Larry Larsen - Bass Fishing Facts

An Anglers Guide to Bass Lifestyles and Behavior

by Larry Larsen

(c) 1989 by Larry Larsen

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

ISBN 0-936513-05-5

Library of Congress 88-91464

Published by:

LARSENS OUTDOOR PUBLISHING

2640 Elizabeth Place

Lakeland, FL 33813

(813) 644-3381

(813) 644-3288 fax

4 5 6 7 8 9 10

To my mother Edna June Larsen, for instilling in me the value of learning. The skills of studying, understanding and gaining knowledge will always be the keys to success in any endeavor.

I thank the thousands of readers of my previous books for their support. I have always disagreed with those who believe bass fishermen have little interest in reading or learning from any material. My belief is that the majority of bass anglers are enthusiastic learners and practitioners. They are as intelligent as any anglers and more knowledgeable regarding their species of interest than any other group of fishermen. As in any field of endeavor, the most knowledgeable are the most successful. Those that read to learn or to reinforce existing knowledge will catch more bass than others, and thats only right.

My appreciation goes to the bass fishermen everywhere who understand the importance of knowledge in their angling success. It is that continual awareness that motivates them to seek informative magazine articles and books. What we all learn from such will allow us success at the countrys favorite outdoor pastime. Without the anglers quest for knowledge and their goal of improving productivity, this book wouldnt be possible.

The valuable assistance of my wife, Lilliam, in layout and production of this, my sixth book, is much appreciated. Such talented help is difficult to find. Her time on this endeavor, away from her other desktop publishing projects at Larsen Communications Group, is appreciated.

The Bass Series Library will continue to provide additional reading for Americas interested anglers. Thanks to all of those faithful readers in the past and to those becoming so in the future!

This Anglers Guide to understanding the lifestyles and behavior of bass is a learning tool that should help us better understand the fish in their environment and the ways we may go about catching them. The information may be advanced in part, but for those fishermen eager to know more about the largemouth bass, it should be easily understood.

While much of the material within is factual information based on studies and research projects conducted by fishery biologists around the country, the reading is not technical, nor abstract. The information gleaned from researchers, professional guides and other experienced anglers is all related to fishing for bass. Knowing the ways of the fish under certain conditions or influences will help the angler be more productive.

This book explores the lifestyles of bass during the spring, when pre-spawn, spawn and post-spawn are individual stages uniquely affecting the fish and angler. It takes a close look at bass senses and how each relates to their motivation to strike at lures or live bait. It examines the feeding motivation and behavior and addresses the history and future of the Florida bass sub-species which has been introduced all across the southern half of the U.S. The effects of water chemistry upon the bass and highly productive techniques associated with the facts are also revealed within these covers.

The information in this source book should make for better anglers, regardless of where they live or their skill level. No other book examines the lifestyle and behavior of bass like this one. The productive concepts based on such are available only in BASS FISHING FACTS.

For more than 17 years, Larry Larsen has studied and written about all aspects of bass fishing. His previously published books in the Bass Series Library detail highly productive fish catching methods and special techniques. He believes in explaining to readers the latest and very best tactics to find and catch bass anywhere.

Larry Larsen enjoys bass fishing as much as he enjoys writing about it. His angling adventures and research on the black bass have been extensive. He has caught and released numerous bass between five and 12 pounds and has literally traveled the globe to fish for largemouth and the uncommon species of bass. He has fished lakes from Canada to Honduras and from Cuba to Hawaii. He has even explored the tannic-stained waters of Venezuelas Lake Guri for peacock bass.

The author is a frequent contributor on bass subjects to Outdoor Life, Sports Afield, Fishing Facts, and Field & Stream. More than 900 of Larsens magazine articles have appeared in 50 major outdoor magazines, including Bassin, Bassmaster, North American Fisherman, Bass Fishing, and Petersens Fishing. His award-winning photography has appeared on the covers of many national publications. Larsen is a member of the Outdoor Writers Association of America (OWAA), the Southeastern Outdoor Press Association (SEOPA), and the Florida Outdoor Writers Association (FOWA).

PRODUCTIVE BASS ANGLERS are those who can relate the facts of fishing to the current conditions. Their knowledge of the bass helps them to determine the activity level of the fish, its most likely location and the most effective bait and presentation. Wise anglers study the bass and its behavior under various conditions and then apply that information to the on-the-water experience.

Bass Fishing Facts has been written as a valuable source of information for the thinking fisherman. It is an anglers guide to the lifestyle of the largemouth bass, as well as a reference to the lifestyle of the uncommon bass species: spotted, redeye, Suwannee, Guadalupe and shoal. The book details the typical behavior of bass as they live and feed - or dont.

Understanding bass senses is the focus of the three initial chapters. Just how they respond to environmental factors through the sense of sight, hearing, smell and taste are explored. The senses are a basis for the effectiveness of their foraging, and analyze the feeding motivators and the predator/prey positioning that occurs in their environment. Effective strike-triggering presentations, based on those findings, are revealed.

Significant influences upon the bass lifestyle, such as the spawning process, are presented in . How bass prepare a bed, drop their eggs, incubate them and leave their bed area as the fingerlings move shallower are detailed. The behavior before, during and after the spawn changes drastically, and the anglers best opportunity to catch springtime bass may rest upon timing, lure and location choices during the trip.

focuses on the lifestyles of specific bass species and sub-species. The uncommon bass are usually full of fight and fun that many anglers overlook.