We all know that Clear Lake”s most popular game fish is the largemouth bass. But did you know that this popular sport fish can also be found in 67 other countries?
Largemouth bass are native only to the United States, Canada and Mexico. However, America”s favorite game fish has also become established in countries like Russia, China, France and many other nations.
One country that doesn”t allow then is Australia. In fact, it”s illegal to import largemouth bass into that country. According to Australian authorities, largemouth bass pose a threat to the native species of fish and other aquatic animals.
In Japan, largemouth bass have become a a popular sport fish. They were first imported into the country back in 1925. Today, there are even professional bass tournaments in Japan and several of the top bass professionals competing on the American tournament circuits are from Japan.
Largemouth bass are a member of the sunfish family, along with bluegill, smallmouth bass and other panfish. They can live up to 17 years, but very few bass live past 10 years.
With the exception of fishermen, an adult bass has few natural enemies. A bass has to eat 10 pounds of minnows, crayfish and other prey to gain 1-pound of body weight. Approximately 10 percent of the weight of a female bass that”s ready to spawn is roe.
The bulky, muscular body of a bass is perfect for short bursts of speed. An adult bass can reach speeds of up to 12 miles per hour. They are ambushers and when a minnow or other prey swims past, they rush out at a high speed to grab it. Their stout bodies are also what makes bass such fighters for fishermen. However, their stamina level is low and they tire quickly.
Whereas many fishermen use special scent on their lures or place rattles in crankbaits to attract bass, the truth is that 90 percent of the time a bass finds its food by sight ? although it”s known that bass can locate prey by scent and noise.
Largemouth bass do have color vision, although it”s different from that in humans. Humans have three types of cones in their eyes that allow them to see different colors and shades. A bass has only two cones. Scientists don”t actually know what colors a bass actually sees. There is also the matter of water clarity and depths, which changes the colors.
Bass will start to spawn when the water temperature reaches 65-75 degrees. The male bass builds the nest and the females will stage near the nest. The male will approach a willing female and attempt to entice her to actually move on the nest. Once she is ready to spawn she will roll on her side and deposit the eggs. The male will then fertilize the eggs.
Typically a female will have about 4,000 eggs per pound of body weight. The female deposits her eggs in several nests. Each nest can contain the eggs of up to 10 females. This spreads the genes. The eggs will hatch in two to 10 days depending upon the water temperature.
The male guards the eggs and will aggressively drive off any other fish that approaches. After the eggs hatch, the male guards the young fry for a period of about two weeks. During this time he doesn”t eat.
The biggest predators of the eggs and young fry are bluegill. Often several bluegills will ring a nest and as the male bass chases one bluegill away from the nest the others will charge in and eat the eggs or young fry. If the male bass is removed from the nest by a fisherman or other cause the eggs are usually doomed. This occurs in about 70 percent of the time. Less than two percent of the bass hatched will ever reach adulthood.
Juvenile bass start to feed on other small minnows when they”re only two inches long. If the food source is adequate, a bass can weigh as much as 2 pounds when only a year old, but normal growth is about one-half a pound for a yearling bass.
Despite what many fishermen think, biologists say a bass isn”t too intelligent. They are more creatures of habit and their behavior is more governed by instinct then brains.
Terry Knight can be reached at tknight3021@sbcglobal.net or by calling (707) 263-1699. Letters intended for publication that respond to Mr. Knight”s column can be sent to news@clearlakeobserver.com.
