LARGEMOUTH BASS 



Micropterus saUuoides (Laccpede) 



Robert E. Foye 



Regional Fishery Biologist 



The largemouth bass was originally distributed in waters of south- 

 ern Canada, the Great Lakes drainage, the Mississippi Valley, northern 

 Mexico, Florida, and the Carolinas. Its range in the United States has 

 been gradually extended northward into New England and into waters 

 west of the Rockies to California. 



Largemouths were introduced into Maine sometime during the 

 early 1900's although the exact time of the first introductions is un- 

 known. Largemouth bass were established in Long Pond and Messalon- 

 skee Lake of the Belgrade Chain and in several nearby waters by 1940. 

 They are now in many other waters mostly in central and southern 

 Maine. The largemouth thrives in shallow, warm, weedy, mud-bottom 

 ponds, and sluggish streams. Although this species is sometimes found 

 in deep, rocky-bottom lakes they prefer shallow weedy habitat and 

 seldom venture into deep, unproductive areas. 



Spawning habits of largemouth bass are similar to those of small- 

 mouth bass. In northern waters largemouth bass usually reach sexual 

 maturity at the age of two or three. Nesting activities commence during 

 late spring or early summer when water temperatures reach 63 F. The 

 nests of largemouth bass are usually less elaborate than those of the 

 smallmouth. They may be found at depths of from one to three feet 

 on a mud bottom often at the base of old stumps and submerged plants. 

 Largemouth also spawn occasionally along gravel shores similar to the 

 type selected by smallmouth bass for spawning. Nest construction is 

 the responsibility of the male largemouth. Once the nest is completed 

 the male bass entices a female to spawn. Female largemouth usually 

 lay only a few hundred eggs at a time which are fertilized by the male. 

 The eggs are adhesive and fasten to the bottom of the nest. The female 

 bass then departs and may later return to spawn with the same male or 

 she may choose to spawn in the nest of one or more other males. Often 

 several female bass spawn in a single nest. The number of eggs per 

 nest is dependent upon the number of females utilizing it and mav range 

 from a few hundred to several thousand eggs. Female bass usually con- 

 tain from 2,000 to 7,000 eggs per pound of body weight. 



The male largemouth guards the nest during incubation and for a 

 short time after the young emerge from the eggs. The eggs usually hatch 

 within a period of a week to ten days depending upon water temperature. 

 Extreme fluctuations in water temperatures during incubation may result 

 in heavy egg mortality. Dominant year classes often occur in years of 



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