The largemouth bass is one of the most important gamefish in North America. The largemouth can be distinguished from the smallmouth on three key points. The mouth of the largemouth is larger and it’s upper jaw extends behind the eye, while the mouth of the smallmouth doesn’t. Secondly, the spiny portion of the largemouth’s dorsal fin is almost separated from the soft rear portion. In the smallmouth both portions of the dorsal fin are connected as one continuous fin. The smallmouth also has scales overlapping the soft dorsal fin. These scales are not present in the largemouth. The largemouth bass is black to greenish and wears a dark horizontal band from head to tail. The smallmouth is bronze to brownish in color and sports prominent vertical markings on it’s side.

Largemouth bass are found in almost every state in the country, but originally they were indigenous to southeastern Canada through the Great Lakes, and south through the Mississippi Valley to Mexico and Florida and up the Atlantic coast to Maryland. This range gradually extended to west of the Rockies and then into New England.

The largemouth bass thrives in shallow, weedy lakes or in river backwaters. These bass prefer weedy habitat, not only because their food supply is abundant in these areas, but also aquatic vegetation and sunken debris provides the bass with suitable protection. They are usually found in waters less than twenty feet and will seldom move beyond areas where vegetation is present.

Food sources for young largemouth bass consists of tiny crustaceans and as they mature insects, crayfish, frogs, and fish are added to their diets. Feeding habits drop off in the late fall and throughout the winter as cold water slows their metabolism. As water temperatures start to warm during the spring months, heavy feeding pattern, once again, resume.

In the north, largemouth spawn in the spring when water temperatures reach 62 - 65 degrees. This can occur from early May until late June. The male bass will clear out a nest of about twenty inches in circumference and about six inches deep. They prefer sand or gravel but will nest in any available bottom. Nesting usually occurs within 8 feet of shore and at depths of 12 to 36 inches of water. Once the nest is completed, the male entices the female to spawn. The female usually lays a few hundred eggs at a time and then they are fertilized by the male. The eggs are adhesive and fasten to the bottom of the nest. The female then departs but may return to the same nest to spawn with the same male or spawn in the nest of several other males. The number of eggs found in a nest can vary from several hundred to several thousand. Females usually contain 2,000 to 7,000 eggs per pound of body weight.

The male largemouth guards the nest during incubation and shortly after. Depending on water temperatures, the eggs will hatch in roughly 7 to 10 days. Bass fry remain in the nest until the yolk sack is absorbed, after which they school, frequenting the shallows where microscopic food is abundant. They usually remain in schools until they reach an inch in length. Once the bass reach lengths of about two inches, they start to feed on smaller fish.

The growth rate of the largemouth bass is variable based upon environmental conditions. In the northern states, bass may grow 2 to 4 inches during the first year, 5 to 7 inches during the second year and 8 to 11 inches during it’s third year of life. By the time a largemouth residing in the north reaches 18 to 19 inches, he is usually 7 to 8 years of age. Southern bass grow at a much faster rate and can attain weights of 20 pounds or better, whereas northern bass seldom reach weights in excess of 10 pounds.

The largemouth bass will take just about any bait that it thinks is alive. Worms, insects, frogs, crayfish and live minnows are all considered to be prime bass baits and yield good numbers of bass for enthusiastic anglers. Flies, streamers, plugs, spinners and spoons are also very effective in attracting largemouth bass. Successful anglers must learn how to present these artificial lures in such a manner that they appear to be alive to the bass. Failing to achieve this, bass will readily pass over these offerings. Experiments conducted in a laboratory environment revealed that bass can distinguish colors. Among casting lures bass preferred red, them white, silver then black in that order. Among fly rod offerings, pure yellow, white with any other color and brown in a combination of other colors were preferred.

The largemouth bass continues to entice anglers of all ages. Competitive fishing in tournaments has become a large part of the fishing scene in most all sections of the country. In the north, bass fishing through the ice is a popular weekend event. Ice fishing competitions are frequently held throughout the winter and anglers score some impressive catches. Bass fishing has become a popular sport to be enjoyed twelve months a year.