Smallmouth Bass

Considered by many to be the sportiest freshwater fish. Smallmouth are known for their fighting stamina and their unbelievable leaping ability, which is a thrill to any angler. They like clean, clear water, and are seldom found in lakes shallower than 25 ft. or water that is murky or polluted. Found scattered throughout North America, they can live up to 18 years in the North, but seldom any longer than 7 years in the South. The world record is from 1955 where an 11 pounds, 15 ounce Bass was caught in Dale Hollow Lake, Kentucky.

Largemouth Bass

Undisputedly by anglers, the largemouth is the most popular gamefish, and is found throughout North America. Largemouth bass's bodies are robust and elongated, and are slightly compressed laterally, with more depth than the Smallmouth.
Their body scales are medium sized while those on the cheeks and gill covers are smaller. They have very large heads with a gently sloping forehead and medium sized eyes. Their mouths are quite large with their upper jaw extending past their eyes, and the lower jaw projects beyond the upper. The easiest way to tell the largemouth from the smallmouth bass is to check the upper jaw. Largemouth upper jaws extend behind the eye when the mouth is closed. Smallmouth upper jaws do not.

The world record Largemouth came from Montgomery Lake, Georgia in 1932. It weighed 22 pounds 4 ounces.