SMALLMOUTH BASS

Smallmouth Bass (Micropterus dolomieui)

"... inch for inch and pound for pound, the gamest fish that swims." so said Dr. James A. Henshall a turn of the century physician and amateur icthyologist who made this species a lifelong avocation.

Ohio anglers have spent many sunny afternoons pursuing the trophy "smallie", and many evenings reminiscing of "the one that got away".

One of the top predators in Ohio streams and lakes, the smallmouth prefers the deeper pools having moderate to swift currents flowing over gravel, boulder, or bedrock substrates.

In Lake Erie the largest populations are found around the limestone reefs and islands in waters ranging between 3 and 20 feet in depth. Populations have shown marked declines statewide over the last 100 years as a result of channelization, dam construction, increased water turbidities, and siltation of stream habitats.