Largemouth Bass

Description 

Largemouth bass are a warmwater fish in the same family as sunfish.  These fish are a nationwide game fish for their ubiquity and willingness to eat.  Conventional anglers often fish tournaments on major lakes around the country for these fish.  Bass tournaments almost always focus on largemouth.  They are ambush predators, lying in wait in structure for their next meal to swim by.  Largemouth are in the family of sunfish, which include bluegill and crappie.

Size 

There are two main strains of Largemouth: northern and Florida.  The northern strain is found mostly in cooler states and can grow upwards of 10 pounds, but fish this large are caught infrequently.  Average size is around 2 pounds, and a 5 pounder is a true bruiser, especially on fly tackle.  Florida largemouth can reach incredible sizes due to their higher metabolism, and the average is probably closer to 4 pounds.  Most of the largemouth in Florida and California lakes are Florida strain, as is the current world record of 22 lbs!  These fish can get big.  My personal best largemouth of 5 lbs 14 oz was caught on the fly.

Habitat 

Largemouth live wherever they can.  They have no true preference for habitat, as long as the water is not too polluted, they can live in it.  They can live in creeks, ponds, lakes, and even brackish water at river mouths.  Largemouths can tolerate water temperatures of 90 or above easily, but are most active from 60-80 degrees.  Most largemouths prefer shallow, weedy backwaters of ponds and lakes, or very slow moving water.  Look for fish around structure, as this is where they will hide to ambush their prey.

Food Sources 

Largemouth will eat literally anything, depending on what is available to them.  I have caught largemouth on stonefly nymphs in creeks.  I have seen largemouth caught with bullfrog lets sticking out of their gullet.  They love to eat sunfish in pods if they are available and many of my largest bass have been caught fishing a live bluegill under a balloon, like a shark rig.  Largemouth also key in readily on shad in big lakes where they are available and on crayfish wherever they are available.  Prey preferences will switch during the season depending on availability, fish activity, and holding depth.

Techniques 

I personally prefer fishing for largemouth by sight fishing them with streamers.  There is nothing quite like watching a fish inhale your fly as it goes by.  Weightless streamers for shallow water situations and weighted for deeper ones is about as specific as it needs to be.  During late spring and summer, targeting these fish with poppers can provide for some very exciting action, with the fish blowing up on these flies aggressively and loudly. 

Equipment 

Rod: Most people recommend a heavy rod for largemouths.  This is not necessarily because of their size, but because of the size of flies and the cover these fish love to hide in.  You cannot immediately pull a fish out of structure with a light rod, and if you are unable to do this losing fish is an unavoidable consequence.  I would recommend a 9 foot 6 to 8 weight rod depending on the structure and size of flies you plan to throw.

Reel: Largemouth bass don't require a reel for much more than a line holder.  If a fish gets itself on the reel, it will likely break off in structure.  Largemouth in open water will pull a little line, but you can get away with a click pawl reel.  These fish don't make runs.

Line: A heavy weight forward taper, often labeled as "bass bug taper" will help you to cast the sizes of flies these fish require.  These lines are very aggressive, and have plenty of weight in the head to launch hair bugs, poppers, and streamers.  In ponds and most creeks, a floater is the only line you need.  In large lakes, especially when fish are suspended deep in the water column, a full sink line may be necessary to get the fly to the fish.

Leader: These fish are not line shy in most situations.  Use anywhere from 8-16 lb monofilament for most situations.  If the water is extremely clear, however, fluoro in smaller sizes could elicit more strikes.

Flies: I prefer sight fishing streamers in clear water to largemouths.  I have typically had more success on hooksets with streamers than surface flies.  However, during the late spring and throughout the summer, largemouth will readily take poppers and large hair bugs.  This can provide for some very exciting action, though you may have to use one with a weed guard to get the fly to the fish.  Streamers and poppers from 8 all the way to 2/0 will catch fish, depending on the food sources in the area at the particular time.  I have even fished articulated flies and articulated poppers with luck.