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Fishing for largemouth bass is one of America’s favorite pastimes. This prized black game fish is an elongated type of sunfish with distinguishing features such as an exceptionally large mouth, and a deep notch in its dorsal fin. The largemouth bass' weight varies between 10 to 20 pounds, and tends to be lighter in the North. It seems that especially Florida’s warm, southern temperatures favor larger bass, because the many quiet warm waters contain such bountiful vegetation for this species. This is probably why in 1975 the Florida legislature adopted the bass as the Official State Freshwater Fish.
The habitat in which to look for the largemouth bass is very diverse. It’s dwelling can be found in rivers, bays, inlets and creeks, and even in some deep ponds. The bass spawns in the early spring and lives in schools for the first few months until it becomes large enough to hunt individually for food.
One of the most important facts to remember about the bass is that they are very smart. They become acclimated to certain types of baits after just one exposure to them, which has been shown in many studies. This means that if the bass is not hungry and sees a new type of lure just once, it will not take it again the next time it sees it even if he is hungry, if he knows it to be a fake. Curiosity and willingness to strike are different things for the bass. He will come to look at a new item but will not try to eat it unless it looks like food to him. Especially in clear water bass quickly knows how to identify lures and how to avoid them. The only way to get the bass to strike is to either naturally camouflage the lure, by keeping it near the bottom where it is murky, or by making the lure whiz by the bass so fast that he is unable to identify it. Once a bass sees other bass caught, he will also become unwilling to eat a bait or lure. After a successful strike it is best to leave the area altogether for at least 15 minutes to let the bass forget the experience.
Of course one of the best strategies is to wait until a bass looks willing to strike, and adding another line at the same place while some nearby largemouth bass are fighting over the bait. This will make them more willing to bite before they realize that this is only a lure. If you fish in a dark murky place it will be much easier to get multiple strikes since the bass can’t see each other getting caught nor can they identify as many lures in the dim light. If you want to get another fish after the first catch in clear water it is best to leave and come back. Although the bass is smart, he doesn’t seem to have a long-term memory involved with the feeding process so if he is hungry he will probably strike again.
The best apparatus for bass fishing is a pliable rod about 12 to 18 inches in length depending on how large the bass is in your area. The reel should have at least 200 feet of line made of flax or grass, and a silk line is also used in some cases. The swivel sinker and float should be gauged according to the depth of the water body, and the leader should be about 3 feet in length with a Limerick or Kirby hook from 0-3 according to the size of fish you want to catch. If you are fishing out of a boat, the float is not commonly used, but the sinker should be light enough to float off with the tide while touching the bottom to seem more natural to the bass.
The best place to fish is the darkest, quietest spot you can find at a full neap tide. This tide occurs early in the morning and late in the afternoon and if there is a gentle ripple on the water it is easier to land a bass since he can’t tell you are there. The best types of bait to use are worms, shrimp (especially in salt water), white opened soft clam, and crab. Bass is very picky so be sure to have a range of different baits along with you.
As mentioned above, it is best to catch the bass all at the same time, since after the first catch they will become suspicious and will not be prone to bite again for a while. In order to exploit that first bite the following method can be employed: Drive two stakes in to the bottom of the water with a strong cord stretched across. Then attach several short lines of different lengths to this cord with strong hooks attached at the ends and each baited with a different type of bait. This way the bass can all be taken in at the same time and there will be no need to keep fishing for a long time after catching nothing.
A great way to serve the fresh bass to your guests is with this flavorful Greek recipe: Put the following ingredients into a plastic bag:
3 chopped cloves of garlic,
½ Ts powdered rosemary,
2 powered bay leaves,
½ cup flour
Salt and pepper to taste
Put the bass filets into the bag and shake until everything is covered. In a pan-fry this bass in 4 Ts of extra virgin olive oil until browned on each side and serve with fresh lemon wedges after dusting it with a touch of nutmeg. This is great when served with crusty Italian or French bread and white wine, accompanied with an herbed olive oil to dip the bread.
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