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Florida Bass Information

Although the smallmouth bass does not occur in Florida, according to the Bass Fishing Florida website, several other species of black bass do. These game fish provide anglers with plenty of action in the various lakes, ponds, streams, rivers and coastal sections of the Sunshine State.

  1. Types

    • The largemouth bass gets its name because the upper jaw of this fish extends past its eye. The Florida largemouth is a subspecies of largemouth bass, related to the northern largemouth bass found in the cooler northern states. Although the two are close in appearance, the Florida largemouth has from 69 to 73 scales along its lateral line--a line of sensory pores or scales that runs from the gills to the tail along the side of the fish. The northern largemouth possesses from 59 to 65 scales on this line.The redeye bass, possessing red fins and red eyes, is another bass that lives in Florida waters. Other Florida bass include the Suwannee bass, the spotted bass and the shoal bass.

    Geography

    • Largemouth bass occur in a variety of habitats in Florida freshwater scenarios, from brackish sluggish waters to clear, deep lakes. Largemouths live in ponds, reservoirs and estuaries with water temperature in the 65 degrees to 85 degree Fahrenheit. Most largemouths occupy water no deeper than 20 feet. Premiere largemouth fisheries in Florida include Deer Point Lake, Lake Crescent, the St. John's River system, Lake Istokpoga, Lake George, the Mosaic Fish Management Area, Lake Tarpon and the Rodman Reservoir in the northern part of the state. Suwannee bass occurs only in the Ochlockonee and Suwannee River systems and the lower end of the Santa Fe River. The redeye bass swims in parts of Florida's Apalachicola River, while the spotted bass resides in the streams that flow through Florida's Panhandle area.

    Largemouth Spawn

    • Largemouth bass spawn in Florida from December through May, with the spawn depending upon water temperature. Largemouth will wait until the water warms up to between 58 and 65 degrees Fahrenheit, which normally occurs by February or March. The female bass, states the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission site, grows much faster than the males do once they reach their second to third birthdays. Females bass more often reach reach trophy size proportions. Typically, any bass over the 8 lb. mark is a female.

    Florida Bass Regulations

    • Florida imposes limits on the number of bass an angler may keep per day and the lengths these bass may be. Florida groups the largemouth, spotted bass, shoal bass and Suwannee bass under the category of black bass. An angler in Florida may have five of these bass in her possession, but only one may be or exceed 22 inches in length. Specific fisheries, however, have certain regulations regarding their limits and sizes. For example, in Leon County's Lake Jackson, the minimum length for black bass is 18 inches. On Lake Weohyakapka in Polk County, anglers must release black bass between 15 inches and 24 inches, the possession limit is three bass and you may only keep one 24 inches or longer.

    Bass Diets

    • The shoal bass has a diet that consists mostly of surface-dwelling aquatic insects, making them susceptible to fly-fishing techniques. Spotted bass, like the largemouth and Suwannee bass, have a taste for crayfish. Anglers may take advantage of this trait by employing live crayfish as bait or presenting artificial plastic crayfish to these bass. The largemouth will eat so many different things, including frogs, fish, snakes, birds and turtles, that a multitude of baits and lures will attract their attention. Popular lures for the largemouth include spinnerbaits, topwater baits, plastic worms and live shiners.

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