101 Bass Facts That Change How You Fish

A bass isn't actually a bass. It can't close its eyes. It's a cannibal. And the world record has been shared since 2009 because one fish weighed exactly one ounce too little to take it outright. 101 facts about the most popular game fish in North America — explained, not just listed. By the time you get to 101, you'll understand why bass behave the way they do, where they live, what they eat, and what's actually happening when your lure gets bit. Most of it will change something about how you fish. 0:00 Facts 1–2: Not a true bass 0:33 Fact 3: Most popular game fish 1:02 Fact 4: The world record 1:27 Fact 5: George Perry, 1932 1:47 Fact 6: Record matched in 2009 2:03 Fact 7: Why it's still a tie 2:21 Fact 8: Smallmouth record 2:47 Fact 9: Florida bass — own species 2:54 Fact 10: What the split means 3:15 Fact 11: Why giants come from the South 3:39 Fact 12: Big bass are almost always female 3:55 Fact 13: ID trick — the mouth line 4:06 Fact 14: Why they're called bronzebacks 4:18 Fact 15: Largemouth coloring 4:32 Fact 16: Coldblooded 4:55 Fact 17: Water temp is everything 5:18 Fact 18: Ambush predator 5:33 Fact 19: Suction feeding 5:50 Fact 20: They swallow head first 6:05 Fact 21: No real teeth 6:20 Fact 22: They'll eat almost anything 6:36 Fact 23: Mice, birds, baby ducks 6:51 Fact 24: Cannibals 7:04 Fact 25: Crawfish matter more than you think 7:26 Fact 26: The lateral line 7:40 Fact 27: Hunting in total darkness 7:57 Fact 28: They see color 8:16 Fact 29: No eyelids 8:32 Fact 30: Built for low light 8:51 Fact 31: Scent and taste 9:05 Fact 32: Most strikes aren't hunger 9:21 Fact 33: Reaction strikes 9:34 Fact 34: Cover is their address 9:52 Fact 35: Small home range 10:06 Fact 36: Bass can learn 10:32 Fact 37: They live 10–16 years 10:48 Fact 38: The spawn 10:54 Fact 39: Male builds the bed 11:10 Fact 40: Female and her eggs 11:29 Fact 41: Male guards the nest 11:42 Fact 42: Bed fish aren't feeding 11:57 Fact 43: The bluegill enemy 12:10 Fact 44: Two shallow windows a year 12:26 Fact 45: Summer and winter — go deep 12:41 Fact 46: They don't hibernate 12:56 Fact 47: Winter fishing works 13:05 Fact 48: Why largemouth are everywhere 13:21 Fact 49: Smallmouth want the opposite 13:36 Fact 50: How they split the map 13:51 Fact 51: Smallmouth fight harder 14:07 Fact 52: All lower 48 states 14:19 Fact 53: Stocked worldwide 14:40 Fact 54: Invasive in some places 14:51 Fact 55: Billion dollar industry 15:04 Fact 56: Millions of anglers 15:21 Fact 57: Tournament payouts 15:36 Fact 58: The soft plastic worm changed everything 15:47 Fact 59: Official state fish 16:00 Fact 60: The meanmouth hybrid 16:11 Fact 61: The full black bass family 16:25 Fact 62: Spotted bass vs. largemouth 16:46 Fact 63: The swim bladder 16:54 Fact 64: Handle deep fish carefully 17:10 Fact 65: How they breathe 17:18 Fact 66: Warm water, low oxygen 17:33 Fact 67: Wind is your friend 17:52 Fact 68: Falling barometer fires the bite 18:00 Fact 69: Post-front bluebird days 18:10 Fact 70: Fish the windy bank 18:26 Fact 71: Match the hatch 18:42 Fact 72: They see your lure from below 18:53 Fact 73: Clear water — go natural 19:08 Fact 74: Dirty water — go loud 19:25 Fact 75: Fluorocarbon sinks and disappears 19:34 Fact 76: Braid has no stretch 19:52 Fact 77: Bites are softer than you think 20:03 Fact 78: They eat on the fall 20:22 Fact 79: Don't set too early 20:39 Fact 80: Catch and release 20:55 Fact 81: How to hold one safely 21:11 Fact 82: The slime coat 21:23 Fact 83: Never hold a big one horizontal 21:38 Fact 84: Ideal temperature range 21:54 Fact 85: Smallmouth handle cold better 22:10 Fact 86: Blind spot behind them 22:26 Fact 87: Lateral line feels injured baitfish 22:42 Fact 88: Thump and flash pulls from distance 22:53 Fact 89: Big bait, big fish 23:12 Fact 90: Full moon and the spawn 23:27 Fact 91: Bass tolerate brackish water 23:42 Fact 92: You are loud underwater 23:58 Fact 93: Come in quiet 24:06 Fact 94: River bass face the current 24:22 Fact 95: Good cover holds fish every year 24:38 Fact 96: Fastest growth early in life 24:54 Fact 97: Food-rich water beats age 25:09 Fact 98: Bass has its own pro tours 25:25 Fact 99: The five core baits 25:48 Fact 100: Two live baits that always work 25:56 Fact 101: The rule above all others