Fishing for largemouth bass is a hugely popular sport in America. Every year it draws an estimated 30 million people to the banks of freshwater lakes, rivers, ponds, and streams. What makes largemouth bass fishing so appealing is that the fish will make you work to catch them and fight you every step of the way!
When a bass takes the bait it’s not a simple reel ’em in type of job, it’s more like a prepare for battle type of experience. The fish will do all sorts of tricks and maneuvers to try and get away. Many will even fling their slippery bodies through the air in a desperate attempt to escape from the hook. That’s why fishermen and anglers love casting their lines in hopes that a largemouth bass will take the bait and thus inject a bit of excitement into their day.
To see exactly how aggressive and big-mouthed these fish are, refer to the accompanying eight second clip of one in action. The footage was captured by an unknown fisherman who was using bait to tempt and lure in the bass at a deep green fishing hole.
He drags the smaller fish along the top of the water and then suddenly a large figure can be seen moving up out of the depths below it. Seconds later the giant bass appears, mouth open wide, and chomps down on the poor little baitfish swallowing it whole. And that’s why they call them largemouth bass!
There was no hesitation on the fish’s part in going in for the kill because they are considered the apex predator where they live. Being at the top of the food chain means that only really humans hunt them, and even then most of the largemouth bass that are caught end up getting released. Many of the larger ones are breeding females and it’s common practice to release them because they are the future of the sport and sustainability is key.
It’s both morally and culturally frowned upon to keep a large female fish and to do so goes against the unspoken rule of bass fishing. Furthermore, in many areas it’s also illegal to take fish of a certain size. Plus, their meat is not the tastiest around. It’s kind of mushy and slimy and not as high of quality compared to the other fish it shares a habitat with, that you can catch just as easily. So if the one in this video was caught, it was likely also released.
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