The largemouth bass is the No. 1 game fish

By Jim Brewer For the News & Messenger
Published: September 19, 2008

Maybe because they are spectacular leapers; maybe because they are the first big fish we ever catch; maybe because their mouths are as expansive as the Luray Caverns; whatever the reason, the largemouth bass is the undisputed favorite game fish in Virginia, and throughout North America.
Interestingly, largemouth are sunfish, not members of the true bass family, as are striped bass and white bass. As sunfish, bass are light sensitive and always seek the cover of low light conditions, overhead cover in the form of shade or structure or depth. Largemouth often hang out in schools, more often because the fish are mutually drawn to a certain area to feed or rest, rather than in an effort to feed in a pack. Sometimes, particularly in large lakes, bass will school for the sole purpose of feeding on shad. When that happens, and an angler has a Zoom Fluke or similar bait rigged and ready, well, it doesn’t get a lot better than that.
Bass begin their calendar years in deep water, coming shallow at the warmest parts of the day to feed. In spring, male bass look for spawning territory and fan out beds along the shoreline at depths averaging 3 to 4 feet.
The larger females then cruise the banks seeking what they feel is the best looking bed.
There they drop their eggs to be fertilized by the male who guards the nest with his life. To increase the odds of survival, females will distribute their eggs on various beds.
Following the spawn, the females drop to deeper water to recuperate, then feed like hogs at the trough throughout the summer and into the fall.
September and early October is one of the best times of all to catch largemouth bass, yet many anglers hang up their casting reels in September to concentrate on the upcoming hunting season or to switch to saltwater game fish.
A positive about September fishing is that the bass feed almost throughout the day and stay shallow – and vulnerable to a fishing lure – for longer periods of time. September is a great time to throw top water plugs and buzz baits. It’s always exciting to witness a big ol’ bass exploding on a top water lure.
Bass will a hit a variety of lures and live bait.
Though many anglers today shudder at the thought of using a minnow to catch a bass, live bait is supremely effective in places like the Chickahominy Lake, the weedbeds along the Potomac River, shallow lakes (like in Florida) and – at one time – Back Bay in Virginia.
The natural food of bass is principally small baitfish and crawfish, when available. But frogs, lizards, small snakes and eels, terrestrial insects, earthworms and most any bait that will fit in their oversized mouths are potential largemouth meals.
The tackle box of a tournament bass fisherman will include plastic worms and grubs of every size and description, as well as spinner baits, buzz baits, and lures which run from the very top to the bottom of the water column.
Pig ‘n jigs, a crawfish imitation, are perhaps the favorite bait for fall and winter fishing.
Here’s a tip for anglers who would like to try something different: Put a pork rind trailer on a weedless Johnson spoon and drag it through the thickest cover around. Obviously, this is not an new technique, but one that dates back to the turn of the 20th century. It’s just that most anglers don’t throw that bait anymore and bass still love the erratic action of the spoon/pork combination.
The best bass fishing this time of year is likely to be found in a farm pond. Almost every pond you see will have a resident hawg or two – bass between 6 and 8 pounds – and fall is the time to catch those big fellas. Public lakes that have excellent bass fishing include Lake Orange and Germantown Lake. Accotink, Beaverdam, Brittle Burke, Motts, Mountain Run and Pelham are all nearby lakes with good bass fishing.
The Potomac is perhaps Virginia’s finest river for largemouth.
Three lakes worthy of a road trip for bass include Briery Creek Lake in Prince Edward County, Lake Anna in Spotsylvania and Buggs Island Lake near Clarksville.
A multi-million dollar industry – highlighted by Bass Pro Shops and other mega stores – has evolved around the many passionate fishermen who pursue largemouth bass – America’s favorite game fish.