Penobscot Fishing Guide Service The smallmouth bass is a freshwater fish originally found in lakes and rivers of eastern and central North America. Before the Civil War, there were no bass in Maine. Records show that bass were first stocked in Maine in 1869. As a result of widespread introductions, it now ranges from New England and Eastern Canada west to Oklahoma, south to Georgia, and far north in Ontario. It also can be found in a few areas of western North America and has been introduced in Europe, Asia, and Africa. The smallmouth is not actually a bass. It's a member of the sunfish family but, along with the largemouth, is called a black bass.

Smallmouth bass are most often bronze to brownish green in color, with dark vertical bars on their sides. In contrast to the Largemouth bass, the upper jaw does not extend beyond rear margin of the eye. Their eyes are reddish in color.Their soft dorsal fin has 13 to 15 rays with a small notch in the center.

Avg Length: 12 to 18 inches.
Avg Weight: 8 ounces to 5 pounds.

World Record: 11.9 pounds (5.4 Kg)
Location: Kentucky

Maine Record: 8.0 pounds

Food:
Shad and crayfish are consumed in lakes; and crayfish and minnows in streams. In streams, smallmouth can be very aggressive when hellgrammites and terrestrial insects are available.

Angling:
Effective lures for smallmouth, are those that resemble minnows, plastic worms and streamer flies. Live baits include minnows, hellgrammites and crayfish. One of the best smallmouth fisheries in the State is the Penobscot river.