Ken Schultz describes Stripers as “one of the most valuable and popular fish in North America” in his Fishing Encyclopedia. If you’ve ever fished on the East Coast, chances are you’ve at least tried to catch a Striped Bass. Let’s take a look at North America’s “other” Bass family. The Temperate Bass family includes one of America’s most important sport fish. Of course, just because Black Bass are big business, doesn’t mean they’re the only fish out there.

There could be even more species just waiting for someone to discover them! Types of Temperate Bass Others have only recently been recognized as a separate species, such as Florida’s Choctaw Bass. Some only inhabit a single river, like the Guadalupe Bass of Texas. These are the most common types of Black Bass, but there are plenty more fish in the family. Essentially, they’re the “baby bear” of the Black Bass family. It needs to have some current, like with Smallmouth, but in warm, murky water, where you’d expect to find Largemouth. Spotted Bass like water somewhere between what their famous cousins go for. In plain English, it doesn’t have such a large mouth as Largemouth. The best way to tell the two apart is that the upper jaw on a Spotted Bass doesn’t extend past its eye. When people do catch them, they often mistake them for Largemouth because of their similar coloring. “Spotties” are much less common and are unfairly overlooked by many Bass anglers. You can find both fish in the same place, but one always tends to be more dominant. They like colder water and stronger current. We’ve covered Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass in much more detail elsewhere, but the main differences are size and habitat. At least, that’s what the “Smallie” crowd says. They’re every bit as wily and put up an even better fight pound for pound. Their big-mouthed brothers may get the headlines, but Smallmouth Bass are just as worthy of the limelight. It really is all about the fight with these lake-loving legends. They have no crazy fins or exciting color patterns. The funny thing is that, to your average non-angler, Largemouth Bass probably look pretty boring. Their intelligence is probably exaggerated by Black Bass fanatics, but nobody can deny that Largemouth are an amazing game fish. They’ll attack fish, insects, and even small birds with incredible aggression, but will avoid the most convincing lures if they came across them before. They say you can never fool a Largemouth the same way twice. Let’s take a look at some of the fish causing all this commotion. Bass fishing pros tour the country, battling monster fish as well as each other. Tournaments are held every week of the year. These guys have a multi-billion-dollar industry built up around them. Types of Black Bassįor many people, Black Bass are the only Bass. You probably know most of them, but there might be a couple of surprises hidden along the way. However, there are two main families of Bass in North America, and a few extras that are well worth mentioning. It’s impossible to cover them all in one place. There are dozens, possibly hundreds of fish called “Bass” in the world. This article breaks down the different types of Bass in North America, with a quick look at how they fit together. For others, it means trolling beachfronts or deep sea adventures. For some, it brings up memories of lakeside mornings and tournament circuits. “Bass fishing” can mean very different things to different people.

Flesh water bass