Fish Explorer Logo
California
California Fishing FishExplorer.com
California Fishing  
Login Usr:Psd:
No account? Register now...
 
spacer spacer
spacer

California Fish Species

Arctic Grayling
Black Bullhead
Black Crappie
Blue Catfish
Bluegill
Brook Trout
Brown Bullhead
Brown Trout
Channel Catfish
Chinook Salmon
Coho Salmon
Common Carp
Creek Chubsucker
Cutbow Trout
Cutthroat Trout
Flathead Catfish
Gizzard Shad
Golden Shiner
Green Sunfish
Hybrid Striped Bass(wiper/palmetto)
Kokanee
Lake Chubsucker
Lake Trout
Largemouth Bass
Northern Pike
Pumpkinseed
Rainbow Trout
Redear Sunfish
Sacramento Perch
Smallmouth Bass
Spotted Bass
Spotted Sucker
Spotted Tilapia
Steelhead
Striped Bass
Sunfish (Bream)
Threadfin Shad
White Bass
White Catfish
White Crappie
White Perch
Yellow Bullhead
Yellow Perch

Lakes with Smallmouth Bass on FishExplorer
Smallmouth Bass
Ounce for ounce smallmouth are considered one of the toughest bass around.  These scrapers are typically greenish-bronze in color with dark vertical banding, rather than the horizontal band of largemouth bass. Their eye is frequently red, and the upper jaw never extends beyond the eye. Most smallmouths are in the 8-15 inch range. The world record is just shy of 12 pounds.
 
Smallmouth bass prefer large clear-water lakes, reservoirs, and cool, clear water streams with a gravel substrate.  Generally, they favor structures as rock outcrops, logs, treetops, and riprap, such as dam faces. However, they will occasionally form schools to chase pelagic baitfish.    
Preferred water temperature is 68-70 degrees.  Smallmouth feed primarily on small fishes, crayfishes, and insects.
 
Spawning usually occurs when water temperatures reach the low 60’s. Males build their nests in quiet water in moving water and gravel substrate in lakes or other hard surfaces. Once the eggs are laid and fertilized, like other bass, males guard the nest for a couple weeks or so until the eggs hatch and the fry leave the nest.  Smallmouth bass mature by age three or four, and can live upwards of 12 years. 
 
Smallmouth bass originally ranged north into Minnesota and southern Quebec, south to the Tennessee River in Alabama and west to eastern Oklahoma and southwestern Arkansas. Today there are few states, east or west of the Rocky Mountains, where populations have not become established. 

Most Recent Smallmouth Bass Forum Posts
Smallmouth Bass Articles, Blogs, & Podcasts
Blog: Anti-Troutite, not really 03.14.21 by Jeff Wagner
Blog: Stop complaining, and start fishing 03.12.21 by Bill Prater
Blog: Free Fishing Tournaments at Elkhead and Ridgway 06.07.17 by Tom McInerney
Blog: Hump Days 10.18.16 by Neal Wilkinson
Blog: Gold Medal Bass 03.02.16 by Eric Allee
Blog: Gotta Love Smallies 09.17.15 by David Coulson
Blog: Fishing North Sterling 08.31.15 by David Coulson
Blog: Chasing Boils 07.31.15 by David Coulson
Blog: Filling Commitments 06.09.15 by David Coulson
Blog: Fifteen, But Who’s Counting? – Oh, I Am! 10.17.14 by David Coulson
Recent California Smallmouth Bass Photos by Fish Explorer Members
by VCBC Angler - Dejon and Jeff.  A lot of smallie caught this time. by VCBC Angler - 1.18 at Castaic 2.5# smallie by VCBC Angler - Jason got a keeper smallie at Castaic. by Bassnfly - Lake record smallmouth caught Nov. 2013 by Bassnfly - A Cachuma smallie caught during a Ventura County Bass Club event. by Toad Wrangler -
 
×

Info