Males are generally smaller than females. The males tend to range around two pounds while females can range from three to six pounds. Their average sizes can differ, depending on where they are found; those found in American waters tend to be larger due to the longer summers, which allow them to eat and grow for a longer period of time.
Their habitat plays a significant role in their color, weight, and shape. River water smallmouth that live among dark water tend to be rather torpedo shaped and very dark brown in order to be more efficient for feeding. Lakeside smallmouth bass however, that live for example in sandy areas, tend to be a light yellow brown to adapt to the environment in a defensive state and are more oval shaped.
M. dolomieu is found in clearer water than the largemouth, especially streams, rivers, and the rocky areas and stumps and also sandy bottoms of lakes and reservoirs. The smallmouth prefers cooler water temperatures than its cousin the largemouth bass, and may be found in both still and moving water. Because it is intolerant of pollution, the smallmouth bass is a good natural indicator of a healthy environment, though it can better adjust to changes in water condition than most trout species. Carnivorous, its diet comprises crayfish, insects, and smaller fish, the young also feeding on zooplankton.
The female
can lay up
to 21,100
eggs, which
are guarded
by the male
in his nest.
Lures
In the
United
States,
smallmouth
bass first
moved
outside
their native
range upon
construction
of the Erie
Canal in
1825,
extending
the fish's
range into
central New
York state.
During the
mid- to late
1800s,
smallmouth
were
transplanted
via the
nation's
rail system
to lakes and
rivers
throughout
the northern
and western
United
States, as
far as
California.
Shippers
found that
smallmouth
bass were a
hardy
species that
could be
transported
in buckets
or barrels
via the
railroad,
sometimes
using the
spigot from
the railroad
water tank
to aerate
the
fingerlings.
They were
introduced
east of the
Appalachians
just before
the Civil
War, and
afterwards
transplanted
to the
states of
New England.
With
increased
industrialization
and
development,
many of the
nation's
eastern
trout rivers
were dammed,
polluted, or
allowed to
silt up,
raising
water
temperatures
and killing
off the
native brook
trout.
Smallmouth
bass were
often
introduced
to northern
rivers now
too warm for
native
trout, and
slowly
became a
popular
gamefish
with many
anglers.
Equally
adaptable to
large,
cool-water
impoundments
and
reservoirs,
the
smallmouth
also spread
far beyond
its original
native
range.
Later,
smallmouth
populations
also began
to decline
after years
of damage
caused by
overdevelopment
and
pollution,
as well as a
loss of
river
habitat
caused by
damming many
formerly
wild rivers
in order to
form lakes
or
reservoirs.
In recent
years, a
renewed
emphasis on
preserving
water
quality and
riparian
habitat in
the nation's
rivers and
lakes,
together
with
stricter
management
practices,
eventually
benefited
smallmouth
populations
and has
caused a
resurgence
in their
popularity
with
anglers.
Today,
smallmouth
bass are
very popular
game fish,
frequently
sought by
anglers
using
conventional
spinning and
bait casting
gear, as
well as fly
fishing
tackle. In
addition to
wild
populations,
the
smallmouth
bass is
stocked in
cool rivers
and lakes
throughout
Canada and
the United
States. In
shallow
streams it
is a wary
fish, though
usually not
to the
extent of
most trout.
The
smallmouth
is highly
regarded for
its topwater
fighting
ability when
hooked - old
fishing
journals
referred to
the
smallmouth
bass as
"ounce for
ounce and
pound for
pound the
gamest fish
that
swims"[6]
Smallmouth
bass are
taken for
the table,
with filets
of white,
firm flesh
when
cooked.[7]
Today, many
fishermen
practice
catch-and-release
fishing to
improve fish
populations.
Lures
In
conventional
fishing,
smallmouth
may be
successfully
caught on a
wide range
of natural
and
artificial
baits or
lures,
including
crankbaits,
hair jigs,
plastic
jerkbaits
(such as
Rapala Husky
Jerks or
Rapala
X-Raps),
spinnerbaits,
and all
types of
soft plastic
lures
including
curly tail
grubs or
tubes with
lead head
jigs. They
may also be
caught with
a fly rod
using a dry
or wet fly,
nymphs,
streamers,
or
imitations
of larger
aquatic
creatures
such as
crawfish or
leeches (see
Artificial
fly).
Floating
topwater
popper fly
patterns and
buzz baits
are also
popular for
smallmouth
fishing.
Bait
Smallmouth
bass anglers
may also use
live bait to
catch fish.
Live
nightcrawlers,
minnows,
hellgrammites,
crayfish,
bloodworms
and leeches.
are the most
productive
live baits.
Fishing
Tackle
For river
fishing,
spinning
tackle or
fly tackle
have been
the most
popular
angling
tools for
smallmouth
in North
America for
many years.
Many
fisherman
use a
5.5-6.5
foot,
medium-fast
action rod
matched with
4-8 lb. test
line.
However, fly
fishing for
smallmouth
bass has
become
increasingly
popular in
recent
years, and
most fly
fishermen
seeking
river or
stream
smallmouth
use a 4- to
9-foot fly
rod in a #5,
#6, #7, or
#8-weight
size with a
floating or
sink-tip fly
line,
depending
upon the
water to be
fished (See
Fly Fishing.
Fishermen
seeking
smallmouth
in large
lakes often
use sinking
lines of
various
densities,
as
smallmouth
found in
such waters
often feed
at greater
depths.
Smallmouth
are not
leader shy
and will
take larger
lures and
flies,
though
shallow
streams and
tight
quarters may
call for a
shorter rod
and lighter
lines than
are
generally
used for
lakes or
large
rivers.