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Freshwater Fish Species
The black bass family of the sunfish species
Saltwater Fish Species
Largemouth Bass Fish Identification, its habitats, characteristics, fishing methods.
The Largemouth Bass is one of the most exciting fresh water fish to catch. They also highly considered on the dinner table. The most interesting that the very basic (pole with worm) are still extremely effective. To do well in bass fishing, the best way is to study the creature, where it lives, what environment and water temperatures they prefer, what type of bait or lure better to use.
Bass loves to be over sheltered areas where old trees are under the water are used by smaller fish as a cover. The Largemouth Bass feed on red worms, leaf worms, night crawlers, leeches, bee moth, crayfish, and minnows. It can be caught on all types of artificial baits, from under water spinners and spoons to top water lures. More knowledge about the Largemouth Bass can surely help you to increase your catch. Better knowing and understanding the bass feeding and spawning habits will make you a more successful angler and will help to catch them considerably.
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The Largemouth Bass - Micropterus Salmoides, belong to the Sunfish family, also known as Widemouth Bass, Bigmouth, Black Bass, Bucketmouth, Florida Bass, Florida Largemouth, Green Bass, Green Trout, Linesides, Oswego Bass, and Southern Largemouth. It is the largest member of a black bass family. Originally found only East of the Mississippi River and south of the Great Lakes, Largemouth Bass are populated throughout the continental United States and Hawaii, Southern Canada and most of Mexico, in Europe, Asia, Africa, and South America.
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Description
The Largemouth Bass have green color with dark horizontal stripe on the middle of the fish on both sides. Two dorsal fins are almost separated by a noticeable deep dip. Second dorsal fin does not have any scales. Body longer than deep, upper jaw extends beyond rear of eye, dark lateral streak. The bottom ranges in color from light green to almost white. They have a nearly divided dorsal fin with the anterior portion containing 9 spines and the following portion containing 12 to 13 soft rays. The largemouth bass mouth extends to, and often beyond the rear edge of the eyes.
They actually have 6 senses: Along with the normal, hearing, sight, smell, taste, and touch they also have the lateral line, which is a series of sensitive nerve endings that extends from just behind the gill to the tail on each side of the fish.
The lateral line picks up underwater vibrations as subtle as a swimming baitfish. Using lateral lines help the bass find food and survive even in the murkiest of waters or even if they are blinded by an eye injury.
They hear with internal ears located within the skull.
They easy can see in waters between 5 and 10 feet, but in clear water they can see 30 feet or even more. They can also see objects that are above the water, in clear water you should always try to wear clothing that will match your background. They can see in all directions except directly below or directly behind them.
In shallow water they can detect color, especially red. Because their eyes absorb a lot of light, it helps the fish to see its food in weak light or total dark at night. They feed at any time of the day or night, but are trying not to leave shade to search for food when it’s bright. They prefer to stay in shady areas or under low light conditions.
They smell through nostrils, or nares, on their snout. The nares are short passageways through which water is drawn and excluded without going to the throat. They can detect tiny amounts of scent in the water, but not as scent as catfish, salmon or trout.
They use their sense of touch to find out whether to swallow or reject an object. They will usually hold on longer to a soft-bodied, artificial worm than a metal lure. The bass has very few taste cells in their mouths, so it is not that important sense for the fish.
Habitats
Largemouth bass prefer clear quiet nonflowing waters with no obvious current, but can tolerate a wide range of water clarities and different bottom types. They normally are found in the upper levels of warm water (70-85 degree F) in small lakes, shallow bays of large lakes, and in large, slow rivers. They prefer areas of soft bottom with stumps of water lilies, cattails, and pond weeds. Largemouth bass seek protective cover such as logs, rock ledges, vegetation, and man-made structures.
In early morning and late evening fish hang around the top/shallow part of the humps and points, by midday they dropped deeper down the side of the point or the hump. In winter they dwell on or near the lake bottom, but stay fairly active throughout the season.
Largemouth bass prefer waters with aquatic vegetation where food and cover are available. They occupy brackish to freshwater habitats, including upper estuaries, rivers, lakes, reservoirs and ponds. They are usually found at depths less than 20 feet.
The diet of bass changes with its size. Young fish feed on microscopic animals (zooplankton) and small crustaceans such as grass shrimp and crayfish. Fingerling bass feed on insects, crayfish, and small fishes. Adult bass will eat whatever is available, including fish, crayfish, crabs, frogs, salamanders, snakes, mice, turtles and even birds.
Spawning
Spawning occurs from December through May, but mostly begins in February and March when water temperatures reach 58 to 65 degrees and continues as temperatures rise into the 70s. The male builds saucer-shaped nests 20 to 30 inches in diameter by placing its lower jaw near the bottom and rotating around this central location. Bass prefer to build nests in hard-bottom areas along shallow shorelines or in protected areas such as canals and coves.
The female can lay up to 100,000 eggs, depending on her size. Eggs are fertilized as they settle into the nest. After spawning is completed, typically 5 to 10 days, the male guards the nest and eggs and later the young attacking anything that come close to the nest. The female bass stays near the nest or may swim a short distance for food. After hatching, the fry swim in tight schools, until the small fish reach a length of about one inch.
Unique characteristics between male and female bass based on external characteristics are very difficult, except with mature fishes during spawning season. At that time, a milky substance (milt) may appear at the vent of males and a few greenish colored eggs can be extruded from the vent of females. Females grow significantly larger than males, and all bass over 8 pounds are female.
Fishing Methods are spin-casting, still fishing, Bait-casting and pole fishing. Largemouth bass is taking any bait it considers alive. Live bait, such as nightcrawlers, minnows, frogs or crawfish is great. Lures such as plastic worms (and other plastic baits), jigs, crankbaits and spinnerbaits, large golden shiners all work good. Feeding occurs at water temperatures above 50 F (10 C). Almost no feeding takes place during the winter, when their metabolism is decreased.
Largemouth bass are light sensitive. Fishing for bass is better on cloudy days than bright sunny days. Rain seems to trigger bass into feeding heavily. With rain bugs wash into the water and the baitfish go and gather most of them up, the clouds block out sunlight, this allows them to creep away from their cover and become active. A thunderstorm or heavy rain is bad for fishing bass. Early morning and late evening, during low light periods, fishing can be very satisfying. During a cold front bass become slow and are sent deeper than usual.
Great rods for Largemouth bass fishing are:
24ft Telescopic Fishing Pole
21ft Fishing Pole made of 99% Carbon
18ft Telescopic Carbon Pole
12ft Telescopic Fishing Hera Rod 99% Carbon
18ft Telescopic Spinning Rod
12ft Telescopic Spinning Rod
12ft Telescopic Casting Light Rod
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