Bass Fishing
For sport anglers, largemouth bass and smallmouth bass are two of the most prized catches. Bass spend most of their time in lakes and rivers with plentiful fresh water. They tend to congregate in mossy, sheltered areas to prey on smaller fish, such as minnows.
The best time to fish for bass is May through July, using minnows, crayfish, night crawlers, jigs, crank baits and spinner baits. Both live bait and artificial lures will attract bass, but one may be more attractive to smallmouth bass as opposed to largemouth bass. Early morning and late evening are the best time to catch bass as they tend to take shelter from the sun during the day. They are more active when the climate is cooler and the sun is not as bright.
Largemouth Bass
Micropterus salmoides
AKA: Black bass, green trout, bigmouth bass, lineside bass
This species is considered the most popular gamefish in the United States. Largemouth bass fishing tournaments have become very popular in recent years.
Distinguishing Markings:
Largemouth bass can be recognized by the lower jaw that extends past the back edge of the eye.
It is dark green above with silvery sides and belly and a dark stripe across its body. . The underside ranges in color from light green to almost white. They have a nearly divided dorsal fin with the anterior portion containing nine spines and the posterior portion containing 12 to 13 soft rays
Size:
Largemouth bass have been known to reach weights of over 20 pounds.
Distribution:
Find largemouth bass in the St. Lawrence, Great Lakes, Hudson Bay (Red River), and Mississippi River basins; Atlantic drainages from North Carolina to Florida and to northern Mexico. The species has been introduced widely as a game fish and is now cosmopolitan.
Habitat:
Largemouth bass are found in all waters from freshwater to brackish (a mix of fresh and saltwater) waters. They like large, slow moving rivers or streams with soft bottoms.
They especially like clear water. Immature largemouth bass may tend to congregate in schools, but adults are usually solitary. Sometimes several bass will gather in a very small area, but they do not interact. Largemouth bass seek protective cover such as logs, rock ledges, vegetation, and man-made structures. They prefer clear quiet water, but will survive quite well in a variety of habitats.
Food:
Greedy carnivores, largemouth bass feast on minnows, sunfish, gizzard shad, insects, frogs and occasionally snakes. Adult largemouth bass are the top predators in the aquatic ecosystem. Fry feed primarily on zooplankton and insect larvae. At about two inches in length they become active predators. Adults feed almost exclusively on other fish and large invertebrates such as crayfish. Larger fish prey upon smaller bass. Adult fish feed near water plants in shallow waters.
Spawning:
Largemouth bass spawn as early as March or as late as June. The males build saucer shaped nests 20 to 30 inches in diameter and guard the nest and eggs from all intruders. Largemouth bass grow 4 to 6 inches during their first year, 8 to 12 inches in two years, and up to 16 inches in three years. Largemouth bass may live for 13 years.
Fishing Tips:
These fish are an extremely popular sport fish. They are excellent fighters when caught on light spinning tackle. Popular methods of fishing are fly-fishing, bait casting, or bottom fishing, and good baits include live minnows, night crawlers, and worms.
Smallmouth Bass
Micropterus dolomieu
AKA: Brown bass, brownie, bronze bass
Distinguishing Markings:
The smallmouth bass is generally green, brown, bronze, or tan in general color with dark vertical bands rather than a horizontal band along the side. There are 13 to 15 soft rays in the dorsal fin. The best characteristic to distinguish a smallmouth from a largemouth bass is the position of the maxillary, or large flap at the posterior end of the upper jaw. With the fish’s mouth closed, the maxillary will reach, but not obviously extend beyond the eye, and the upper jaw never extends beyond the eye. In largemouth bass the maxillary always extends past the back edge of the eye.
Size:
The usual smallmouth is 8 to 15 inches long, and weighs less than three pounds.
Distribution:
Smallmouth bass originally ranged north into Minnesota and southern Quebec, south to the Tennessee River in Alabama and west to eastern Oklahoma and southwestern Arkansas. Today there are few states, east or west of the Rocky Mountains, where populations have not become established. Florida and Louisiana are apparently free of smallmouth bass.
Habitat:
Smallmouth bass prefer large clear-water lakes (greater than 100 acres, more than 30 feet deep) and cool, clear streams with moderate current. Their preferred habit has a gravel or rubble substrate, boulders, some shade and cover, along with deep pools.
Food:
In general, adult smallmouth bass feed on aquatic and terrestrial insects, crayfish, and fish. Because they feed on the water surface, in the water mass, and off the bottom, and consume such a wide variety of foods, they are considered “angler friendly”.
Spawning:
Spawning occurs in the spring when water temperatures approach 60°F. Males move into spawning areas with the nests usually located near shore in lakes; downstream from boulders or some other obstruction that offers protection against strong current in streams. Mature females may contain 2,000 to 15,000 golden yellow eggs. Males may spawn with several females on a single nest. On average each nest contains about 2,500 eggs, but nests may contain as many as 10,000 eggs. Eggs hatch in about 10 days if water temperatures are in the mid-50s, but can hatch in 2 to 3 days if temperatures are in the mid-70s. Males guard the nest from the time eggs are laid until fry begin to disperse, a period of up to a month. Fry begin feeding on zoo plankton, switching to insect larvae and finally fish and crayfish as they grow.
Fishing Tips:
Smallmouth bass can be caught on a wide variety of live and artificial baits. Many anglers prefer the less expensive soft, plastic artificial bait, grubs and tubes, because lure loss is a certainty when fishing prime smallmouth bass habitat. Light spinning tackle is the most popular and least tiresome after casting and catching fish all day. Fly fishing is next in popularity, followed by bait casting.
If you’re new to bass fishing, or a seasoned angler looking for a new bass boat, see our section on bass fishing boats.
