The largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) is a freshwater fish found in many lakes, streams and sometimes even in brackish water. You also may have heard them called a bigmouth bass, black bass, green trout or lineside bass.
Largemouth bass are most commonly green with dark blotches that form a broken horizontal stripe that runs along the sides of the fish. It is unique to other black bass and can be identified by its upper jaw. The jaw reaches far beyond the back edge of its eye. It is sometimes confused with its cousin, the smallmouth bass, but their mouth only extends to the middle of the eye.
Largemouth were originally found in most of the United States east of the Rocky Mountains and in southern Canada and northeastern Mexico. Since this fish became incredibly popular, it has been introduced through stocking programs into many other locations throughout the world.
During spawning, largemouth bass are often seen in the shallows guarding their “nests”. The female will lay hundreds of eggs. After she lays the eggs, the male chases her away, fertilizes the eggs with his “milt” and then guards the nest. The yellow/orange eggs look like a blob of jelly and have a very sticky surface that attaches to the bottom of the nest. The eggs usually hatch in three to ten days, which are then called fry. The fry stay together in a school. The male will stand guard over the fry for several days after they hatch.
The fry mainly eat zooplankton and insect larvae and soon become active predators. The adult largemouth bass feed almost exclusively on other fish and large invertebrates such as crayfish.
Adult largemouth bass live in shallow water around vegetation. They prefer warmer water temperatures around 80° - 82° F. They seldom go deeper than 20 feet and favor clear waters that do not have a noticeable current. In the winter, they move to deeper water and stay fairly active throughout the winter season.
Because largemouth are usually found around weeds and structure, you might have to switch to a weedless bait. Best fishing times are typically early in the morning and evening during the warm months. In shallow water, the largemouth can detect color, especially red. One research study showed red and white lures caught three times as many largemouths as any other color combinations. Since most colors appear as shades of gray in deeper water, color selection is less important. Largemouth will use their sense of touch to determine whether to swallow an object or not. They will usually hold on to a soft-bodied, artificial worm longer than a metal lure.
Now you know the habitat in which largemouth live. Next time you go fishing, use the information you have learned to increase your catch rate. Study the shoreline to look for vegetation and depth. The more information you know about a species of fish, the better angler you will be. Good luck fishing for largemouth bass. Send us pictures with you and your fish.
