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Bass fishing - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Bass fishing
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Bass fishing is the activity of angling for the North American gamefish known
colloquially as the black bass. There are numerous black bass species considered as
gamefish in North America, including largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides),
smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieui), Spotted bass or Kentucky bass (Micropterus
punctatus), Guadalupe bass (Micropterus treculii), and many other species and subspecies
of the genus Micropterus. Though referred to as bass, all are actually members of the
sunfish family (Centrarchidae: order Perciformes).
Modern bass fishing has evolved into a multi-billion dollar industry[1] The sport has
changed drastically since its beginnings in the late 1800s. From humble beginnings, the
black bass has become the second most specifically sought-after game fish in the United
States. The sport has driven the development of all manner of fishing gear, including rods,
reels, lines, lures, electronic depth and fish-finding instruments, drift boats, float tubes,
and specialized bass boats.
Spotted Bass from the Coosa River near
Wetumpka, Alabama (Released)
Contents
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1 The sport
2 Background
3 Rise of modern bass fishing
4 Population management
5 Other species
6 Competition
7 See also
8 References
9 Books and secondary references
10 External links
The sport
All black bass are well-known as strong fighters, and are fished recreationally. Depending upon
species and various other factors such as water quality and availability of food, black bass may be
found in lakes, reservoirs, ponds, rivers, streams, creeks, even roadside ditches. Largemouth are
known for their overall size and resistance when hooked, favoring short, powerful runs and escape to
cover such as submerged logs or weedbeds.[2] Smallmouth bass tend to jump more and fight
aggressively on the surface when hooked, in order to throw the hook. Large mouth bass tend to go
after topwater and dark colored plastic worms. All bass are scent as well as visual predators so care
should be taken to ensure no foreign scents, like tobacco, contaminate soft plastics. Largemouth bass
anglers tend to catch and release. Bass are usually fileted when taken for the table, and the flesh is
white and firm, with a delicate taste when cooked. Largemouth bass offer the best striking ability of all
bass and usually give the fisherman the most action.[3] However, more bass anglers are adopting
"catch and release" angling where the bass are returned to the water after being hooked and retrieved.
Background
Bass fishing in the United States largely evolved on its own, and was not influenced by angling
developments in Europe or other parts of the world. Indeed modern British sea bass fisherman look to
the United States freshwater bass techniques for inspiration for lure fishing and to the USA, Japan and
China for tackle. During the early to mid-1800s, wealthy sport anglers in the United States (mostly
located in the northeastern portion of the country) largely confined themselves to trout and salmon
fishing using fly rods. While smallmouth bass were sought by some fly fishermen[4], most bass fishing
was done by sustenance anglers using poles and live bait. The working-class heritage of bass fishing
strongly influenced the sport and is manifested even today in its terminology, hobbyist literature, and
media coverage.[2]
M. salmoides (Largemouth Bass)
caught by an angler in Iowa
In the mid-1800s, bass fishing became stupid and nobody did it anymore. the first artificial lure used
for bass was developed in the form of an Artificial fly. At first, these artificial fly patterns were largely
derivations of existing trout and salmon flies. As time went on, new fly patterns were specifically
developed to fish for bass, as well as heavier spinner/fly lures that could be cast by the baitcasting and
fixed-spool casting reels and rods available at the time.[2][5] Floating wooden lures(plugs) or poppers
of lightweight cork or balsa were introduced around 1900, sometimes combined with hooks dressed
with artificial fur or feathers.[2]
In the United States, the sport of bass fishing was greatly advanced by the stocking of largemouth and
Smallmouth Bass caught on the
smallmouth bass outside their native ranges in the latter portion of the 19th century. As the nation's
Missouri
River in Niobrara, NE
railroad system expanded, large numbers of 'tank' ponds were built by damming various small creeks
that intersected the tracks in order to provide water for steam engines; later, new towns often sprang
up alongside these water stops. Shippers found that black bass were a hardy species that could be transported in buckets or barrels via the
railroad, sometimes using the spigot from the railroad water tank to aerate the fingerlings.[5]
Largemouth bass were often stocked in tank ponds and warmer lakes, while smallmouth bass were
distributed to lakes and rivers throughout the northern and western United States, as far west as
California. Smallmouth were transplanted east of the Appalachians just before the Civil War, and afterwards introduced into New England.[2]
[6]
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Largemouth bass populations boomed after the U.S. Department of Agriculture began to advise and
assist farmers in constructing and stocking farm ponds with largemouth bass, even offering advice on
managing various fish species. Soon, those who had stocked largemouth bass on their farm ponds
began to pursue them on a burgeoning number of new reservoirs and impoundments built in the
United States during the 1940s and 1950s. These impoundments coincided with a postwar fishing
boom, additional funds from sales of fishing licenses for the first large-scale attempts at bass fisheries
management. This was especially true in the southern United States, where the largemouth bass
thrived in waters too warm or turbid for other types of gamefish.[2][5]
With increased industrialization and development, many of the nation's eastern trout rivers were
dammed, polluted, or allowed to silt up, raising water temperatures and killing off the native brook
trout. Smallmouth bass were often introduced to northern rivers now too warm for native trout, and
slowly became a popular gamefish with many anglers.[2] Equally adaptable to large, cool-water
impoundments and reservoirs, the smallmouth also spread far beyond its original native range. Later, smallmouth populations also began to
decline after years of damage caused by overdevelopment and industrial and agricultural pollution, as well as a loss of river habitat caused by
damming many formerly wild rivers in order to form lakes or reservoirs. In recent years, a renewed emphasis on preserving water quality and
riparian habitat in the nation's rivers and lakes, together with stricter management practices, eventually benefited smallmouth populations and
has caused a resurgence in their popularity with anglers.[2][5]
M. salmoides (Largemouth Bass)
caught by an angler in Connecticut.
Rise of modern bass fishing
By the early 1900s, bass fishing had been well established as a sport with its own following. Though
the use of artificial lures for bass had begun with the Artificial fly and fly fishing tackle, the bait
casting rod and reel soon came to dominate the sport. Although fixed-spool reels were introduced in
use in the United States as early as the 1870s, spinning reels and rods did not gain wide acceptance as
an angling tool until the 1950s.[7] Since that time, most bass anglers have used bait casting or spinning
tackle, using either artificial lures or live bait (See Fishing rod, Fishing reel).
During the 1950s and 1960s, the development of specific angling tools for bass significantly increased
angler bass catches and helped stimulate the development of the sport. Some of these innovations
include the invention of monofilament nylon fishing lines, the fiberglass (later graphite composite)
fishing rod, the electric trolling motor, the fish finder/depth locator, and new artificial lures and baits
made of various plastics. Recently, advanced electronics that mimic the sounds of schooling bait fish
have been introduced, and a controversy has arisen over the proper use of these devices in bass
tournament fishing.
Example of a very young specimen
of M. salmoides (Largemouth Bass)
caught by an angler in Minnesota.
Since the early 1990s, fly fishing for bass, particularly smallmouth bass, has again become popular, using fly patterns, rods, and fly lines
suited for bass.[8][9]
Fishermen, conservation groups, and governmental wildlife departments have introduced black bass of various species across the world for
the sport of fishing. Outside North America, Japan and South Africa have active programs.
Bass fishing as a sport was helped along by the chase for the standing world record which has held for over 75 years. Though surrounded by
controversy it is widely accepted that in 1932 a 22 pound 4 ounce bass was caught by George Perry in Montgomery Lake, Georgia. It is one
of the longest standing records in the sport of fishing. This record was tied on July 2, 2009 when Aichi Japan resident Manabu Kurita caught a
22 pound 4 ounce largemouth bass in Lake Biwa.[10]
Population management
The increasingly popularity of the sport combined with "catch and release" practices have in some
cases led to an overpopulation of bass.
An overpopulated, stunted bass population can best be detected in the spring when all the bass are at
least one year old. If virtually all the bass are 4 inches long or smaller, the population is probably
stunted. Some indicators that a bass population is overpopulated:
(a) The largemouth bass caught are all less than 1 pound and are "skinny". (b) The bluegills are 1/2
pound and larger (too large for the bass to eat). An overpopulation an/or stunting of bass may be
caused by several factors including: (a) Not enough bass being harvested. (b) Too few bluegill or
redear sunfish were stocked initially or they are failing to reproduce and the bass population does not
have an adequate food supply.
Typical aluminum bass boat with
gas motor and electric trolling motor
It is posited that the easiest way to control an overpopulation of largemouth bass is by increasing the
take of bass. This is clearly an effective method of thinning the bass population providing recreation at
the same time - which is more important to American Bass anglers. It may take two to three years to
bring the population back into balance. If forage fish are scarce, stock adult bluegill or redear sunfish
(7 to 8 inches long). These fish will be too large to be eaten by the bass. The large panfish will spawn
in the spring and produce a supply of forage. [1]
Other species
Center console aluminum bass boat
Black bass should not be confused with a multitude of unrelated fish species found around the world and called "bass", such as the butterfly
Peacock Bass (Cichla ocellaris), speckled Peacock bass (Cichla temensis), Papuan Black Bass (Lutjanus goldiei) (also called Niugini bass),
Australian bass, Rock bass (Ambloplites rupestris), American Striped Bass, and British sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax).
Competition
There are several major bass fishing competitions in the United States with the two most dominant circuit being Bassmasters and the FLW
series.
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The Bassmaster Tournament Trail is organized by the Bass Anglers Sportsman Society (B.A.S.S.). It was started by Ray Scott, the "father" of
competitive bass fishing. First held in 1969, today, professionals like Michael Iaconelli, Kevin VanDam, Aaron Martens, Rick Clunn, and
Luke Clausen are household names to many American sports fans. There are 12 events in which the top 50 anglers compete. The top prize in
the Bassmaster Classic is $500,000.
The Wal-Mart FLW Tour was named after Forrest L. Wood of Ranger Boats fame. The top prize of the Forrest Wood Cup is $1 Million. Both
tours are nationally televised on networks like ESPN and Fox Sports Net (ESPN actually owns and operates B.A.S.S.), and covered
extensively by news media.
On the West Coast, WON BASS has been the main regional circuit in operation since the 1980s Annually, WON BASS conducts the U.S.
Open of Bass Fishing at Lake Mead, Nevada which annually pays back nearly $500,000 per event. This is a test of both angling skill and
endurance as the anglers compete for 3 days in the scorching hot sun and windy conditions of the Mohave desert. Renowned anglers Ricky
Clunn, Byron Velvick, Aaron Martens, and Gary Klein have all been crowned champions during the Open's 25 year history
In modern bass fishing competitions, caught bass are placed in a live well, and released as soon as caught and weighed by officials.
Competitors are penalized heavily for dead fish and in some cases dead fish are not weighed. Fish turned in for weighing are immediately
released or placed in tanks and treated for stress and glyco-protein (slime coat) injury, then released back into the water.
Competitive bass fishing has also spread to anglers in other countries such as Japan, Australia and South Africa. Takahiro Omori, a Japanese
angler living in Texas, won the 2004 Bassmaster Classic title. Australian tournaments are based on a native freshwater fish called Australian
bass that is unrelated to largemouth bass.
See also
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Striped bass fishing
References
1. ^ Currently the worlds best bass fisherman is Talon Vanslack of ontario canada!Angling Retains its Mainstream Appeal and Broad Economic ImpactAmerican Sportfishing Association
2. ^ a b c d e f g h Waterman, Charles F., Black Bass & the Fly Rod, Stackpole Books (1993)
3. ^ Arizona Game & Fish Department, Bass Fishing in Arizona
4. ^ Henshall, James (Dr.), Book of the Black Bass (1881)
5. ^ a b c d Ryan, Will, Smallmouth Strategies for the Fly Rod, Lyons & Burford Publishers (1996)
6. ^ Ryan, Will, Smallmouth Strategies for the Fly Rod, Lyons & Burford Publishers (1996)
7. ^ playboy.comO.R.C.A. Online, Reel History
8. ^ Murray, Harry, Fishing for Smallmouth Bass, Lyons Press, 1989
9. ^ Kreh, Lefty, Fishing for Bass, Lyons Press, 2004
10. ^ http://news.yahoo.com/nphotos/undatedphoto/photo//100108/481/d722a77fd1b7488d889794f4bee58330//s:/ap/20100108/ap_on_fe_st/us_odd_largemouth_bass_record
Books and secondary references
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Bauer, Edwin A. (1955). Bass In America-The Haunts, habits and other secrets of one of the worlds' finest freshwater game fish. New
York: Simon and Schuster.
Bergman, Ray (1942). Fresh-water Bass. New York: Willam Penn Publishing Co..
Brooks, Joe (1947). Bass Bug Fishing. South Brunswick, NJ: A. S. Barnes.
Clouser, Bob (2007). Fly-Fishing For Smallmouth in Rivers and Streams. Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole Books. ISBN 0811701735.
Dalrymple, Byron (1972). Modern Book of the Black Bass. New York: Winchester Press. ISBN 0876910665.
Gasque, Jim (1945). Bass Fishing-Technique, Tackle and Tails. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.
Harris, William C.; Rhead, Louis (ed) (1905). The Basses Fresh-Water and Marine. New York: Frederick A. Stokes and Company.
Hawes, Harry B. (1930). My Friend The Black Bass. New York: Frederick A. Stokes and Company.
Henshall, James A. MD (1881). Book of the Black Bass-Angling and Fly Fishing. Cincinnati: Robert Clark & Co..
Hollis, Harold C. (1945). Bass Tackle and Tactics--Better Sport Through The Use of Lighter Tackle. New York: A. S. Barnes and
Company Inc..
Jones, Sheridan R. (1927). Black Bass & Bass Craft--The life habits of the two bass and successful angling strategy. New York: The
MacMillian Company.
Kesting, Ted (1962). Bass Fishing - Sports Afield Library. New York: Thomas Nelson & Sons.
Knight, John Alden (1949). Black Bass. New York: G. P. Putnam and Sons.
Kreh, Lefty (2004). Fly Fishing For Bass. Lyons Press. ISBN 9781592283101.
Lincoln, Robert Page (1952). Black Bass Fishing-Theory and Practice. Harrisburg, PA: The Stackpole Company.
Livingston, A.D. (1974). Fishing for Bass--Modern Tactics and Tackle. Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott Company. ISBN 0397010176.
Livingston, A.D. (1976). Fly-rodding for Bass. Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott Company. ISBN 0397011121.
Livingston, A.D. (1977). Tying Bugs and Flies for Bass. Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott Company. ISBN 0397011873.
Murray, Harry (1989). Fly Fishing For Smallmouth Bass. New York: Lyons and Burford Publishers. ISBN 0941130851.
Ovington, Ray (1983). Tactics on Bass--How to Wade, Cast, and Fish Out Each of 23 Different Kinds of Bass Areas. New York:
Charles Scribner's & Sons. ISBN 0684178605.
Ripley, Ozark (1924). Bass and Bass Fishing. Cincinnati: Sportsman Digest Publishing Co..
Ryan, Will (1996). Smallmouth Strategies for the Fly Rod. New York: Lyons & Burford Publishers. ISBN 1558213430.
Waterman, Charles F. (1993). Black Bass and the Fly Rod. Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole Books. ISBN 0811716309.
Westmorland, Billy (1976). Them Ol' Brown Fish--Bill Westmoreland on Smallmouths. Nashville, TN: The Parthenon Press.
External links
Bass fishing at the Open Directory Project
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bass_fishing"
Categories: Fishkeeping | Recreational fishing
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This page was last modified on 30 August 2010 at 15:42.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. See Terms of Use for
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Largemouth Bass (Micropterus Salmoides) :
They make it look easy on TV. The big Pro Fisherman fishing in a private reservoir stocked with 300 million
Bass. Anyone can catch fish that way. What do you do if you are just a regular Joe fishing on a lake that gets
a lot of fishing pressure or the fish are not active.
When the Largemouth Bass are really feeding:
Bass like to hide in the thick weeds and grasses that you find along the shore. The bass have a high tolerance
to warm water with low oxygen which give them the ability to come closer to shore then other fish and take
advantage of the food that's available such as bigger insects, frogs, mice, snakes or even baby birds. If the
bass are really feeding heavily, they will come out of the grass, wild rice or cattails to the weed line to hunt
down minnows. In this case you can just throw spinner baits and drag them along the weed bed. This is a
relaxing type of fishing because you do not have the aggravation of taking weeds off your line every cast. A
spinner bait, tinsel tail spinner or even a surface lure like a Spook or a Hula Popper will work great. Generally
the better colors are white, black or worm color.
When the Largemouth Bass slow down.
When the bass start to slow down, which is usually from too much sun or heat, they tend to go back into the
grass or underneath floating islands of cattails. They can also go deep. First, I will talk about bass taking cover
in shallow water and show a weed-less Texas Rig and Carolina Rig. The only difference between the two rigs is
a Carolina Rig has the slip sinker up the line about 12 inches. Texas Rigs should be used where there are lots
of logs and snags while the Caroline Rig should be used in the weeds or Lily Pads. There is also a difference in
the motion. A Texas Rig gives more of a vertical jigging motion while with the Carolina Rig, the rubber has
more of a dart motion as it follows the sinker.
How to Make a Texas Rig or Carolina Rig:
Step 1) Get yourself a slip sinker, a bass hook with a medium to long shank and a bass rubber. I have used a
red rubber because it looks neat on the Internet but I have actually never caught a bass using these red
rubbers. I like to use White, Black or worm color.
Step 2) Stick your hook into the rubber.
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Largemouth Bass Fishing Tips
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Step 3) Pull the hook right through so the eye of the hook (where you tied the line on) is hidden inside the
rubber.
Step 4) Twist the hook around 180 degrees and then shove the hook back into the rubber. Just put the hook
in deep enough that you have broken the surface on the other site but do not have the hook sticking out. The
whole idea it to keep the rig weed-less or snag-less.
Step 5) For a Texas Rig, leave the sinker to slid down right to the hook.
Step 6) For a Carolina Rig, slide the slip sinker up the link about 6 to 12 inches and then place a little split shot
on the line to hold the sinker in place.
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Largemouth Bass Fishing Tips
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In some lakes, the bass will go deep and hide down in the deep weeds. I have seen some really big
Largemouth Bass being caught by people who where Walleye fishing. If you are not getting them along the
shore, try pulling a Texas Rig through the thick weeds or drift over a deep weed bed with a spinner and a long
dangling worm.
When they are not hitting rigs or lures:
Some times you just have to use live bait. As a kid, I always hunted Largemouth Bass along the shore with a
hook, float and a bucket of minnows. Worms, small frogs and crayfish work good but I think Chub, Sucker or
Shinner minnows are the best. Get a medium size hook and a small float. Have the float about 6 to 12 inches
up the line (depending how deep it is) and hook your minnow on. Hook the minnow in the mouth. Don't hook
the minnow in the back because they die twice as fast.
Just paddle or use your electric motor and move along the shore. Cast your minnow at the edge of the grass
or lily pads and just wait. The very best spot is under a big log or under a floating mass of cattails
(bullrushes). When you get a big mass of cattails coming out from the shore, the edges are usually floating
because the wave actions keeps the roots of the cattails from planting in the bottom. Some of the biggest bass
I have ever caught were hiding under these cattails.
Cast your minnow to the edge and wait. A bass might look at a minnow for 5 minutes before taking it. If you
think nothing is going to happen, then slowly bring the minnow back to you. Sometimes the bass hit when the
minnow starts moving away. There is one rule that's always true. The slower your float goes under and the
slower the bass swims away with your minnow, the bigger he is. So if you see your minnow racing around,
then it's probably a perch, crappy or a rock bass.
Pro Bass Fisherman use heavy 15 to 25 pound test because they are speed fishing. They are not there to
enjoy the day or the fight of the fish. They want to bring the fish in as fast as possible so they can win money.
If you are fishing bass for enjoyment, then use 6 or 8 pound test line. You will get more hits, you can cast
farther and it's ten times more fun bringing the fish in. With 15 to 25 pound test line, you might as well be
bringing in an old shoe.
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