TRULY feel that way about fishing.......you REALLY shouldn't be fishing. Sorry ...



DZ.....like RIJimmy said, the term COW is used SO freely now-adays and on any sized fish - giving the word no meaning to me, when I see a nice fish, that's exactly what I call it,,, a NICE fish.
Although I do refer to big Tautog as HOGS....

[baldwin]

[QUOTE=bloocrab;466346]....I honestly believe that if you TRULY feel that way about fishing.......you REALLY shouldn't be fishing. Sorry ...


Bloocrab, think about that comment. If you're keeping the fish, it doesn't really matter how you handle them, but if you're releasing it's a good idea to give it a decent chance of survival. If you don't feel this way, maybe it's YOU who shouldn't be fishing.

[Goose]

Originally Posted by baldwin

That piece above about handling large fish is great advice. Some Australian researchers found that lifting large fish by the jaw damages the gill arches, among other things. Fish are not made to be lifted out of the water that way, it may cause organ damage, also. They evolved to exist horizontally in a weightless situation, suspended in water. The delicate connective tissue holding organs in place aren't designed to be pulled on in unnatural positions.

He's 100% right. This is why I always grab'um by their tails.

85 days and counting

[Rockfish9]

Been calling them Bulls all my life, kinda hard to change at this point.... back in the day, when meduim fish went to market, 15lbs was the cut off.... after that they went into the large or "bull" box....

[Rockport24]

didn't we already have this discussion based on an article in one of the mags a whlie ago?

[RIJIMMY]

Originally Posted by LeCounts1099

Jimmy, I'm a C & R & stealth- type guy... who fishes alone 99% of the time, and in the dark mostly... Even when I remember to bring a camera with me, it stays in my pocket & I never end up using it! 99.9% of my Bass (of all sizes!) are released, and I don't want to weigh them hanging from the lip on some Boga... nor keep them out-of-water more seconds than I have to! So: I have over a hundred "cows" lifetime from the surf, but only cow- pics from boat where others were there to work the camera. I think this is true for most hard- core guys here, really...

I CAN show you a pic of my (own) boat- caught "40" from last Spring, that broke my rod during the fight, using "only" 20 lb. mono., yet I landed & released her fine. I weighed her in a net with accurate hand-scale attached-- not lifting by the lip which I believe kills! She swims today, I'm sure of it...

LC1099 - me too, except for the boat stuff, no need to prove to me what you or anyone caught. I have no pics an never keep fish, although I would keep something over 40.When I was a kid, fsihing for largemouths, everyone I talked to caught a 5lb bass. 5lb bass are not common, I'd guarantee most are 2.5lbs at best. With stripers, I think most 20lbers are really 8 to 15lbs, most 30lbers are 15-25lbs and most 40lbers are 25-35lbs. Most people exxagerate, not to be dsihonet, but becasue they've never seen many bass over 15lbs. I dont mean most of teh guys on this site, I TRULY believe and have seen pics from a lot of fisherman. But I cant tell you how many times I've been at a spot at night and a guy mentins, "that guy over there beached a 25bler" when I walk by to take a look its barely a keeper. Dont mean to derail the thread

[Pt.JudeJoe]

Originally Posted by RIJIMMY

Unless I see pictures, most Cows are bull......

This should be a S-B bumper sticker or shirt etc.! Outstanding quote!

[Pete F.]

Dennis, I have noticed the same thing. I wonder if there was a event or changing of the guard or did it happen when there were few fish and few fishing so instead guys got drunk and then could'nt remember what they used to call them.
I call them nice fish myself...
LeCounts I'm glad to hear I'm not alone. My camera is usually in my pocket and I figure the next fish will be bigger so I'll take a picture of that one, then never do. Saves me money on cameras though.

[Clammer]

its F!@#$IN bulls !!!!#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^& is R[[IGHT..The old wayyyyyyyyyyyy

[fishaholic18]

Originally Posted by Clammer

its F!@#$IN bulls !!!!#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^& is R[[IGHT..The old wayyyyyyyyyyyy

Get you Clammer lingo right %$#@! E/M!!!!

[stiff tip]

in the late 60 when i first sold bass @ newberyport , it was sm. med. or large.......@ race point it was sm. med. large and jumbo,s ...over 40lbs .. in the 70-80 chat. it was sm up to 24 in med up to 15 lbs and large .. the term bulls or cows we all know what sex the 40lbs are ,,, so corectly its your pick... let the writers jazz up the wording of there articel .but in chess-e bay they were always called cows . i fished w/ two juys fromthere in the early 70 s and they called them cows.....my two cents..... dave

[Rockport24]

interesting stuff DZ, I've heard the term "bull schoolie" referring to a 10 pound to low teen size bass.