There are 2 main species of Bass. One is the LARGEMOUTH BASS and it has a greenish color with a horizontal black stripe down the middle of it`s body and is found in southern Canada and throughout the U.S.A. It prefers slow moving waters such as lakes and reservoirs and is found in rivers with abundant vegetation like lily pads, sunken trees and man made structures. It lives in relatively shallow water, one to five feet deep, and the main lures used to fish for them are surface lures such a floating frogs, minnow style lures and jig and plastic pork trailers.
The second main species of the bass family is the SMALLMOUTH BASS. They are voracious feeders and can be found grouped up much like wolves in a pack. The smallmouth`s main waters are the northern portion of the U.S.A. and much of eastern Canada. They prefer cooler and faster moving water and will live in depths of three to thirty feet of water. The smallmouth prefered cover is rock of all sizes. Find the rocks and you should be able to find the smallmouth. Due to its aggressive nature, the smallmouth can be caught on a variety of lures including surface popping lures, tube jigs (dragged along the bottom) and spinnerbaits reeled in rapidly just below the surface.
As the bass fishing season progresses, I will be writing a few different articles on how to target these amazing species from boat or shore. In the meantime, I invite you to visit www.mtlbasspros.com for tournament statistics, tips and technique videos, as well as many pictures of trophy bass.
Happy fishing!
