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Chasing the Black Bass species of North America
Black bass are freshwater fish in the genus Micropterus. All black bass are members of the sunfish family (Centrarchidae).
Black bass are sometimes mistakenly referred to as black trout; this is erroneous as bass and trout are not closely related
Fly fishermen often refer to black bass as “green trout”, a term coined to describe the bass’ position as a surrogate species for fishermen who live far away from their beloved trout waters
Black bass species are native to most of North America, including parts of Canada and Mexico
Bass have been stocked throughout the world due to their value as a highly prized game fish
All black bass species have a dull green base color with dark patterns on their sides
The male builds a "bed"(nest) in which a female is induced to deposit her eggs and then fertilizes them. The male continues to guard the eggs and fry until they disperse from the nest.
All black bass are members of the Micropterus genus. Because common names can vary regionally, and even from person to person, Latin names are used to describe the fish species.
Each species of bass is described with the genus name, followed by the species name. For example, the redeye bass is described as Micropterus Coosae (M. Coosae for short)
Bass fishing in America has been defined in the past several decades by competitive bass fishing tournaments. The Bass Slam offers a more personal challenge for fishermen who do not fish competitively, but want a challenge.
The Bass Slam involves catching all of the members of the black bass family. The B.A.S.S. Slam involves catching an average sized fish of all of the members of the black bass family. Participants who complete the slam according to the official rules will receive a certificate of achievement and will be pictured in Bassmaster Magazine. Official Rules
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Fish may be caught by any legal means
Take a picture of the fish lying flat on a measuring board
Take a second picture of the angler holding the fish
Release the fish alive; witness must attest
Download and complete the application
www.bassmaster.com
y Mail the application & photos to Bassmaster Magazine
There are currently nine recognized members of the bass family. A tenth member is all but sure to come. Northern Largemouth
Florida Largemouth
Smallmouth
Northern Spotted
Shoal
Redeye
Suwannee
Guadalupe
Alabama spot
Bartram’s **
** The Bartram’s Bass has not yet officially been recognized as a distinct species
Of the nine species of black bass which are currently recognized, all can be caught in Georgia waters except the Guadalupe bass.
The Bartram’s bass is also found in Georgia waters
* Anglers attempting the B.A.S.S. slam should note that not all species caught in Georgia will qualify . Species must be caught in the area specified in the official B.A.S.S. Slam rules
Latin Name: Micropterus Salmoides Salmoides
Common Names: Northern Largemouth, Black Bass, Linesides, Bigmouth, Bucketmouth, . . .
Range: The largemouth bass is native only to North America, and its historic range was generally the eastern half of the U. S. and southern Ontario and Quebec in Canada. Since the late 1800s, its range has been expanded to include major or minor portions of every state in the United States, except Alaska, and most of the southern fringes of Canada, as well as numerous countries in Europe, Asia, Africa, South America, Central America, and the Caribbean.
Size of Average Fish: 14 inches
Record Fish: same as Florida Largemouth
Identification: The largemouth bass has an elongated and robust shape compared to other members of the sunfish family. It has a distinctively large mouth, as the end of its maxillary (jaw) falls below or beyond the rear margin of the eye; the dorsal fin has a deep notch separating the spiny and soft rays; and the tail is broad and slightly forked. Identification: Color can vary greatly and is especially dependent on biological factors and host environments; the largemouth bass generally has a light green to light brown hue on the back and upper sides, white lower sides and belly, and a broad stripe of diamond‐shaped blotches along the midline of the body. This stripe distinguishes it from the smallmouth bass, as does the upper jaw, which in the smallmouth does not extend past the eye. The largemouth lacks a tooth patch on the tongue, which helps distinguish it from the spotted bass.
Latin Name: Micropterus Salmoides Floridanus
Common Names: Florida Largemouth, Florida Bass, Florida Strain
Range: This fish occurs naturally in Florida. Mixtures of it and northern largemouth are called intergrades, as they are neither pure Florida nor pure northern strains. These fish occur from
northern Florida to Maryland
Size of Average Fish: 16 inches
Record Fish: It’s a tie!
22lbs 4oz George W. Perry Montgomery Lake, GA June 2, 1932
22 lbs., 4 oz. Manabu Kurita Lake Biwa, Japan July 10, 2009
Manabu Kurita's 22‐pound, 4.97‐ounce largemouth bass from Japan's Lake Biwa is now tied with George Perry’s record bass. Although the Japanese giant weighed in slightly heavier than the Perry bass, IGFA's regulations require that a record fish weighing less than 25 pounds be surpassed by two ounces or more.
A largemouth bass weighing 25 pounds 1 ounce was caught by Mac Weakley in Escondido, California's Dixon Lake on March 20, 2006. Unfortunately, Weakley had foul‐hooked the fish. He released it without submitting it for an IGFA record. The fish was found dead in 2008, presumably of old age.
Identification: Although Florida bass grow to trophy size more readily than do northern largemouth bass, positive field identification is almost impossible as it requires counting scales. The lateral line tends to be darker and more blotchy than on its northern cousin, but this cannot be distinguished except to the most trained eye.
Identification:
y Cheek scales same size as rest of body scales
y Green with dark horizontal stripe
y Without rows of dark spots
y Upper jaw extends beyond back of eye
y Smooth tongue
y Dorsal fins not well connected
Latin Name: Micropterus Dolomieu
Common Name: Smallmouth Bass, Brown Bass, Smallie, Brownie, Bronze Bass
Range: Smallmouth bass originally ranged north into Minnesota and southern Quebec, south to the Tennessee River in Alabama and west to eastern Oklahoma and southwestern Arkansas. Today there are few states, east or west of the Rocky Mountains, where populations have not become established. Florida and Louisiana are apparently free of smallmouth bass. In Texas the species has been stocked in numerous areas, particularly streams of the Edwards Plateau.
Size of Average Fish: 12 inches
Record Fish: 11 lbs. 15 oz. Dale Hollow Lake Tennessee 7/9/1955 David Hayes
Identification: The smallmouth bass has a robust, slightly laterally compressed and elongate body; a protruding lower jaw; red eyes; and a broad and slightly forked tail. Its pelvic fins sit forward on the body below the pectoral fins; a single spine is found on each pelvic fin and on the front of the anal fin. The two dorsal fins are joined or notched; the front one is spiny and the second one has one spine followed by soft rays. Its color varies from brown, golden brown, and olive to green on the back, becoming lighter to golden on the sides and white on the belly. Identification: Young fish have more distinct vertical bars or rows of spots on their sides, and the caudal, or tail, fins are orange at the base, followed by black and then white outer edges. The smallmouth is easily distinguished from the largemouth by its clearly connected dorsal fins, the scales on the base portion of the soft‐rayed second dorsal fin, and the upper jawbone, which extends only to about the middle of the eye. The coloration is also distinctive, being usually more brownish in the smallmouth and more greenish in the largemouth.
Identification: y Cheek scales much smaller than rest of body scales
y Bronze and greenish‐brown color
y No dark horizontal stripe
y Without rows of dark spots
y Upper jaw does not extend beyond back of eye
y Tongue usually has rough patch
y Dorsal fins connected
Latin Name: Micropterus Punctulatus
Common Name: Spotted Bass, Spotted Kentucky Bass
Range: Spotted bass were once primarily found in the lower to central Mississippi River drainages of North America, but their range has expanded greatly. They are now found throughout the central and lower Mississippi basin, from southern Ohio and West Virginia to southeastern Kansas and south to the Gulf of Mexico including the Chattahoochee drainage in Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky. Spotted bass have been introduced as far west as California, where some of the larger specimens are now found, and outside North America, including South Africa, where the species has become established in several bodies of water. Size of Average Fish: 12 inches
Record Fish: 10 lbs. 4 oz. Pine Flat Lake California USA 4/21/2001 Bryan Shishido
Identification: The spotted bass has coloration and markings that are similar to those of the largemouth bass. Like all black bass except the largemouth, the spotted bass has scales on the base portion of the second dorsal fin, its first and second dorsal fin are clearly connected, and its upper jawbone does not extend back to or beyond the rear edge of the eyes. The spotted bass has a distinct patch of teeth on the tongue, which the largemouth does not, and there is a large spot on the point of the gill cover. It also has small black spots in alternate rows below the lateral line. Reportedly, spotted bass and smallmouth bass have hybridized in nature, which could make identification of some specimens where both species are known to occur even more difficult.
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Identification: Cheek scales much smaller than rest of body scales
Green with dark horizontal stripe
Rows of dark spots
Upper jaw does not extend much beyond back of eye
Tongue has rough patch
Latin Name: Micropterus Cataractae
Common Name: Shoal bass
Range: The shoal bass is common in the Apalachicola, Chipola River where shoals exists. It is also known in the Chattahoochee and Flint river drainages.
Size of Average Fish: 12 inches
Record Fish: 8 lbs. 12 oz. Apalachicola River Florida 1/28/1995 Carl Davis
Identification: The red color of eyes associates this species with the redeye and Suwannee bass at first glance. However, it is more closely related to the spotted bass morphologically. Shoal bass generally are olive green to nearly black along the back. A dusky dark blotch about 50‐67 percent of the size of the eye occurs on the back edge of the gill cover. Three diagonal black lines radiate along the side of the head looking like war paint. 10‐15 vertical blotches appear along the sides with tiger‐stripes often appearing in between.
Identification: The shoal bass can normally be distinguished from the redeye bass by a prominent spot immediately before the tail and another on the edge of the gill cover, which is generally indistinct on the redeye. The shoal bass also lacks white outer edges on the tail, has smaller scales, and lacks the patch of teeth on the tongue. It has 12 to 13 dorsal rays and 10 to 11 anal rays. Latin Name: Micropterus Coosae
Common Name: Redeye bass
Range: Redeye bass are found in the Alabama, the Savannah, the Coosa, the Chattahoochee, and the Warrior River systems in Georgia and Alabama, and in southeastern Tennessee (Conasauga drainage). They have been introduced to a limited degree in California, Puerto Rico, and Kentucky’s upper Cumberland River drainage. Shoal bass occur in
the Apalachicola River system in Florida and in the Chattahoochee, the Chestatee, and the Flint Rivers in Georgia.
Size of Average Fish: 8 inches
Record Fish: 8 lb., 12 oz.
Apalachicola River, FL (1995) *not listed in IGFA records
Identification: The redeye bass is normally characterized by a red colored eye; the fish is bronze olive above, with brownish to greenish sides, and yellow‐white to blue below, usually with dark vertical bars on the flanks. It has a prominent dark spot on the gill cover and rows of dark spots on the lower sides, as well as white upper and lower outer edges on the orange‐tinged tail. Identification: The upper jaw of its large mouth extends to the rear portion of the eye but not beyond, and there is usually a patch of teeth on the tongue. The redeye has redder fins than do other black bass; the first and the second dorsal fins are connected, and the second dorsal and the caudal fins and the front of the anal fin are brick red on young fish. There is a dusky spot on the base of the tail, which is also darkest on a young fish. There are 12 dorsal rays and 10 anal rays. Spawning: Spawning occurs in spring, when water temperatures are between 60° and 70°F, usually over coarse gravel at the head of a pool. Males build the nest and guard the eggs and fry.
Food: Redeye feed primarily on terrestrial and larval insects, crayfish, and small fish
Habitat: Inhabiting the rocky runs and pools of creeks and small to medium rivers, redeye bass prefer the cold headwaters of small streams. They seldom exist in natural lakes, ponds, or
reservoirs, and they prefer water temperatures in the mid‐60s. Shoal bass are most likely to thrive in main‐channel habitats.
Latin Name: Micropterus Notius
Common Name: Suwannee bass
Range: Native to the Suwannee and Ochlockonee River systems of Florida and Georgia. Also occupies spring‐fed lower reaches of the Santa Fe and Ichetucknee rivers, tributaries of the Suwannee River and the St. Marks and Aucilla/Wacissa systems where it was introduced.
Size of Average Fish: 10 inches
Record Fish: 3 lbs. 14 oz. Suwannee River Florida 3/2/1985 Ronnie Everett
Identification: A heavy‐bodied bass seldom exceeding 12 inches long. The most unique characteristic of a mature Suwannee bass is its bright turquoise, blue coloring on the cheeks, breast, and ventral parts. The upper jaw does not extend beyond the eye. Also, there is a shallow notch between the dorsal fins with a distinct connection between the spiny and soft‐rayed dorsal fins. A pattern of dark vertical blotches occurs along the lateral line. There is generally a distinct dark blotch where the lateral line meets the caudal fin. Scales are present on bases of dorsal, anal and caudal fins.
Latin Name: Micropterus Treculii
Common Name: Guadalupe bass
Range: In North America, Guadalupe bass are restricted to the Edwards Plateau in the Brazos, Colorado, Guadalupe, San Antonio, and upper Nueces (where introduced) River drainages in southern Texas
Size of Average Fish: 10 inches
Record Fish: 3 lbs. 11 oz. Lake Travis, Austin Texas 9/25/1983 Allen Christenson, Jr.
Identification: The Guadalupe bass is similar to the spotted bass in appearance. It has 10 to 12 dark bars along its sides, which
are less distinct in older fish; it usually has 16 pectoral rays and 26 to 27 scales around the caudal peduncle.
Latin Name: Micropterus Henshalii
Common Name: Alabama spotted bass
Natural Range: Alabama River drainage
Present Range: due to illegal stocking, the Alabama spot may be found all across the U.S. Range includes Ohio to the Carolinas and parts of California
Size of Average Fish: 12 inches
Record Fish: 8 lb. 15 oz. caught in the Lewis Smith Reservoir in the late 1970s
* not listed in IGFA records
Identification: The Alabama spotted bass has a dark spot at the base of the tail and on the rear of the gill cover and 68 to 75 scales along the lateral line. The northern spotted bass also has a spot on the tail, but the spot on the gill cover is not as distinct, and there are only 60 to 68 scales along the lateral line.
Latin Name: Micropterus Bartrami
Common Name: Bartram’s bass, redeye bass
Natural Range: Savannah River Drainage (including Lake Hartwell)
Size of Average Fish: 8 inches?
Record Fish: pending recognition as a species
** for the B.A.S.S. Slam, the Bartram’s Bass currently counts as a northern spotted bass
Largemouth: just about any warm water in the Southeast!
Fl. Largemouth: Central & South Florida
Smallmouth: Savannah River, Virginia waters
N. Spotted:
Chattahoochee River; Etowah River
Shoal: Flint River
Redeye: Amicalola Creek, Conasauga
Suwannee: Suwannee & Ochlockonee River Systems
Alabama Spot: Coosa, Tallapoosa, Black Warrior & Tombigbee Rivers
Guadalupe:
South Llano River, TX
Bartram’s: Savannah River drainage