When you hear the words “trophy bass,” what comes to mind? First, I think we need to identify what constitutes a trophy largemouth. To some anglers, a bass that is half the size of the state record qualifies. To another angler, a fish one-third that size may qualify. Further, a trophy fish in one region of the country may be an average fish in another. For example, the verified state records are 17 lbs-4 oz in Florida, 14 lbs-13.7 oz in Oklahoma and 8 lbs-15 oz in Minnesota. When we look at the size distribution of these record fish we notice a decrease in size from south to north. The avail-able growing season for largemouth bass follows a similar pattern; colder temperatures in more northern regions equate to a shorter growing season for largemouth bass.
sports
April 22, 2021
Managing for and understanding trophy largemouth bass