The largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) is a widely known freshwater game fish belonging to the Centrarchidae (sunfish) family. It is alternatively called the widemouth bass, lineside bass, green trout, or trophy bass, and it is one of six other species that make up the black basses.
Largemouth bass has a greenish-gray or olive green oval-shaped body with irregular black horizontal lines or specks on either side of their body. The underside of largemouth bass can also vary in color from a light green to white, and they are typically longer and more robust than other sunfish family members. Its most recognizable features are its upper jaw or maxilla, which extends past the eye and gives the fish its name, and its dorsal fin, which is divided into two, with the anterior portion containing nine spines and the posterior containing thirteen soft rays.
Largemouth basses are ravenous carnivores and leading predators in their ecosystem. While the diet of the younger largemouth primarily includes water fleas, small bait fish, shrimp, and insects, adult largemouth bass consume smaller fish, snails, frogs, snakes, turtle and alligator hatchlings, and even water mammals. They also feed on the young of larger fishes like catfish, trout, and even other members of the black bass family. However, they do not hunt or eat while breeding or if the temperature of their habitat changes.
Largemouth bass lives in medium-sized water bodies like ponds, lakes, rivers, and creeks. They prefer warm, shallow, and muddy waters with ample aquatic vegetation, which the young ones use to hide from predators and the adults use to ambush their prey. Their average length is 18-24 inches, and the world record largemouth bass, caught in 1932, weighed 22 pounds and four ounces.
In the spring, when water temperatures are between 55-75 degrees Fahrenheit, largemouth bass begins their spawning process. Male largemouth fish construct a hollow, circular nest with their tails using gravel, sand, or weeds. When the nest is complete, the male finds a female in the area to mate with. The two fish swim around the nest to deposit eggs and sperm, and the male guards the nest until the eggs hatch. The young ones linger in the nest for a few days until they become pigmented, and then they move into the water in search of food.
The largemouth bass is a well-known game fish, mainly due to its size and aggressive mannerisms when caught, which include going airborne to try withdrawing the hook. Although the fish is native to North America, its popularity as a game fish has introduced it to water bodies across American states and continents. When fishing for largemouth bass, anglers use live bait like worms, minnows, and frogs. They also use artificial lures such as plastic worms, spinnerbaits, and crankbaits.
Anglers must understand the habitats and movement patterns of largemouth bass to have good fishing chances, and they use techniques such as trolling, drift fishing, and still fishing when trying to catch largemouth bass. Anglers also practice ‘catch and release’ with adult largemouth bass capable of breeding to avoid reducing the fishing population in a particular location.
