Common Name: SMALLMOUTH BASS

Other Names: SMALLIE, SMALLMOUTH BLACK BASS, BLACK BASS, BROWN BASS, GREEN BASS

Scientific Name: Micropterus dolomieu

Origin: Introduced

Adult Size: Smallmouth bass commonly live 5-7 years, with a few individuals reaching ages from 10-20 years. Most bass waters grow some adults to weights of 2-3 pounds. In Maine, only a few exceed 4 pounds, and bass heavier than 5 pounds are rare. The state record smallmouth bass is 8 pounds.

Identification:  Bass are members of the sunfish family. The upper jaw of smallmouth bass does not extend beyond the back of the eye. The notch between the spiny and the soft-rayed section of the dorsal fin is not deep.

Before the Civil War, there were no bass in Maine.  Records show that bass were first stocked in Maine in 1869.

The smallmouth is not actually a bass.  It’s a member of the sunfish family but, along with the largemouth, is called a black bass.

June is the peak of the spawning season in Maine.

Spawning will usually take place when the temperature is between 59º F and 65º F.

An average of 8,000 eggs per pound of body weight is carried by the female.

Males build the nest and guard the eggs and young.

The young smallmouth is more solitary, preferring to feed alone, while the young largemouth apparently prefers to remain in schools for at least a part of the first summer.

Favorite foods are smaller fish and crayfish.