(This is part 2 of a 4 part series on Bass Fishing Basics) 
In part 1 of the series on Bass Fishng Basics, we covered the many bass waters of California, a little history, and some bass catching records. Here in part 2, we'll cover the varied species of bass to clarify some of the mystery surrounding this popular fish!

Black Bass
Largemouth, smallmouth and spotted varieties of Black Bass are found throughout many lakes and streams of the north state. Black bass are considered warm water fish and are therefore not commonly found in high-mountain lakes where freezing water temperatures occur. One thing that all bass have in common is that they relate to structure. Docks, submerged vegetation, downed trees, stumps, rock piles, boulders, current eddies, submerged roads and streambeds, shoreline points, underwater shelves, drop offs and humps, things that can attract small bait fish and serve as an ambush point for bass are all types of structure that bass love. Sometimes the transition of the make-up of the bottom of a lake is enough to attract and hold bass.

There are two sub-species of largemouth in California, a northern strain which was introduced into the state in state in the late 1800's and the Florida-strain which were brought into Southern California in 1959. (Smallmouth were introduced in 1874.) Florida-strain were shown to grow much larger than the northern strain and were quickly introduced into many other waters including Clear Lake in 1969. Both sub species have hybridized in water where they co-exist and many of these waters have produced bass that weigh well into the mid to high teens. Largemouth spawns in early spring, in shallow waters and while largemouth do exist in deep water reservoirs such as Shasta and Oroville, populations are stronger in shallower lakes and waters with minimal seasonal drawdowns. Waters such as the Delta and Clear Lake are prime waters for largemouth populations. Largemouths do well in many valley and foothill ponds. Surprisingly big fish can come out of small water.

While Southern California waters have produced a number of largemouth bass tipping the scales at just over 20 pounds many Northern California waters have produced largemouth well into upper teens. The Delta is reported to have kicked out a largemouth in the 18 pound range and the record for Clear Lake stands at 17.52 pounds. The North State has the ability to kick out not only trophy largemouth but trophy spotted and smallmouth bass at any time.

The CDFW has a Trophy Black Bass Recognition Program where anglers can be rewarded with a certificate (“suitable for framing”) that acknowledges a trophy catch by completing an application form with required supporting documentation. A largemouth exceeding 10 pounds, and a spotted or smallmouth over 6 pounds qualify for trophy status. This program also assists the CDFW in managing waters for large bass and in recording trophy catches. For more information contact the program at 916-323-5556 or visit the CDFW website www.wildlife.ca.gov/fishing/inland/black-bass.

Spotted Bass
Spotted bass are now found as the dominant bass species in many of the deep water reservoirs in Northern California as they adapt well to spawning in waters with great fluctuations in water level. When spots are active knowledgeable anglers can catch good numbers of fish on any given day. While spots in the 12 to 15 inch range are common, many lakes in Northern California can produce trophy fish. New Bullard's Bar produced the current world record of around 11 pounds. Besides Bullard's producing another record at any time many spot chasers feel that Shasta or Whiskeytown Lake just outside of Redding may kick out the next record fish.

Smallmouth Bass
For those targeting large smallmouth Lake Almanor and Trinity Lake are tops in the North State. In fact up until a few years ago the state record smallie came out of Trinity Lake and kept the top spot for about 30 years. Lake Pardee in the central state lays claim for now but Trinity always has the potential to produce the next big'un. Most other lakes in the North State also hold a population of smallmouth, but are caught with less frequency than the spots. Smallies of any size are fun to catch as they are pound for pound some of the best fighting freshwater fish around. Besides being found in many lakes smallies also inhabit many rivers and creeks. The Feather River and Russian River are popular smallmouth streams in the North State.