LargeMouth Bass America’s Favorite Game Fish

Now days there are not to many places in North America where you can cast a line and not reel in a Largemouth Bass. Would you believe that this wasn’t always the case? In the 1800 our predecessors thought it would be a good idea to spread the species far and wide. I am pretty thankful that they had the forethought to spread the species out!

Locating the LargeMouth Bass

Largemouth Bass (Micripterus Salmoides) can be found extensively in warm freshwaters around the world. Being the most adaptable bass species Largemouth will avoid bottom areas of lakes and other waters which are overly muddy or layered with silt. Don’t let the Largemouth fool you, being very tolerant if he is forced to hide in the muddy waters he will do so. No matter if the water is crystal clear with no cover or is muddy murky and as thick as a bush the Largemouth like a country boy will survive!

Ladies Love Sweet Skills

Largemouth Bass are built to hunt along logs, rocks, and other forms of cover. With a body built for strength rather then speed the LargeMouth makes for a ferocious predator! What bass are lacking in speed they make up for in skills. Bass are equipped with powerful tails, excellent vision, superb hearing, vibration sensitivity that help them move quickly and efficiently when on the hunt.

Feeding

Although Largemouth Bass are strong they are not very well adapt to long pursuits and chances are they wont chase after your lure for a considerable distance. When feeding a bass will normally hide and wait until an unsuspecting quarry passes close by, or just glide closer to its prey and mearly open its mouth and inhale. The in-hale maneuver quickly draws the prey into its mouth.

The “strike” or “take” of a large female bass will probably be much lighter than that of a male.

The preferred feeding strategy of a bass is to strike instantly when the prey (or lure) passes within relatively close range. In this event it will usually grab the prey and quickly dash away, returning to its station of safety. Largemouth Bass have a burst of swimming speed of about twelve miles per hour, but their sustained swimming speed is much less.

They feed primarily by sound (vibration) and sight. They can detect even the smallest vibrations caused by other fish or prey pushing aside water as they move through or onto it. With their extremely acute vision they take full advantage of periods or areas of subdued light. Any predator prefers to remain in darker waters where it is somewhat concealed and where it is far easier to see prey passing by which is swimming in better-lit water while the bass remains in semi-darkness.

Setting the record

The world’s record LargeMouth Bass is 22-1/4 pounds taken by George W. Perry in Montgomery Pond near Valdosta, Ga. in 1932. In Florida where growing season is year-round, LM bass usually run about fifteen or sixteen pounds but even these are mighty rare. Some lakes in the northern United States have produced bass of 14 pounds plus, but such fish are few and far between. Growth rates vary in direct proportion to the fertility of the water, the length of the growing season each year, and the numbers of other fish competing for the food supply.

In northern lakes the anticipated length of a female largemouth bass is as follows:

To determine the weight of a largemouth bass in the absence of a scale, the following formula based upon linear measurements of the fish is a reliably accurate method of calculating its weight:

L = Length [in inches] from nose to fork in tail

G = Girth [in inches] around fleshiest portion of body

W = Weight of fish in pounds

Spring of the year go shallow or deep. Pre-spawn you will find bass chasing bait off the edge of drop offs into shallows

What is the best bait?

Although every angler will tell you that they have a favorite bait, there truly is no best bait to catch LargeMouth Bass. You have to change your bait to the environment to catch the big boys. When fishing for them in dark water use darker baits. Lighter baits in clear water. But always try to match foliage just like the fish in the area. largemouth bass soon learns that lures, especially those it sees most often, can get it into trouble, so change your bait often.

Piers and docks will hold bass year round. They serve as great ambush spots. If sunny they will be in the shaded spots. On pressured fish use baits that have little vibration to set your self apart from other anglers and gain the advantage. When fishing slow down your presentation and look for out of the way places for pressured fish. Finding that little back bay area will provide a strategic advantage and take the pressure off.

No matter what you do this season when LargeMouth Bass fishing, remember to keep moving. If you are not catching fish in one location move further down the shoreline and cast a line. Fishing can be a truly rewarding and relaxing adventure. Enjoy your time out there and remember to bring your Mosquito Repellant!

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