Largemouth Bass Photographs

Micropterus salmoides

This species is part of the Sunfish Family. Now a highly sought after game fish introduced throughout the US, Largemouth were once considered a nusinace species in some parts of the country with often disastrous effects on native species. Largemouth Bass feed mainly on other fish and are tolerant of warm water, but will become inactive at higher temperatures.

Largemouth Bass will usually start looking for nest sites at around 60 degrees and start dropping eggs at 62 to 65 degrees. This temperature can vary by lake. Bass prefer sand or gravel but will utilize softer bottoms under certain conditions. Targeting spawning Bass usually leads to the destruction of any eggs or young the fish may have been guarding. Largemouth Bass can live more than 16 years. A Largemouth Bass's activity level is at it's peak when the water is right around 80 degrees and tends to slow dramatically as the water rises above 85 degrees. Above 95, larger fish will tend to die off unless there is a great deal of dissolved oxygen in the water. Smaller fish are better able to cope with extreme temperatures.

Click an image to see the full size picture!