Largemouth BassFrom the Michigan DNR:
The largemouth bass lives in shallow water habitats, among reeds, waterlilies and other vegetation. It shares these habitats with muskies, northern pike, yellow perch and bullheads. Largemouth bass are adapted to warm waters of 80-82 degree F, and are seldom found deeper than 20 feet. They prefer clear waters with no noticeable current and do not tolerate excessive turbidity and siltation. In winter they dwell on or near the lake bottom, but stay fairly active throughout the season.
Like the smallmouth bass, they spawn in late spring or early summer. The male constructs a nest on rocky or gravelly bottoms, although occasionally the eggs are deposited on leaves and rootlets of submerged vegetation. The eggs, which are smaller than those of the smallmouth bass, hatch in three to four days. The fry rise up out of the nest in five to eight days and form a tight school. This school feeds over the nest and later the nursery area while the male stands guard. The school breaks up about a month after hatching when the fry are about one inch long. Largemouth bass eat minnows, carp, and practically any other available fish species including their own. Young largemouth fall prey to yellow perch, walleyes, northern pike, and muskies. Both largemouth and smallmouth bass are parasitized by the bass tapeworm, black spot and yellow grub. None are harmful to humans in cooked fish.
Identifying characteristics: (Native Fish) Two dorsal fins with a deep notch between spinous and soft-rayed portions, body longer than deep, upper jaw extends beyond rear of eye, dark lateral streak.
Largemouth Bass in Colorado
From the Colorado DOW:
Among the first species of fish introduced into Colorado was the largemouth bass in 1878. As the name suggests this fish has a very big mouth and its jaw extends past the eye. You can also distinguish them as the bass with the horizontal stripe on their body. Largemouth have exceeded 10 pounds in Colorado and are renowned for their aggressive predatory behavior. Casting lures and plugs during dawn and dusk hours around cattails and sunken logs will give you the best chance to land one of the lunkers.
Colorado Master Angler Award qualifying length for Largemouth Bass is 18"
Colorado Released Fish Record for Largemouth Bass is 27"
