The term "Bass" actually refers to several different species of game fish. It includes both marine and freshwater species. There are black basses like the largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, spotted bass and the Guadalupe bass. There are also temperate basses such as the white bass and the striped bass.
There are many other species of bass such as the black sea bass, giant sea bass, Australian bass, Chilean sea bass (more popularly known as Patagonian toothfish) and the European sea bass.
The body temperature and metabolism of bass are controlled by the water temperature. Bass are most active when water temperature is between 60 and 75 degrees. If the temperature drops below 50 degrees, their metabolism slows down. The diet of bass varies. They eat minnows, crawfish and sculpin. They also eat crippled or injured prey such as mice, rats, ducklings, worms, snakes, salamanders, lizards, etc.
Bass fishing is a sport that involves angling specifically for black bass. It actually started in the late 18th century. The earliest record of bass fishing becoming a sport would be 1769. Onesimus Ustonson introduced his multiplying reels to fishing enthusiasts. Later on these reels evolved to become bait caster. More than a century later, in 1897, William Shakespeare, Jr. was granted a patent for a level wind device for fishing. In 1915, the Shannon Twin Spinner was produced by the William J. Jamison Company. It was an excellent reel. This led to the creation of the modern spinner bait reels. In 1932, several dams were built for generating hydroelectric power. This resulted to the creation of several lakes. These lakes were later used to culture many varieties of bass fish. When the DuPont Company created a new type of fishing net made of nylon in 1937, fishing experts realized that it was the perfect material for a monofilament fishing line. This caused bass fishing to continue to grow as a sport. The 1950's is considered to be a very successful decade as far as this sport was concerned. Most of the modern bass fishing equipment was created at this time. This included bass boats, lines, lures, rods and other types of fishing gear.
Fly fishing for smallmouth bass has once again become popular since the early 1990s. This technique uses fly patterns, rods and fly lines that are suited for bass. When Larry Nixon won one million dollars for bass fishing in 1992, the sport's popularity was renewed.
Perhaps what has made the sport very popular for a long time is that in 1932, George Perry was said to have caught a 22 pound, 4 ounce bass in Montgomery Lake, Georgia. This feat was duplicated by Manabu Kurita of Aichi, Japan who caught a 22 pound 4 ounce largemouth bass on July 2, 2009.
How Do You Catch Bass?
If you catch bass in one place, chances are, you will catch more in the same area. Bass usually travel in schools. When the water is deep, schools of bass tend to be closer together. This makes it easier to catch more fish. Just remember that all black bass are known to be strong fighters.
Another thing that you should remember is that, the closer bass are to the bottom, the more they are likely to feed.
Bass are predators who eat live prey. Instead of hunting however, they lie in wait for their victim. This is where your casting accuracy will come in handy to ensure your success in bass fishing.
From late winter to spring, bass can be found near or within spawning areas. These are usually flat, shallow areas with a little cover and quick access to deep water. Everything that the bass are doing throughout the year is connected to spawning.
Bass fishing has evolved into a multi-billion dollar industry. The black bass has become the second most sought after game fish in the United States. More fishing equipment has been developed for this sport. Today, bass fishing contributes fifty to seventy billion dollars every year, to the US economy and these figures will continue to grow. In fact, studies have shown that more people are becoming interested in bass fishing compared to the number of people who are interested in sports like tennis and golf.
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