Description

Micropterus salmoides, the largemouth bass, is the most popular game fish in North America. A species of black bass, it’s characterized by a lower jaw that extends beyond the eye. Found in ponds, lakes and rivers they call every state in the Union home—except Alaska. Largemouths are partial to thick submerged vegetation and underwater structure. Bass fishing has taken other countries by storm, too. The current world-record fish—22 pounds, 5 ounces—was caught in 2009 in Lake Biwa, Japan. Bass prefer flat water with abundant vegetation and always seek out some form of cover, whether it’s lily pads, weeds, bush, docks or rocks. Generally they’re found in shallow water, but in an area without sufficient structure can live deep near channels or underwater drop-offs. Adult bass live on a diet of smaller fish, insects, crustaceans and even amphibians. The bass lure market is a multimillion-dollar industry and everything from tiny pinfish to rubber mice have been designed to entice a strike. Traditionally largemouths are caught by pitching lures into heavy cover, but can also be landed through trolling, with fly tackle, and nearly any other means available. If there’s one fish universally loved in the United States, it’s the largemouth bass.