An Introduction to Bass Fishing
Bass fishing has become a multimillion-dollar sport in the modern United States, and the industry has made “black” bass the second most desirable sport fish in America.
Black bass fishermen hunt for a variety of species including largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, spotted bass, and Guadalupe bass.
Strangely, none of these species are actually true bass; they fall under a subspecies of the genus Micopterus, and are in fact all types of sunfish.
Bass fishing began not as a sport but as a way for middle and lower-class American men to provide sustenance for their families. Bass are hardy, and can be found in both freshwater and saltwater habitats depending upon the species, so they were an easily accessible food source for hungry anglers.
The first artificial bass fishing flies and bait were not implemented until the mid-19th century, and plastic worms wouldn’t become popular until the 1960′s.
Starting in the 19th century, bass were stocked in lakes and ponds outside of their natural habitats for the purpose of sport fishing. The U.S. Department of Agriculture began advising farmers on the cultivation of largemouth bass around this time as well, leading to a boom in the production of farmed fish.
In the Eastern United States, smallmouth bass were introduced into rivers too dammed or polluted to sustain native trout pollutions.
This policy of nonnative introduction has led to a decline in many native species in different parts of the U.S. The largemouth bass is an extremely aggressive fish and can quickly overturn local ecosystems via over-consumption of prey species AND consumption or out-competition of native predators.
In spite of this problem, bass fishing remains a popular and competitive sport.
Bass are known for their strong fighting spirit, and it is this resistance that makes them so popular with modern anglers. Largemouth bass are known for their powerful fighting jumps and tendency to retreat for cover when hooked, while smallmouth bass favor strong above-water fighting strategies to throw the hook.
Both environmental and animal rights factions have criticized bass fishing in recent years for being both harmful to native species and cruel to the bass themselves. Most bass are no longer caught for sustenance, but simply as a sport, and largemouth bass are generally let go after the catch.
Many people truly enjoy bass fishing, and with proper research and responsibility it can be a satisfying, invigorating hobby.
by Ara Hovsepian
Ara Hovsepian enjoys a variety of sport fishing adventures when not working as a photographer in his Los Angeles area home. For more information on bass and otherfishing tips, visit http://www.bassfishing-howto.com.