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Anglers can find more than largemouth bass in state waters
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ention “bass” and most people naturally think about tack just about anything. I’ve caught them on full-size bass baits.” largemouths – perhaps smallmouth or spotted bass – but Anglers might also catch shoal bass or shadow bass. Rare in Alabama, shoal bass also like moderately swift streams, but stay in the many other fish carry the bass name, even if erroneously. Apalachicola River drainage. The Chattahoochee River forms part What many people call a spotted bass, Alabama biologists now of the Georgia-Alabama line and merges with the Flint River in call an Alabama bass. To most people, a spotted bass and an Alabama bass look identical. Lake Seminole near Chattahoochee, Fla., to form the Apalachicola “Alabama bass were formerly known as spotted bass in the MoRiver. The state record shoal bass weighed 6 pounds, 11 ounces. bile River drainage,” says Chris McKee, an Alabama Wildlife and Shadow bass live in most streams south of the Tennessee River. Freshwater Fisheries Division Fisheries biologist in Northport. They grow to about eight inches long and make great sport on “In Alabama, spotted bass are only native to the Tennessee River ultralight spinning or fly tackle. drainage, but they have been introduced into the Chattahoochee “Shoal bass have mostly been extirpated from Alabama,” McKee River drainage. The maximum size of an Alabama bass is smallsays. “The only place someone can catch shoal bass in Alabama er than a largemouth, is on the Chattahoochee River near Langdale. but they get bigger than Shadow bass are not spotted bass.” Sometimes called a uncommon to see in Kentucky spotted bass, our electrofishing surveys of streams. They the species usually tops only get to about five out around six pounds. or six inches long, but Still listed as a spotted bass, the Alabama they’ll bite anything a record for the species bluegill or a similar fish weighed 8 pounds, 15 would hit. Small jigs ounces and came from or spinners work for Smith Lake. However, them.” some Alabama bass More in common released in California with bluegills, warmouth and green sunnow hit double digits, fish both almost look including the world record 11.25-pounder. like a cross between a Shadow bass. COURTESY OF THE ALABAMA WILDLIFE AND FRESHWATER FISHERIES The list also includes bluegill and a smallmouth. Warmouth love a species formerly sluggish, weedy streams and backwaters. They occur statewide called redeye bass. In Alabama, “redeyes” split into Cahaba, Chattahoochee, Coosa, Tallapoosa and Warrior basses based on the with the highest concentrations in the lower Alabama-Tombigbee-Mobile River drainage. Warmouth won’t hesitate to grab river drainages where they live. many lures meant for a largemouth, particularly worms, small “Redeye bass were determined to be different species several crankbaits and spinnerbaits. years ago,” McKee says. “We’re doing some additional studies to Many people call both warmouth and green sunfish “gogverify that. They’re all found above the fall line in those respective drainages. There’s a small population in the Tennessee River gle-eyes” or “rock bass,” but true rock bass live in the Tennessee drainage that was probably introduced by anglers.” River system and farther north. Rock bass generally like flowing While largemouth prefer placid, weedy waters, redeyes act water. more like rainbow trout. They like small to medium-sized flowing “Many people call warmouth, rock bass, and rock bass goggle-eye,” says Taylor Beaman, a state biologist. “It’s a misconcepstreams. The state record weighed 3 pounds, 2 ounces and came tion and misnaming by the public. Warmouth and green sunfish from Choccolocco Creek. “Anything over 12 inches is a big redeye bass,” McKee says. “Relook a lot alike and their range overlaps.” deye bass are really aggressive. They eat a lot of bugs and crawfish. So far, all species mentioned belong to the Sunfish family, including largemouth. However, anglers can also catch “temperate” I’ve found lizards, mice and other things inside them. It’s odd that or “true” bass. This group includes stripers, white bass and yelthey don’t usually eat fish, but they still bite lures that imitate fish low bass, plus a hatchery hybrid between striped bass and whites. like jerkbaits and spinnerbaits. Many people fish for them with Stripers, whites and hybrids look very similar with white bodies popping bugs on fly tackle. They’re very aggressive and might atand horizontal black stripes. A yellow bass looks like a small striper painted gold. John N. Felsher is a professional freelance writer who lives in What one calls a fish only matters when conservation officers Semmes, Ala. He also hosts an outdoors tips show for WAVH FM check the limits! With apologies to the Shakespeare Fishing Tackle Talk 106.5 radio station in Mobile, Ala. Contact him at j.felsher@ company, a bass by any other name would still provide sweet enhotmail.com or through Facebook. joyment for anyone catching them! 38 AUGUST 2021
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7/16/21 3:03 PM
