Largemouth Bass Micropterus salmoides Family: Sunfish family (Centrarchidae) Other Names: black, bayou, green or slough bass, green trout Description: dark green back, greenish sides often with dark lateral band; belly white to gray; large, forward-facing mouth; lower jaw extends to rear margin of eye Habitat: shallow, fertile, weedy lakes and river backwaters; weedy bays and extensive weedbeds of large lakes Range: southern Canada through the United States into Mexico; extensively introduced worldwide; common throughout the Carolinas Food: small fish, frogs, crayfish, insects Reproduction: spawns when water temperature reaches 60 degrees F; male builds nest in small clearings in weedbeds 2 to 8 feet deep; male guards nest and fry until the "brood swarm" disperses Average Size: 12 to 20 inches, 1 to 5 pounds Records: NC--15 pounds, 14 ounces, farm pond, Union County, 1991; SC--16 pounds, 2 ounces, Lake Marion, 1949; North American--22 pounds, 4 ounces, Montgomery Lake, Georgia, 1932 Notes: Largemouth Bass are the most sought after game fish in North America. This denizen of the weeds is a voracious carnivore, eating anything that is alive and will fit into its mouth. Largemouths are common in lakes and wide streams with weedbeds less than 20 feet deep. Largemouth Bass are often one to three pounds, but eight and nine pound fish are not uncommon. They are fine table fare when under two pounds and taken from clean water, but are not known for table quality when large or taken from muddy water. Similar Species: Smallmouth Bass (pg. 134), Spotted Bass (pg. 136) Largemouth Bass: mouth extends well beyond non-red eye Smallmouth Bass: mouth does not extend beyond red eye Spotted Bass: jaw does not extend much beyond eye.