Fresh Water Feature Pt.1 - Large Mouth Bass

Large Mouth Bass are a native freshwater species of bass that can be found throughout lakes and canals of the United States, primarily in the Southern states though.  The female largemouth can be significantly larger than male, and is easily recognizable during the spring spawning season by their fat belly which is full of unfertilized eggs.  They are primarily a dark greenish brown on top that fades to a whitish belly.  All of their miscellaneous fins are a dark green and they have trademark large beady black eyes.  

Largemouth bass feed primarily on small bait fish, crawfish, and insects; although it is not uncommon for the larger bass to feed on small water birds and even baby alligators.  Prey items can be 50% or larger than the bass itself and still be consumed.  Largemouth bass are highly sought after by anglers for their exciting catch and eagerness to eat, which leads to less time sitting and waiting with a line in the water.  Fly fishing has become the new trend in the world of fishing especially in large freshwater game species like the Largemouth.  Fly fishing for Largemouth can either be done with a top water lure or worm imitations tied with brightly colored natural or synthetic materials.  

My preferred method for bass fishing, especially Largemouth is a midwater swimming lure; reeled in a slow continuous movement, or live bait such as shiners (the larger the bait the larger the catch) on a lightly weighted line with a sinker to draw the bait to the bottom of the water.  With bass you tend to need a lighter class rod with a flexible tip and line ranging from 5 to 8 pound test.  Anything higher can be seen by the fish and is less likely to lead to a successful catch.