The
smallmouth bass (
Micropterus
dolomieu) is a
species of
freshwater fish in the
sunfish
family (
Centrarchidae) of the
order Perciformes. It is the
type species of its genus. One of the
black basses, it is a popular game fish sought by
anglers throughout the temperate zones of North America, and has
been spread by stock to many cool-water tributaries and lakes in
the United States and Canada.
The smallmouth bass is native to the upper
and middle Mississippi River
basin, the Saint
Lawrence River
–Great
Lakes
system, and up into the Hudson Bay
basin. Its common names include
Smallmouth,
Bronzeback,
Brown Bass,
Brownie,
Smallie, and
Bronze Bass.
Description
The smallmouth bass is generally brown (seldom yellow) with red
eyes,and dark brown vertical bands, rather than a horizontal band
along the side. There are 13-15 soft rays in the dorsal fin. The
upper jaw of smallmouth bass extends to the middle of the
eye.
Males are generally smaller than females. The males tend to range
around two pounds while females can range from three to six pounds.
Their average sizes can differ, depending on where they are found;
those found in American waters tend to be larger due to the longer
summers, which allow them to eat and grow for a longer period of
time.
Their habitat plays a significant role in their color, weight, and
shape. River water smallmouth that live among dark water tend to be
rather torpedo shaped and very dark brown in order to be more
efficient for feeding. Lakeside smallmouth bass however, that live
for example in sandy areas, tend to be a light yellow brown to
adapt to the environment in a defensive state and are more oval
shaped.
Habitat
M. dolomieu is found in clearer water than the largemouth,
especially streams, rivers, and the rocky areas and stumps and also
sandy bottoms of lakes and reservoirs. The smallmouth prefers
cooler water temperatures than its cousin the largemouth bass, and
may be found in both still and moving water. Because it is
intolerant of
pollution, the smallmouth
bass is a good natural indicator of a healthy environment, though
it can better adjust to changes in water condition than most trout
species. Carnivorous, its diet comprises
crayfish,
insects, and
smaller fish, the young also feeding on
zooplankton.
The female can lay up to 21,100 eggs, which are guarded by the male
in his nest.

Illustration of a group of smallmouth
bass
In the United States, smallmouth bass first moved outside their
native range upon construction of the
Erie
Canal in 1825, extending the fish's range into central New York
state. During the mid- to late 1800s, smallmouth were transplanted
via the nation's rail system to lakes and rivers throughout the
northern and western United States, as far as California. Shippers
found that smallmouth bass were a hardy species that could be
transported in buckets or barrels via the railroad, sometimes using
the spigot from the railroad water tank to aerate the fingerlings.
They were introduced east of the Appalachians just before the Civil
War, and afterwards transplanted to the states of New
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With increased industrialization and development, many of the
nation's eastern trout rivers were dammed, polluted, or allowed to
silt up, raising water temperatures and killing off the native
brook trout. Smallmouth bass were often introduced to northern
rivers now too warm for native trout, and slowly became a popular
gamefish with many anglers. Equally adaptable to large, cool-water
impoundments and reservoirs, the smallmouth also spread far beyond
its original native range. Later, smallmouth populations also began
to decline after years of damage caused by overdevelopment and
pollution, as well as a loss of river habitat caused by damming
many formerly wild rivers in order to form lakes or reservoirs. In
recent years, a renewed emphasis on preserving water quality and
riparian habitat in the nation's rivers and lakes, together with
stricter management practices, eventually benefited smallmouth
populations and has caused a resurgence in their popularity with
anglers.
Today, smallmouth bass are very popular
game
fish, frequently sought by anglers using conventional
spinning and
bait
casting gear, as well as
fly fishing
tackle. In addition to wild populations, the smallmouth bass is
stocked in cool rivers and lakes throughout Canada and the United
States. In shallow streams it is a wary fish, though usually not to
the extent of most trout. The smallmouth is highly regarded for its
topwater fighting ability when hooked - old fishing journals
referred to the smallmouth bass as "ounce for ounce and pound for
pound the gamest fish that swims" Smallmouth bass are taken for the
table, with filets of white, firm flesh when cooked. Today, many
fishermen practice catch-and-release fishing to improve fish
populations.
Lures
In conventional fishing, smallmouth may be successfully caught on a
wide range of natural and artificial baits or lures, including
crankbaits, hair jigs, plastic jerkbaits (such as Rapala Husky
Jerks or Rapala X-Raps),
spinnerbaits,
and all types of soft plastic lures including curly tail grubs or
tubes with lead head jigs. They may also be caught with a
fly rod using a dry or wet
fly,
nymphs,
streamers, or imitations of larger
aquatic creatures such as crawfish or leeches (see
Artificial fly). Floating topwater popper fly
patterns and buzz baits are also popular for smallmouth
fishing.
Bait
Smallmouth bass anglers may also use live bait to catch fish. Live
nightcrawlers,
minnows,
hellgrammites,
crayfish,
bloodworms and
leeches.
are the most productive live baits.
Fishing Tackle
For river fishing, spinning tackle or fly tackle have been the most
popular angling tools for smallmouth in North America for many
years. Many fisherman use a 5.5-6.5 foot, medium-fast action rod
matched with 4-8 lb. test line. However,
fly
fishing for smallmouth bass has become increasingly popular in
recent years, and most fly fishermen seeking river or stream
smallmouth use a 4- to 9-foot
fly rod in
a #5, #6, #7, or #8-weight size with a floating or sink-tip fly
line, depending upon the water to be fished (See
Fly Fishing. Fishermen seeking smallmouth in
large lakes often use sinking lines of various densities, as
smallmouth found in such waters often feed at greater depths.
Smallmouth are not leader shy and will take larger lures and flies,
though shallow streams and tight quarters may call for a shorter
rod and lighter lines than are generally used for lakes or large
rivers.
References
- Waterman, Charles F., Black Bass & the Fly Rod,
Stackpole Books (1993)
- Waterman, Charles F., Black Bass & the Fly Rod,
Stackpole Books (1993). One of the most successful Smallmouth
fisherman in the world is Fraser Cockell, though till is little
known by the general public.
- Murray, Harry, Fly Fishing for Smallmouth Bass, Lyons
Press, 1989
- Kreh, Lefty, Fly Fishing for Bass, Lyons Press,
2004
- Henshall, James (Dr.), Book of the Black Bass
(1881)
- Arizona Game & Fish Department, Smallmouth
Bass
- Murray, Harry, Fly Fishing for Smallmouth Bass, Lyons
Press, 1989
- Kreh, Lefty, Fly Fishing for Bass, Lyons Press,
2004
- Murray, Harry, Fly Fishing for Smallmouth Bass, Lyons
Press, 1989
- Kreh, Lefty, Fly Fishing for Bass, Lyons Press,
2004
Secondary References
- FishBase: Micropterus dolomieu
- ITIS: Micropterus dolomieu
- Henshall, James (Dr.), Book of the Black Bass
(1881)
- Kreh, Lefty, Fly Fishing for Bass, Lyons Press,
2004
- Murray, Harry, Fly Fishing for Smallmouth Bass, Lyons
Press, 1989
- Rohde, F. C., et al. Freshwater Fishes of the
Carolinas, Virginia, Maryland, and Delaware. Chapel Hill:
University of North Carolina Press, 1994.
- Ryan, Will, Smallmouth Strategies for the Fly Rod,
Lyons & Burford Publishers (1996)
- Waterman, Charles F., Black Bass & the Fly Rod,
Stackpole Books (1993)
- Whitlock, John, " Micropterus dolomieu: Information".
Animal Diversity Web. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan
Museum of Zoology, 2004.
- New River in Virginia
- Hooked On Smallmouth Bass Fishing Webzine
- Smallmouth bass in lakes, rivers and streams Smallmouth
Bass