Westernbass Magazine - FREE Bass Fishing Tips And Techniques - Fall 2015, Page 10

Westernbass Magazine - FREE Bass Fishing Tips And Techniques - Fall 2015, Page 10

®

FRY

Upon hatching, young largemouth bass fry are transparent and 3 mm in length. Fry swim up about seven days after hatching, absorbing the yolk sac and begin feeding on zooplankton. They remain in a school for two or three more days before dispersing and have changed color to become pale green.

FEEDING

As young largemouth bass begin to grow, their diet changes to insects and other small fishes and then eventually switches to larger fishes, salamanders, crayfish, and a variety of other small organisms.

Bass begin to eat fish when they are about 2 inches long. They swallow live fish and other aquatic life whole rather than bite off chunks, which limits the size of what they can eat.

With adequate forage, largemouth bass can

surpass 2 lbs the first year, but normal growth is about 1/2 pound per year. Mature females grow

larger than males, with northern strains growing up to 10 pounds; the males seldom exceed 5 pounds.

Females of the Florida strains have grown to more than 20 pounds. After a meal, adult bass are often observed to feed after about 14 to 24 hours, depending on the size of prey devoured.

Largemouth bass will eat a variety of live fish. Bluegill are particularly important, because they reproduce throughout the warm months. About 5 pounds of live forage are required for annual survival and 10 pounds of forage are required to add 1 pound of gain to a largemouth bass.

Very large bass usually will not prey heavily on small fish. Their feeding habits are difficult to categorize completely. One of the reasons that bass feed is to satisfy hunger. The other is apparently a reflex action toward anything that moves.

There have been few studies on taste by largemouth bass. Bass will take bait and then “spit it out” this may be a reaction to taste reception. It may also be a reaction to the texture of the bait.

By fishing and thinking in more of a scientific way, how understanding each fish you catch will help you catch more. Consider yourself a student of bassology every time you’re out in the hunt for them.

10