Largemouth Bass
In North America, Largemouth bass is one of the most targeted freshwater sport fish. Commonly found in ponds and lakes, Largemouth bass have become a staple for fishing. Although the southern U.S. states are blessed with more largemouth bass, they are still very prominent in North East "fishing culture." Bass tend to be decently smart and get even lazier and smarter the bigger they get. This, plus their intense fight when caught, makes bass one of the most sought-after and rewarding fish to catch in the world. Although it's difficult, with a little bit of skill (and luck), you can significantly increase your chances of catching a good-sized largemouth bass.
There are multiple types of lures used to catch largemouth bass, and these baits also tend to change when focusing on different sizes of bass. For smaller largemouth bass, people tend to use live bait. Like all other species, live bait is considered an old reliable when nothing else works. Other baits such as senkos, ned rigs, and jigs work phenomenally well for medium to larger size bass. Although all of these lures have different techniques, they all rely on the same concept of moving slowly and making a lot of noise to attract the largemouth bass's attention. For faster-moving bass, use something like a spinnerbait, chatterbait, or a crankbait. All three of these lures imitate live moving fish and are sure to attract very hungry and feisty bass. Finally, the use of topwater lures, such as frogs and buzzbaits, can attract shallow water bass looking for food on the surface of the water.
Bass are one of the coolest species because they can be found almost anywhere in a lake or a pond. Although seasons have a large impact on where they school, you can find bass deep and shallow, especially during the Spring, Summer, and Fall months. Whether you are using your vision to scope out big bass, or you are on a boat with a fish radar to help you find schools of fish, largemouth bass are extremely prominent everywhere in the water. You can even find largemouth bass in rivers too. Most notably, the Farmington River and Connecticut River host a plethora of largemouth bass in them. Although the concentration of bass in rivers is significantly less than those in ponds and lakes, they can still be found in them.
Largemouth bass spawning cycles are incredibly important whenever you ask a seasoned bass fisherman how to catch a big largemouth bass. In Connecticut, bass usually spawn in the months of April and May, and the eggs inside the female fish make them absolutely massive. During spawning months, bass move up very shallow and make beds of sand and rocks to lay their eggs on. During this phase, fishermen call it bass pre-spawn. The eggs inside the female bass make them extremely aggressive and big, making them perfect for fishermen to try and catch. This is arguably the best time of the year to catch bass. After the fish have laid their eggs in the months of May and June, they will protect their eggs and become increasingly aggressive to protect them. Although they don't weigh as much anymore, they are more likely to strike at your fishing lure because they want to protect their eggs from unwanted threats. This increases your chances of catching fish and also allows for a great fight.
Header photo by Richard R on Unsplash