Love Those Smallmouth Bass!

Ya gotta love small stream smallmouth bass. These are a native game fish in many moving waters of the Midwest and have been widely distributed across the U.S. They are subject to the same environmental stresses as trout are. Smallmouth can tolerate a wide range of water temperatures and overlap with trout in many areas. Growth rates in smaller streams can be quite slow, taking 6-8 years to reach a length of 12-14 inches in the northern part of their range. This healthy specimen came from a stream in southern Indiana. Take a look at the width of the tail in relation to the body. That is one strong fish! Smallmouth bass are tough fighters no matter where they are found, but stream fish really take it up a notch. In the "Book Of the Black Bass" published in 1881, Dr. James Henshall, a Cincinnati resident and recognized as the father bass fishing says,"inch for inch, pound for pound, the black bass is the gamest fish that swims." It's hard to argue with that.