Bass Season

It’s almost Canada Day, and this year our magnificent country turns 152 years old! But for many people in the Biosphere this time of year also marks the start of a special season –

BASS SEASON!!

Season is when you can legally fish certain species of bass. Whether you are already an expert fisher or just beginning, here’s to how you can get involved in this year’s Bass Season, starting June 22^nd!

While many species of bass live in the biosphere, Bass Season refers to two species in particular: the smallmouth bass and the largemouth bass. These two species are very similar, but there are a few key differences in how they look and where they live, let’s take a look!

SMALLMOUTH BASS

Smallmouth bass have vertical bands along their sides, like stripes. Their bodies will be a shade of pale brownish-green, the exact shade depending on the food they have eaten, and the environment they live in. If you follow the top lip of the fish’s mouth, their jaw will hinge between the front of their eye to the middle of their pupil.

LARGEMOUTH BASS

Largemouth bass have black blotches along their sides that make a jagged, horizontal line, and the body will be an olive colour. By following the top lip of the fish’s mouth, you will find that their jaw hinges behind their eye. This extra jaw room allows the fish to open its mouth wider than the smallmouth bass, giving it a ‘large’ mouth, and its name!

SMALLMOUTH BASS HABITAT

Smallmouth Bass like to live in clear, rocky lakes and streams. Look for them near rock ledges, submerged ridges and islands, fallen brush and submerged logs. They prefer habitat with a clean bottom of sand, gravel, or rock, rather than murky, muddy bottoms. Depending on the time of year they can be found in a range of depths from 10 to 40 feet of water.

LARGEMOUTH BASS HABITAT

You can find largemouth bass living in lakes, rivers, and ponds. Look for them in areas with submerged logs and rocks, and heavy vegetation like weeds and lily pads. Largemouth bass live in less than 20 feet of water.

Bass Fishing and Catching

Both smallmouth and largemouth bass can be caught with a wide range of bait and lures. Try using a mixture of crankbaits, spinnerbaits, jigs, and top water lures for the best results! And if all else fails, you can always resort to putting a worm on a hook with a small weight and bobber further up the line!

Tailored Tackle

Three cheers for the wish of catching Georgian Bay fish!