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Micropterus dolmieui
Bronzeback, brown bass, black bass, Oswego bass, green trout and redeye
fresh
Three dark bars run from the snout, past the gill flap. It has green/brown sides with vertical stripes. The fish can camouflage themselves by changing color according to their environment.
Found in manmade or natural lakes, smallmouth prefer clear, mid-depth water. They seldom appear in small ponds or lakes that run less than 25 feet deep. Smallmouth also appear in clean, moderate-running rivers and streams.
Smallmouth eat variety of small fish, larval and adult insects, but prefer crayfish.
Smallmouth can live up to 7 years in the south and up to 18 years in the north.
Like the largemouth bass, these make for great freshwater sportfishing. Smallmouths will take just about any bait presented, and put up a strong fight afterward. Live baits include minnows, night crawlers, shiners and leeches. Streamer flies, crankbaits, rubber worms and spinners also will produce.
Smallmouth bass will not have the grassy taste that occaisionally appears in largemouth bass. Their meat is white, flaky, and has an excellent flavor.
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| World Record |
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10 lbs. 14 ounces, Dale Hollow, Tennessee |
| Environment |
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lake |
| Ideal Temperature |
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67 to 71 |
| Techniques |
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Casting, live baiting |
| Range |
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Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming |
| Fish of Interest |
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Butterfly Peacock, Largemouth Bass, Redeye Bass, Spotted Bass, Striped Bass, Sunshine Bass, Suwanee Bass, White Bass |
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