The Largemouth Bass

    The largemouth bass also known as a black bass is more and more everyday becoming the best sports fish in the United States. It is definitely a sought after game fish that we have made into a sport. Fishing departments have control over the size you may keep depending on your state, which helps control the bass population, and will continually better the sport for all anglers. On a ranking of 1 to 10 bass for eating quality opinions vary, but for the most part, people enjoy the taste.
    To identify the largemouth bass, look for a black band on each side of the bass that run from head to toe. If you look at different bass photos, you can also tell that they change color depending on where you are, the season and temperature of the water. The back of the mouth also extends past the eye of the largemouth bass.
    The current world record for the largemouth bass is 22 pounds 4 ounce which was caught in Georgia by George Perry in 1932. However, in March 2006 a reported 25 pound 1 ounce bass was caught in California. Due to some circumstances of the catch, the bass was not entered in the actual record book.
    Many bass usually caught average anywhere from 1 to 3 pounds. It depends greatly on the location of where you are catching these bass. The further south you fish the bigger they get due to the fact of the warmer waters. Bass grow much faster in warmer waters than cold.

Senses

Smell – Their sense of smell is great. They could attack your bait based on how it smells or could flee. It’s said that bass hate hand lotion, nicotine and bug spray. Wouldn’t you if it was on your food? Wash hands with minimal soap before going out to fish, and keep the touching of your baits to a minimum. You can also buy scented gels and sprays to hide “off smells.”
Hearing – Bass have ears located in their skulls. From trolling motors to walking on the bank, the bass can hear you approaching so take caution. Also, don’t be scared to talk to your fishing buddy. Most air waves are deflected once it hits the water. However, you moving or thumping around in your boat can be heard very well.
Sight – Think of it as a foggy day. The foggier it is, the harder to see. It is the same concept when it comes to bass. They can see better in clear water. Temperature also makes a difference. It is said that the colder the water gets, the better their vision gets. Bass can also see in color, so test out different colors if one bait isn’t working for you.
Lateral Line – Bass have this lateral line which is a number of pores on the side of the bass. This is said to be the most important sense. They use this to detect the size of the lure you’re using as well as how fast it’s going and the vibrations it puts off.

Food

    Bass eat a wide variety of foods including crawfish, other fish, worms, small ducklings, mice, rats, small birds, frogs, insects, snakes and just about anything you can throw at them if presented in the right way. In other words, anything they can fit in their mouth.

Habitat

    Bass prefer slow to sluggish water like ponds, lakes and reservoirs. Bass can also be found in rivers as well. They enjoy cover like fallen trees, rocks, vegetation and just about anything they can hide in.

Reproduction

    Bass usually spawn when the water temperature reaches 60 F. (Usually from May to June timeframe.) They enjoy a hard flat bottom like clay, sand or rocks. The nest is constructed by the male who then guards the nest once eggs are laid. The female bass can lay up to 20,000 eggs at one time. The female is most cases are always larger than the male.

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