Large-Mouth Bass

Largemouth bass &nbsp

The largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) is a species of black bass in the sunfish family native to North America. It is also known as widemouth bass, bigmouth, black bass, bucketmouth, Potter's fish, Florida bass, Florida largemouth, green bass, green trout, linesides, Oswego bass, southern largemouth and (paradoxically) northern largemouth.[2 ] The largemouth bass is the state fish of Alabama[3 ] (official freshwater fish), Georgia,[4 ] Mississippi,[5 ] Florida[6 ] (state freshwater fish), and Tennessee[7 ] (official sport fish). {| class="toc" id="toc"

Contents
[hide] *1 Physical description
 * 2 Forage
 * 3 Angling
 * 4 Invasive species
 * 5 References
 * }

[edit] Physical description
The largemouth is an olive green fish, marked by a series of dark, sometimes black, blotches forming a jagged horizontal stripe along each flank. The upper jaw (maxilla) of a largemouth bass extends beyond the rear margin of the orbit.[8 ] In comparison to age, a female bass is larger than a male.[9 ] The largemouth is the largest of the black basses, reaching a maximum recorded overall length of 29.5 in (75 cm)[10 ] and a maximum unofficial weight of 25 pounds 1 ounce (11.4 kg).[10 ] The fish lives 16 years on average.[11 ]

[edit] Forage
Depiction of largemouth bass in its habitatThe juvenile largemouth bass consumes mostly small bait fish, scuds, small shrimp, and insects. Adults consume smaller fish (bluegill), snails, crawfish (crayfish), frogs, snakes, salamanders, bats and even small water birds, mammals, and baby alligators.[12 ] In larger lakes and reservoirs, adult bass occupy deeper water than younger fish, and shift to a diet consisting almost entirely of smaller fish like shad, yellow perch, ciscoes, shiners, and sunfish. It also consumes younger members of larger fish species, such as pike, catfish, trout, walleye, white bass, striped bass, and even smaller black bass. Prey items can be as large as 25 to 50% of the bass's body length.

Studies of prey utilization by largemouths show that in weedy waters, bass grow more slowly due to difficulty in acquiring prey. Less weed cover allows bass to more easily find and catch prey, but this consists of more open-water baitfish. Paradoxically, with little or no cover, bass can devastate the prey population and starve or be stunted. Fisheries managers must consider these factors when designing regulations for specific bodies of water. Under overhead cover, such as overhanging banks, brush, or submerged structure, such as weedbeds, points, humps, ridges, and drop-offs, the largemouth bass uses its senses of hearing, sight, vibration, and smell to attack and seize its prey. It can sometimes hold up to five sunfish in its mouth. Adult largemouth are generally apex predators within their habitat, but they are preyed upon by many animals while young.[13 ]

[edit] Angling
Main article: Bass fishingLargemouth bass, caught and released in MinnesotaLargemouth are keenly sought after by anglers and are noted for the excitement of their fight. The fish will often become airborne in their effort to throw the hook, but many say that their cousin species, the smallmouth bass, can beat them pound for pound.[14 ] Anglers most often fish for largemouth bass with lures such as plastic worms (and other plastic baits), jigs, crankbaits and spinnerbaits. A recent trend is the use of large swimbaits to target trophy bass that often forage on juvenile rainbow trout in California. Live bait, such as nightcrawlers, minnows, frogs, or crawfish can also be productive. In fact, large golden shiners are one of the best things to use to catch trophy bass, especially when they are sluggish in the heat of summer time or in the cold of winter. Largemouth bass are known to take any bait they consider alive.[citation needed]

There is a strong cultural pressure among largemouth bass anglers which encourages the fish's live release, especially the larger specimens. Largemouth bass, if handled with care, respond well to catch and release. The main reasoning is that larger specimens are usually breeding females that contribute heavily to future sport fishing stocks.

The Largemouth Bass has been known to exist in many of the lower 48 states of the U.S. Although it is most popular in the southeastern states, many different varieties of the largemouth bass can be found in the north and western regions. They are an invasive species in the Canadian province of New Brunswick, bringing in sea lice and eating native fish.[citation needed]

[edit] Invasive species
The Largemouth bass has been introduced into many other countries due to its popularity as a sports fish with tasty flesh. It causes the decline, displacement or extinctions of species in its new habitat, for example in Namibia.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-14">[15 ]

Though the Largemouth Bass is not the largest of its family, it is common in many bodies of water in the southeastern United States. In the northern portion of its territory it prefers smaller lakes and ponds. Largemouth bass are very aggressive fish and will strike at nearly anything they consider alive; anglers tell stories of them taking small birds, rodents, and even baby alligators<sup class="Template-Fact" style="white-space: nowrap;">[citation needed].