Other Names:
Brown bass, brownie, bronze bass
Description
The smallmouth bass
is generally green with dark vertical bands rather than a
horizontal band along the side. There are 13-15 soft rays in the
dorsal fin, and the upper jaw never extends beyond the eye.
Micropterus is Greek meaning "small fin" [see Guadalupe bass
for further explanation]. The species epithet dolomieu
refers to the French mineralogist M. Dolomieu.
Angling Importance
Because of its
reputation in other parts of the US as an excellent sport fish,
the smallmouth bass has been introduced into a number of Texas
reservoirs and streams. Minnows, crayfish, and alderfly larvae
(hellgrammites) are among the most successful live baits used.
Smallmouth bass now rank among the top 15 most preferred species.
Known maximum size in Texas exceeds 7.5 pounds.
Biology
Smallmouth bass
prefer large clear-water lakes (greater than 100 acres, more than
30 feet deep) and cool streams with clear water and gravel
substrate. In small streams a fish's activity may be limited to
just one stream pool or extend into several. Spawning occurs in
the spring. When water temperatures approach 60°F males move into
spawning areas. Nests are usually located near shore in lakes;
downstream from boulders or some other obstruction that offers
protection against strong current in streams. Mature females may
contain 2000-15,000 golden yellow eggs. Males may spawn with
several females on a single nest. On average each nest contains
about 2,500 eggs, but nests may contain as many as 10,000 eggs.
Eggs hatch in about 10 days if water temperatures are in the
mid-50's (°F), but can hatch in 2-3 days if temperatures are in
the mid-70's (°F). Males guard the nest from the time eggs are
laid until fry begin to disperse, a period of up to a month. As
in other black bass, fry begin to feed on zooplankton, switching
to insect larvae and finally fish and crayfish as they grow.
Distribution
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. Florida and Louisiana are apparently free of
smallmouth bass. In Texas the species has been stocked in
numerous areas, particularly streams of the Edwards Plateau.
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