Why are largemouth so much more popular than smallmouth?

[roadwarrior]

Off topic posts have been removed. We have a section for "Other Species". 

Please post there.

 

-Kent  a.k.a. roadwarrior

Global Moderator

[haggard]

[oops... just saw roadwarrior's comment... moving my reply to other thread]

 

[billmac]

I just took a quick look at the Elite stats for 2018, 2019, and 2020.  As I said, it was a quick look, so I might have missed something, but it looks like the St. Lawrence River (ie: smallmouth), had the highest tournament weights in 2018 and so far in 2020, and was third in 2019.  Doesn't prove anything, I just thought it was interesting.  

[soflabasser]

More people travel to fish for big Florida largemouth bass than they do for traveling for smallmouth bass. For example many Northerners spend thousands of dollars every year to travel to Florida, Texas, California, Mexico, and other places to catch big Florida largemouth bass. Many bass fishermen have caught +30 pound 5 fish limits of largemouth bass but not many have caught +30 pound 5 fish limits of only smallmouth bass. 

[Shimano_1]

7 hours ago, WRB said:

The answer to your question has nothing to do with the Smallmouth bass and everything to do with location. Organized tournament bass fishing by Ray Scott's All American followed by B.A.S.S. Organization was located in Alabama. To this day when anyone states bass fishing it's 99% Largemouth bass. 

Smallmouth bass rarely factored in on winning tournaments until B.A.S.S. followed by FLW tournemnts were held north of the Mason-Dixon Line. 

Both Smallmouth and Spotted bass fight harder lb for lb then LMB, fighting harder doesn't win derbies weight does.

Tom

This! I think for the most part people that target largemouth do so because they have lakes around that are predominantly largemouth lakes. I only have one lake around that has a decent smallmouth population and most people target them on this lake. Location is more of a factor than preference 

[Bluebasser86]

Smallmouth bring a certain extra satisfaction with catching them to me. Maybe it's just that I've caught a lot more largemouth, but every smallmouth I fool is a little extra special, and a big one will leave me smiling for days.

[Sam]

19 hours ago, shimanoangler said:

The answer to this question is simple, largemouth are just easier to catch and more plentiful....   Anyone who chases Smallmouth knows that they fight harder, are harder to catch, often requiring finesse approach, making their lb for lb fighting ability seem almost superhuman.  Its the very reason I target smallmouth as my primary and preferred bass species.   Largemouth are fun to catch, get bigger than smallmouth, are more plentiful, but they simply aren't as fun and challenging to catch as the fiercest fighting warm water species alive.....  IMHO  

X2

[John Diamond]

I love both, but smallmouth for me is the most enjoyable because I love being on rivers.  Either boating, or wet wading, there's just nothing like hearing the rush of the water, the cicadas singing, and not a soul for miles in total solitude.

[Cdn Angler]

My area in Eastern Canada is probably unique as we have LMB/SMB in sorta equal numbers and sizes. Both top out at about 6 lbs. Bigger SMB tend to be in big water whereas you can find big LMB in average sized bodies of water (5 lbs +).  I'd rather hook into a big SMB, but I probably spend more time targeting LMB as they are easier to find. And if I can find them I can potentially catch a giant, which is the main goal. 

 

I fish out of a kayak and the SMB move around a lot. It takes a lot of paddling/time sometimes to find them. LMB are shallower and near cover. Much easier. 

 

All that said sometimes you are targeting one and catch the other (or a pike or muskie). 

 

The annoying thing with SMB is that on many fast stretches of river you only get ridiculously small dinks. Zero chance of a fish even over '12. You can catch a million of them, but it gets old. 

[spaghetti_bassin]

Only two bodies on Long Island hold smallmouth, two lakes that I hardly fish. When I’m up in New Hampshire though, river smallies all day. 

[Ohioguy25]

1 hour ago, John Diamond said:

I love both, but smallmouth for me is the most enjoyable because I love being on rivers.  Either boating, or wet wading, there's just nothing like hearing the rush of the water, the cicadas singing, and not a soul for miles in total solitude.

Exactly. Also the idea that you’re fishing in a completely natural and wild (for the most part) body of water, not some manmade pond or lake.

[John Diamond]

31 minutes ago, Ohioguy25 said:

Exactly. Also the idea that you’re fishing in a completely natural and wild (for the most part) body of water, not some manmade pond or lake.

 

Though, there still is something to a hot summer day, at some old farm pond, catching tons of largemouth and bluegills.  When I was a kid, I probably spent every day I could doing that.  Me and my friends would scour the entire county for new farm ponds to try out.  Caught my PB in a farm pond.  Then I started wet wading the Susquehanna down below Conowingo Dam in the Summer low flows, and catching tank smallmouths, and that was kind of the end of my farm pond era, lol.

[Leatherneck]

I have NEVER caught a largemouth because I don't live in an area that has them. I do live in an area that has chain pickerel and smallmouth. I often find that shallow water fishing is easier and more enjoyable than open water fishing. It's so easy to see structure and vegetation that hold shallow water fish. Perhaps this is why largemouth fishing is so popular. Open water fishing can be more frustrating, tiring and less visually appealing if that makes any sense.

[TnRiver46]

You see a lot of these license plates on Tennessee roadways 

[MIbassyaker]

I think the biggest factors are (1) Largemouths grow larger, and (2) Largemouths simply inhabit more accessible water in across most of the country than Smallmouths do.  

 

In places where smallmouths of decent size are highly accessible, they are often more popular than largemouths.

[billmac]

Leatherneck:  I'm probably being nosy, but I'm wondering what part of the country doesn't have any largemouth?

[billmac]

Back in the late 70s when the BASS tour came to the St. Lawrence river for the first time, they discovered a largemouth fishery that the locals didn't know existed.  I remember Roland Martin winning the '78 tournament with 59 lbs of largemouth including a 5 lb-er that took the big bass prize.  Since the zebra mussels and gobies took over, you don't win here with largemouth.  You need a bag of smallies that average at least 20-25 lbs per day.

[CountryboyinDC]

Definitely there is more water with largemouth in it, with farm ponds accounting for a great deal of it.  The reason I prefer to fish for other black bass species is where I find smallmouth - in rivers where there aren't jet skis and 40' cabin cruisers.  I like to be where fewer people are.  If there are shoalies, smallmouth, or even the Kentucky spotted bass that doesn't mind current, I'm likely trying to spend my time fishing there if possible.  But if there's no such river around, largemouth offer a very fun alternative.

[TnRiver46]

On 9/8/2020 at 3:32 PM, billmac said:

Leatherneck:  I'm probably being nosy, but I'm wondering what part of the country doesn't have any largemouth?

Alaska 

23 hours ago, CountryboyinDC said:

Definitely there is more water with largemouth in it, with farm ponds accounting for a great deal of it.  The reason I prefer to fish for other black bass species is where I find smallmouth - in rivers where there aren't jet skis and 40' cabin cruisers.  I like to be where fewer people are.  If there are shoalies, smallmouth, or even the Kentucky spotted bass that doesn't mind current, I'm likely trying to spend my time fishing there if possible.  But if there's no such river around, largemouth offer a very fun alternative.

I sometimes encounter the big largemouth on the rivers as well

[DitchPanda]

I'm my neck of the woods largemouth are much more plentiful and grow bigger. I do catch some smallmouth and that is always a welcome surprise. My biggest smallmouth is in the 5lb range and biggest largemouth is upper 8s. Like Ajay said I like all big bass. I'll even go a step further and just say I like all bass period.

[CountryboyinDC]

9 hours ago, TnRiver46 said:

I sometimes encounter the big largemouth on the rivers as well

I've caught some largemouth in rivers for sure, but they aren't anywhere near the prevalence of the smallmouth around shoals.  When I have caught them in the shallow, rocky parts, I have chalked it up to them being 'lost'.  Usually there's been a flood or something that I can use to explain them being there.  On the parts of a river I do find largemouth, they're generally navigable by powerboat.

[ajschn06]

Largemouth are everywhere, and you can catch them on pretty much anything.  I've gotten on the river more this year, so I've gotten a handful of smallmouth..... nothing big, but it's definitely created an itch to find some good size ones and figure out how to catch them...

[Tatsu Dave]

I'm a bass fisherman, brown or green don't matter to me just because of where I live. We catch about 70% largemouth and about 30% smallmouth, all less traveled lakes and rivers with beautiful scenery and both species are about equally challenging to catch. Last season my best smallie was 4lb and largemouth was 5lb 3oz. very close in size as well. They both came from same body of water ? what fights the best is what I have on my rod at the time. I honestly don't like one better than the other.....glad to have both where we fish and be able to catch both on any given day. Its more exciting to catch big striped bass than any other bass species.   Good Fishing    Dave

[MGF]

I catch many times more smallmouth than largemouth. But, I live near a fairly decent smallmouth river and my wife and I really like being on the river. We have a lot of lakes close by but we really like the river.

 

I guess there are a lot of reasons but most of the lakes here are primarily lined with houses where the river is much more scenic. There are areas where there houses but lots of stretches that are wooded with a lot of wooded islands. Along with the fishing we see a wide variety of wildlife. we've camped on islands in the fall and gone the whole trip without seeing a single person...and some of this river is just minutes from town.

 

Another obvious reason for the preference is the lack of harassing speed boats and other fast noisy machines. While I love the hunt I fish for fun and diversion. Jet skis buzzing around gets me thinking evil thoughts and it isn't any fun. 

 

Someplace I read that you can't step into the same river twice. It's true. Every flood or even a change in water level through the seasons makes it like a new place and it's not the same from one year to the next. 

[Junk Fisherman]

The obvious answer is that largemouth are more prevalent from sprawling reservoirs and rivers to the small lakes and ponds that can be found across America.   For me, my favorite type of fishing is Great Lakes smallmouth.  I love catching them on light line tactics with the spectacular fight they give.  I also enjoy boating and fishing in the Great Lakes and the scenery up north in Wisconsin and Michigan where I fish is spectacular.  But it also comes down to what is the best bite when I can go.  Being a teacher, I have time off in the summer which matches up well to taking long trips up north for smallies.  June and July fishing for Great Lakes smallies is often spectacular which makes it the bite I will chase.   In the early spring I am always fishing for largemouth in the natural lakes in my area and then transition to Lake Michigan once it warms.   So for me smallmouth are more popular but I'd rather fish a good largemouth bite than trying to force it with smallmouth.