Bass (fish)

Not to be confused with Basa (fish).

Bass (/bæs/; pl.: bass) is a common name shared by many species of ray-finned fish from the large clade Percomorpha, mainly belonging to the orders Perciformes and Moroniformes, encompassing both freshwater and marine species. The word bass comes from Middle English bars, meaning "perch",^[1] despite that none of the commonly referred bass species belong to the perch family Percidae.

Striped bass (Morone saxatilis)

Types

Lateolabrax japonicus

• The black basses, such as the Choctaw bass (Micropterus haiaka), Guadalupe bass (M. treculii), largemouth bass (M. nigricans), Florida bass (M. salmoides), smallmouth bass (M. dolomieu), and spotted bass (M. punctulatus), belong to the genus Micropterus of the sunfish family Centrarchidae.
• The temperate basses, such as the European seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax), striped bass (Morone saxatilis), yellow bass (M. mississippiensis) and white bass (M. chrysops), belong to the two extant genera Dicentrarchus and Morone of the family Moronidae.
• The Asian seabasses, such as the Japanese seabass (Lateolabrax japonicus) and blackfin seabass (L. latus), belong to the genus Lateolabrax of the family Lateolabracidae.

Other species known as bass

For other fish called "bass", see Sea bass.

Micropterus salmoides — largemouth bass with assorted sunfish

Many species are also known as basses,^[2] including:

• The Australian bass, Macquaria novemaculeata, is a member of the temperate perch family Percichthyidae.
• The black sea bass, Centropristis striata, is a member of the sea bass and sea grouper family Serranidae.
• Also in the family Serranidae, there is the kelp/calico bass (Paralabrax clathratus), barred sand bass (P. nebulifer), and spotted sand bass (P. maculatofasciatus), all from the Eastern Pacific near Southern California.
• The Chilean sea bass, Dissostichus eleginoides, also known as the Patagonian toothfish, is a member of the cod icefish family Nototheniidae.
• The giant sea bass Stereolepis gigas, also known as the black sea bass, is related to the wreckfish family Polyprionidae.
• The "lanternbellies" or "temperate ocean-basses", Acropomatidae.
• The "butterfly peacock bass", Cichla ocellaris, is a member of the cichlid family, Cichlidae and a prized game fish along with its relatives in the genus Cichla.
• The rock bass (Ambloplites rupestris) in the sunfish family Centrarchidae, along with the black basses.

Fishing

Main article: Bass fishing

Largemouth, smallmouth, and spotted bass are the most popular game fish in North America.^[3]

It is also very popular in South Africa. In the continent, largemouth bass are often found in lakes, rivers, creeks, and dams.

When fishing, lures (bass worms), live bait, spinner baits, jig bait, jerkbait and crank bait will work well. Lures that mimic baitfish, worms, crayfish, frogs, and mice are all effective. Fishing with a small mepps or rooster tail in-line spinner is very effective for creek fishing, when bass are scouting for small baitfish.^{[4][better source needed]} In open water, lures that cover the water quickly such as spoons, spinners and lipless crankbaits.^{[clarification needed][5]} During the fall and winter months, bass will be less active and eat less. In this situation, one can fish with suspending lures or slow lures like ned rig, suspending jerkbaits.^[6] In the summertime, one can throw lures that float or sink 2–4ft since bass come to shallow areas and prefer faster lures.^[7]