What Bait Fish Do Largemouth Bass Eat?

Largemouth bass is one of the most sought-after game fish. Anglers can find these hard-fighting fish in shallow water habitats among vegetation like reeds and waterlilies. They prefer water temperatures of 80 to 82 degree F, and they rarely suspend in the water column deeper than 20 feet. Live bait is an effective technique for catching largemouth bass. Knowing which baits are effective can increase your odds of hooking fish.

  1. Largemouth Bass

    • Largemouth bass are also called black bass, bigmouth bass, green trout and lineside bass. They grow 4 to 6 inches long during the first year of life and 8 to 12 inches in two years. Within three years, largemouth bass can reach up to 16 inches. Anglers can find largemouth bass in ponds, lakes, rivers, reservoirs and slow-moving streams. Using bait fish is a common technique when casting for largemouths.

    Bait Fish

    • Largemouth bass feed on a variety of bait fish. They are often top predators in the aquatic environment they inhabit. Minnows, carp and crayfish are all part of the largemouth bass diet. They will also eat any other small fish that can fit into their mouth, including fellow bass. Choose live baits with plenty of movement to attract bass, such as live minnows.

    Hooking Bait Fish

    • Hook your live bait fish so that they show movement and stay alive longer. When baiting small fish like live minnows, hook them through the upper and lower lips with the point of the hook in an upward directions. This allows the small bait fish to appear as if it's swimming naturally. Do not hook your bait through the spine. That would prevent paralyzing the bait fish. You can also entice largemouth bass by hooking the bait fish through the tail. This allows them to move freely and entice the bass to strike.

    Feeding Habits

    • Largemouth bass are voracious feeders that begin to feed on fish as soon as they're about two inches long. They swallow their prey whole instead of biting off in pieces. This eating habit limits the size of bait fish they can consume. When choosing bait sizes, consider the typical mouth size of the largemouth bass in your local fishing grounds. The size of the bait fish body needs to be less than the mouth width of the largemouth bass.