How to catch Largemouth bass

Largemouth bass feed in 45–92°F water and bite best at 62–80°F. Fish Scouter's season calendar follows them in 49 waters; in October they are at their peak in Florida fresh water, Texas fresh water, Louisiana fresh water and 35 more.

30 pts · trophy at 22"Feeds 45–92°FBest 62–80°FIn season nowLakeReservoirPond / pitCanalRiverCreek / streamDock / pilingsSpringFish attractor / brush pile

About

Florida's fish in fresh water: the Florida-strain largemouth that grows to fourteen pounds in the lakes and the phosphate pits, and the reason Okeechobee and the Kissimmee chain are famous. A ten-pounder is a lifetime fish.

How to fish it

Hydrilla edges, lily pads and the shell bars; a wild shiner under a cork for the giants, a Texas-rigged worm for the numbers. Dawn and the pre-spawn in February are the moments.

What it eats

live wild shinersplastic worms and creature baitstopwater frogsswim jigsspinnerbaits

Live bait for it

Minnows (fatheads, shiners)Hooked lightly through the lips or behind the dorsal on a #6 to #2 hook under a slip bobber for crappie, perch and walleye; a big golden shiner on a 2/0 to 4/0 for largemouth, pike and stripers.

NightcrawlersWhole on a #6 to #2 hook under a bobber or on a bottom rig; threaded on a spinner harness drifted for walleye. The bait that catches everything in fresh water.

CrayfishHooked through the tail on a #2 to 2/0 hook and dragged slowly along rock and gravel — the smallmouth bait, and good for catfish and walleye.