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Inshore, Nearshore, River Fishing Charter in Fort Lauderdale
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More Largemouth Bass Fishing Guides
Guided crappie fishing adventures in North Mississippi (home of the 3lb crappie) offer you the chance to fish 3 of nations top crappie fisheries: Sardis Lake, Grenada Lake, and Enid Lake. We will pursue black and white (primarily) crappie using advanced electronics (LiveScope and Side Imaging) and a variety of techniques (pushing or pulling crankbaits, spider rigging, slow trolling, casting, jigging, and live bait). Mississippi offers the best crappie fishing on the planet: the world record white crappie was caught just below Enid Lake weighing in at an astonishing 5 plus pounds. Our trophy crappie fishing trips give you the chance to not only catch your personal best papermouth, white perch or sac-a-lait, but you will get plenty of action catching eating size fish (we must release all fish 12" and under, so legal fish will start at about 12.5", 15 crappie per angler, 40 per boat). Trips typically start at daylight and run 4, 6 or 8 hours. Everything you need to enjoy your day is included, guide, boat, bait, tackle, rods, fish cleaning, snacks and drinks. All you do is show up and fish! Read More
If you're looking for an unforgettable smallmouth bass fishing experience, Traverse City is the place to be and Captain Owen is the guide to take you. With guided trips on Grand Traverse Bay and the surrounding inland lakes, you will experience firsthand why this area is considered one of the best. whether you're visiting in the spring, summer, or fall, there's always an opportunity to catch! We have the experience and the equipment to put you on the fish! Read More
Lake, Nearshore Fishing Charter in Traverse City
Traverse City Smallmouth Bass Trip
If you've been on the hunt for world-class fly fishing right here in California, this trip with Captain Mark was meant for you! You'll be fishing the San Joaquin River for Largemouth and Striped Bass all of which love to whack flies on topwater! With a little skill, you can expect big surface "takes" and blow-ups from all three species, whether you're an experienced fly fisherman or still a rookie. The summer and fall months offer the best of both worlds when it comes to fishing the San Joaquin Valley, with excellent weather and river conditions, alongside terrific fishing. Fishing during these seasons is also a great way to expand your fly-fishing skillset beyond just Trout; you can have a lot of success targeting Bass and Stripers on the fly as well. Captain Mark has fished this area for decades, and he's the resident expert when it comes to the best spots, tackle, and techniques. On this trip you'll; be fishing from the deck of his 17' Pro-Line skiff, which is a quick, manueverable boat that's ideal for fishing the river. Fishing from a boat gives you greater access to the best holes and hotspots, and Mark will be there to offer technique tips and pointers. His full-day trips include lunch, so all you need to bring is your sun protection, California Fishing License, and personal gear. Of course, if you don't have your own equipment he's happy to provide it for you. Get out there and see what the San Joaquin has to offer! Read More
If you’ve never been to Delray Beach before, you’re missing out. These productive waters are home to some spectacular Peacock bass, Largemouth Bass, Peacock Bass, Clown Knifefish, and Hybrid Striped Bass. No matter if it’s your first time on the water or if you’re an experienced angler, Johnny will lead the way! You’ll be fishing aboard Johnny’s 22-foot bay boat equipped with a 250 HP Yamaha engine, a GPS, fishfinder, live bait well, wireless trolling motor, and an ice box. This boat can accommodate 4 anglers. Johnny likes to use a variety of techniques, including light tackle and spinning. If you would like to fly fish, let Johnny know before the trip. Make sure you bring a valid Florida freshwater fishing license, some food and drinks for the day, sunscreen, and a hat. Johnny will take care of all rods, reels, tackle, lures, and live bait if it’s available in season. If you want to fly fish, Johnny will provide the equipment, but feel free to bring your own. Bring your kids or your angling buddies and head out to a fishing adventure to remember! Read More
Invasive Species, Lake Fishing, Hunting Trip in Miami
Peacock Bass + Iguana Cast & Blast
Welcome to Delray Beach's premier freshwater fishing charter! On this awesome trip, you'll be chasing Peacock Bass, Clown Knifefish, and big ol' Largemouth Bass in the channels and lakes around Delray! This is a great opportunity for anglers of all skill levels to experience the thrill of catching Peacock Bass. Peacock Bass aren't actually bass, but are a type of cichlid native to South America. They were introduced in 1984, and now they can be found in the canals and lakes all over South Florida. They're known for their vibrant colors and fierce fighting spirit, making them a popular target for anglers. Captain Brian's 18' Carolina Skiff is an ideal boat for fishing shallow freshwater channels, and is equipped with all kinds of gear to maximize your chances of a big trophy. Whether you're a seasoned angler or a first-time fisherman, Brian will make sure you have a fun and memorable experience on the water. If you're looking for an terrific experience in South Florida, this fishing charter is the perfect choice! With your experienced captain, top-of-the-line equipment, and access to the best spots on the water, you're sure to have a great day. Read More
Everything to Know About Booking a fishing trip
What are the best largemouth bass fishing trips?
The best largemouth bass fishing trips are:
Why should I book a largemouth bass fishing trip with Captain Experiences?
Our Damn Good Guides currently offer 138 largemouth bass trips, and the most popular trips are Lake Bois D’ Arc guided by Jay, Peacock Bass: Fly or Spin guided by Justin, and Half Day Fishing Trip guided by Jace.
Our guides are rated a 4.93 out of 5 based on 3286 verified reviews on Captain Experiences.
All guides on Captain Experiences are licensed, insured, and vetted by our team. You can access their reviews, click through trip photos, read bios to get to know them, and preview trip details like species, techniques, group sizes, boat specs and more.
Looking for kid friendly largemouth bass guides / fishing lessons? Check out our beginner and family friendly largemouth bass guides.
What types of largemouth bass fishing trips are common?
Deep Sea fishing is the most popular type of fishing for largemouth bass as well as lake fishing, river fishing, and inshore fishing.
The most common fishing techniques are light tackle fishing, artificial lure fishing, and live bait fishing but topwater fishing and sight casting are popular as well.
How much does a largemouth bass fishing trip cost?
Prices for largemouth bass can range anywhere from about $350 to $1,000, but the average price for a half day trip for largemouth bass is $471. The average price for a full day trip for largemouth bass is $960.
Is booking a fishing guide worth the money?
Hiring a guide provides a number of benefits and many choose to book a fishing guide for a combination of experience, local knowledge, convenience, and cost-effectiveness.
Working with experienced fishing guides who know the best local spots and techniques can dramatically increase your odds of a great day. Having someone who is on the water every day and knows the area like the back of their hand is going to give you the best chances of success.
Booking a guide is also more cost effective, especially if you only get out a handful of times per year. When you consider all of the costs you would incur on your own such as the price of a boat, maintenance, insurance, gas, high-quality gear and tackle, repairs, and more, you’ll find that DIY is sometimes not worth the expense.
Even if you’ve got a great setup already in your home waters, booking a guide also provides a great opportunity to experience new techniques, new locations, or even a chance at a new target species to knock off the bucket list.
What month is best for largemouth bass fishing?
The most popular season for largemouth bass fishing is spring, and most anglers book their trips 21 days in advance.
Do I need a fishing license for largemouth bass and what are the bag limits for largemouth bass?
See here for more information on largemouth bass fishing licenses, largemouth bass bag limits, and fishing season regulations for largemouth bass. When in doubt, your fishing guide will always know the right largemouth bass rules and regulations.
What is a Largemouth Bass?
Largemouth bass are iconic freshwater fish of the US.
To help you truly understand how ingrained this fish is in the culture of freshwater fishing, the sheer number of nicknames it has will give you an idea of how many people have lived their lives obsessed with this fish: widemouth bass, bigmouth bass, black bass, bayou bass, bucketmouth, largies, Potter's fish, lake bass, line side, marsh bass, slough bass, welchman, Florida bass, Florida largemouth, green bass, bucket mouth, chub, green trout, gilsdorf bass, oswego bass, LMB, southern largemouth, northern largemouth.
And then if you want to add slang for big mommas the list gets even longer: lunker, hog, pig, toad…the list goes on.
The largemouth bass is also the state fish of Georgia and Mississippi and the state freshwater fish of Florida and Alabama.
The largemouth is a carnivorous member of the sunfish family and is native to the eastern and central US, but has spread across the country by being introduced in just about every pond and lake you can find on a map. They are a deep olive-green with black splotches on their midside to flank, sometimes looking like a set of diamonds that form a lateral line. And of course, the largemouth has a jaw that extends back beyond its eye (on smallmouth the corner of their mouth will not extend past the eye).
There are two distinct subspecies of largemouth bass and both have been introduced broadly. The Florida largemouth is the larger of the two, and the northern largemouth is the smaller. The Florida largemouth will also grow faster, and thus is a more sought after fish to stock.
How big do Largemouth Bass get?
The largemouth bass is the largest of the black basses. They can live up to 10 years or so in the wild and a true lunker can reach over 25 inches and over 20 pounds (with bigger sizes rumored to be out there somewhere…), although this is far from common.
An average good largemouth bass might be closer to 15-18 inches and about 3-4 pounds.
Due to sexual dimorphism (when one gender is substantially different from the other), the females are much larger than the males and are much more sought as a gamefish.
What's the biggest Largemouth Bass ever caught?
The largemouth bass all-tackle record is one of the most sought after of all fishing prizes. For almost 100 years the record stood still with a fish caught on a day of hooky in Montgomery Lake, GA in 1932. George Perry was trying to avoid work when he caught a 22 pound, 4 ounce largemouth, weighed it just because, and then took it home to eat it for dinner.
The IGFA certified in 2009 a co-record holder - Manabu Kurita, a fishing guide in Japan who caught an identical sized fish in Lake Biwa in Japan.
While Manabu’s bass was slightly bigger by weight, according to the IGFA a fish must be at least 2 ounces bigger by weight to break a record.
The hunt for a record largemouth bass has occupied the lives of many for years, and for an incredible read on the quest to beat the record (written in 2005, before Manabu caught his tying bass) check out Monte Burke’s Sowbelly which outlines a few lives that have been totally overtaken by the quest for a shot at a record bass.
Where is the best place to catch Largemouth Bass?
Largemouth bass can be found in just about any freshwater body, from lakes and ponds, to creeks and rivers. They are found across the US, in Southeastern Canada, Mexico, in the Carribean (bass fishing in Cuba has become popular, and the fish loves the hot climate), and even in far-flung places such as South Africa and Japan, where the fish has taken on an almost cult quality.
If you want to catch a true beast of a bass, you have a few destinations which are the go-tos: Lake Champlain, Lake Okeechobee, Falcon Lake, Toledo Bend, Lake Sam Rayburn, and Lake Fork. California, Texas, and Florida are consistently where the big bass are held, and states like Texas have even started official lunker programs to breed large bass and release better offspring when stocking lakes in the state.
While these lakes are all notorious for big bass, this also means they have a lot of fishing pressure. This is why many think a new record will come from a smaller lake or even other countries like Mexico or Cuba.
Largemouth bass prefer tons of cover and structure, and will congregate to fallen trees and other debris when available unless they are spawning. As a warm-water fish it is seldom found deeper than 20 or so feet.
When should I catch Largemouth Bass?
Largemouth generally run to deeper waters in the winter and come shallower in the summer, where they can be more easily sight-cast to.
In terms of time-of-day, largemouth bass can be caught often at daybreak and at dusk when they cruise shallower waters to feed and are not hiding under structure, although this is by no means a hard and fast rule.
Largemouth are also great to catch during their spawn, when big females will not only be more visible and available, but also protective of their patch of seabed (will attack anything that comes near, like a lure) and full of eggs (and therefore a heavier fish). The spawn will be earlier in warmer climates, often starting in March in the south and as late as May in the northern US.
How do you catch Largemouth Bass?
With such an iconic fish you are bound to develop a whole world of dedicated gear and lures. Largemouth have entire industries dedicated to finding and catching them. Lures from worms to jigs to plugs to spinners have all been built and customized just for bass.
To this end, there are any number of interesting options to fish with which range not just from picking your lure to even how you rig it (try going wacky).
The most common strategy is trying to entice the fish to bite your lure, sometimes almost out of anger as much as desire. In colder water bass are more lethargic and will need a slower retrieve. Because they love cover, you’ll want to throw to brush and into structure and you’ll want to choose your gear accordingly.
Largemouth bass are fairly aggressive fish and there is no right way to fish them - everyone will tell you something different. The best strategy is to keep an eye on conditions and try a few methods to figure out what works in your area.
Are Largemouth Bass good to eat? What are the best Largemouth Bass recipes?
You can certainly eat largemouth bass, although they aren’t regarded as a particularly tasty freshwater option. Bass from stagnant ponds or lakes can have a muddy flavor that turns people off as well, and many people regard bass as more fun to catch than eat.
If you do decide you want to keep your catch, the flavor is generally mild, watery, and a little fishy, sometimes with a grassy taste. Try to keep fish from flowing, cleaner waters (as a rule of thumb, the better the water looks, the better your fish will taste) and grill or fry it fresh.
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Other Fishing Species
- Alligator Gar
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- Clown Knifefish
- Coho Salmon
- Crab
- Crappie
- False Albacore
- Flathead Catfish
- Flounder
- Fluke
- Freshwater Drum
- Garfish
- Guadalupe Bass
- Hybrid Striped Bass
- Jack Crevalle
- Lake Trout
- Longnose Gar
- Mangrove Snapper
- Muskie
- Mutton Snapper
- Northern Pike
- Peacock Bass
- Perch
- Permit
- Rainbow Trout
- Red Grouper
- Red Snapper
- Redfish
- Sailfish
- Sauger
- Sheepshead
- Skipjack Tuna
- Smallmouth Bass
- Smallmouth Buffalo
- Snakehead
- Snook
- Speckled Trout
- Spotted Bass
- Spotted Gar
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- Striped Bass
- Sunfish
- Tarpon
- Tautog
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- Tripletail
- Wahoo
- Walleye
- White Bass
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