Smallmouth Bass Details

• Water Type: freshwater
• Latin Name: Micropterus dolomieui
• Common Names: Sally, Smallie, Bronzebacks, Brown Bass,oswego bass
• Water Temp: 60-70
• World Record: 11lb-15oz Dale Hollow Lake, TN Jul. 9, 1955 David Lee Hayes
• Last Modified By: nefisherman92 on 06/18/15 10:47 AM
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The Smallmouth Bass is one of the most valuable gamefish anywhere. Pound for pound, it is one of the gamest there is, giving an untiring fight right to the end. It can be easily seperated from the Largemouth Bass by examining the upper lip, the lip of the Largemouth extends beyond the middle of the eye, while that of the Smallmouth does not. Unlike the Largemouth, this fish prefers the cool, clear water of lakes and streams with a gravelly or rocky bottom. It too, is solitary and will be found around ledges and reefs where the water is from 3-20 feet deep. In streams it usually lies in the protective backwaters of large boulders or stumps or at the heads of pools with an upstream riffle. It retreats to deeper water in winter and remains semi-dormant under rocks and logs till spring. Smallmouth Bass are fine eating and feed mainly on crawfish, but also on insects, fish and worms. Like the Largemouth, feeding takes place mostly in early morning and evening. It may be taken by fly-casting, trolling or casting with plugs or spinners. Another common and successful method is still-fishing with worms, baitfish or crawfish. Smallmouth generally run about 2-3 pounds in NH waters, but occasionally may reach 4-6 pounds. The largest recorded from NH waters was caught from Goose Pond in Canaan in 1970. It weighed 7 pounds 14.5 ounces and was 23.25 inches in length.

-Massuchusetts State Record is 8 lbs 2 oz caught by Barbara Sasen in 1991 at Wachusett Reservoir

-Connecticut State Record is 7 lbs 12 oz caught by Joseph Mankauskas, Jr. in 1980 at Shenipsit Lake