The Suwannee Bass is best known for its beautiful turquoise color. This is shown off in the spring during the mating season. They have a remarkable ability to fight hard for such a small bass. The bass like to stick to a loose diet of crayfish and will spend most of their days suspended in shallow water near the shoals of Georgia and Florida’s River Basins.
Profile – (Micropterus Notius)
The Suwannee Bass?
As one of the smallest of the Black Bass family, the Suwannee Bass is unique in its ways. From toothed tongue to the turquoise color the adults take on during the breeding season. The small bass calls the Suwannee and the Ochlockonee Rivers home but has been expanded to St. Marks and Wacissa River. They prefer the limestone shoals of fast-flowing rivers, where they spend most of their time hunting for crayfish.
What does Suwannee Bass Eat?
The beautiful bass will eat a lot of what other basses eat, such as small invertebrates, fish, and crayfish. Although this bass will tend to eat different food, they keep as close to a crayfish diet as they can.
Spawning
As accurate as with the large or smallmouth bass, the Suwannee bass make sandy and gravely nests in the shallows when the water temps are between sixty-four to sixty-six degrees. Nest making is dug out by the males and then filled with eggs by the females. After this occurs, the male will deposit his semen and then guard his young fry eggs until they hatch before moving on.
Where to find Suwannee Bass?
These restricted Black Bass are native to Florida and Georgia’s, Ochlockonee, and Suwannee rivers. Although they also exist in other regions like the Withlacoochee, this fish isn’t thriving in polluted waters, making it difficult for them. Furthermore, the lack of crayfish in their native waters makes it complicated.
Can you Eat Suwannee Bass?
Eating the Suwannee Bass is as rewarding and delicious as any other bass. Their meat is flaky and tastes excellent. You can use the same methods with another black bass when cooking this small bass.
Angling for Suwannee Bass
This small ranged and nearly endangered bass species can be caught using similar techniques as you do fish for other basses. A simple setup with an artificial worm or going with something more entailed like swimming and crankbaits will land you some fish as well. These fish aren’t too picky on their bait choices but will put up quite a fight for their shrimpy size.
Rod and Reel Choices
Using a simple rod and reel setup will suffice here. All your gear will need to be on the lighter side when angling for this river bass. Although these fish fight hard for their size, they are seldomly over a couple of pounds. Simply mimic the lures and bait that you would use for a large or smallmouth bass but just use smaller ones to match the fish’s size.
What Anglers Look For?
Although there aren’t as many anglers looking for this small bass as there are others, the pros will look for one main thing. Sandy and rocky shoals where the rivers in Georgia and Florida drain. These bass love to hang in shallow water and wait for prey to come swimming by. The bag and limit supply for these specific fish are enforced to help protect their numbers but still allow anglers to enjoy this unique and beautiful bass.
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