If you read any book about catching bass, you will find that the majority of authors actually make a point of distinguishing between the different species that come under the bass heading. They do this for a reason. It is easy to tag all bass with the same label and same characteristics when you are out fishing and many inexperienced fishermen and women do. However, doing so could actually reduce your chances of getting a bite because there are actually significant differences between the species and those differences can help you to catch them if you pay attention!



The two most popular species of bass to fish for in the United States are the largemouth bass and the smallmouth bass. The differences between the two are marked and this will affect your ability to catch both types and exactly how you should go about doing so. The following information will help you to tailor your style to catching first largemouth bass and then smallmouth bass, after we have initially discussed the variations between them that can indeed make all the difference between a net full of bass and a fruitless day on a lake with nothing to show for it!

Smallmouth bass are far wilier than largemouth bass. They seem to have more in terms of street smarts than largemouth bass do and this can actually make it far more difficult to catch a smallmouth bass than a largemouth bass. They are much more aware of their surroundings and any threats to their own mortality and will actively move away from the unfamiliar, including boats, strange potential food sources (otherwise known as bait) and any individuals that fish anywhere near them. This may be because they are slightly smaller than their largemouth counterparts but it will provide you with an excellent challenge because what they lack in size they make up for in brains! This may be why largemouth bass fishing is more popular than smallmouth bass fishing, but whatever the reason behind it, you need to tailor your style to the type of bass that you want to catch!

If you go fishing for smallmouth bass, you have to be a little more cunning than usual. They will actively move away from a boat or anything else that spooks them and making your presence unknown is a challenge in itself as they do not tend to live in murky water. The clearer the water, the better the smallmouth likes it and, as such, they can see you coming a mile off! They will be able to spot you from even the deepest of waters so be sure to tailor your bass fishing strategy to accommodate this fact. For example, be sure to approach the area that you want to fish in very slowly and with as little noise as possible. This may mean that you have to kill the boat engine some way away from your destination, but it really does not matter because the pull of the deeper water will take you to where you want to go anyway. This is not necessary for largemouth because even if they initially clear the area, they will be back when they catch a glimpse of the bait! You can go straight to where you want to go, but it still may be wise to ease off as you near your desired spot!