catalog Centrarchidae · predator

largemouth bass

Micropterus salmoides

Freshwaternon-native in Brazil

Exotic North American predator, found in reservoirs in the South and Southeast. Technical fishing with artificial lures. Never release it into a new environment.

Also called: black bass, bass, achigã, perca-americana

forecast for largemouth bass where found

Scientific illustration of Largemouth bass

common size: 25–45 cm
maximum: 97 cm
common weight: 0.5–2.5 kg
record/max.: 10.1 kg
depth: 0.5–8 m
ideal water: 20–27 °C

overview

who is the largemouth bass

North American predator, introduced to Brazil for sport fishing and now established in reservoirs, small farm ponds and cooler rivers of the South and Southeast. It is exotic and a voracious predator: it eats lambaris, young native fish, frogs and shrimp, and can wipe out small species from entire lakes. That is why releasing black bass where it doesn't exist is a serious environmental offense. For anglers it is the fish of technical lure fishing: silicone worm, spinnerbait, crankbait and topwater. It strikes hard, jumps and shakes its head.

fun facts

The male digs the nest and guards eggs and fry, attacking anything that comes near.
It is the fish that launched the big artificial-lure bass tournaments in the United States.

how to recognize it

identification

Sturdy olive-green body, greenish-silver flanks with a dark, irregular lateral band from snout to tail. Huge mouth: the upper jaw extends past the eye. Dorsal fin with a spiny part and a soft part, nearly separate. Peacock bass has an ocellus on the tail and vertical bars. Trahira has no spines on the dorsal fin.

how largemouth bass fishing looks

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Each card shows the day's index (0 to 100) and, below it, a strip with the index for each hour, from 0h to 23h. from poor to excellent.

distribution

where found

open on the large map

Exotic, native to North America. Small reservoirs and farm ponds in PR, SC and RS (including the highland plateau), reservoirs in SP and southern MG, and cooler rivers.

Habitat: Reservoirs and small farm ponds with structure: snags, rocks, cutbanks, submerged vegetation and points.

introduced in

ParanáUruguaySouth AtlanticSoutheast Atlantic

states

Paraná, Santa Catarina, Rio Grande do Sul, São Paulo, Minas Gerais

famous destinations

El Salto Dam — Ing. Aurelio Benassini Vizcaíno Lago Baccarac — Presa Bacurato (Gustavo Díaz Ordaz)El Cuchillo Dam — Cuchillo-Solidaridad Vicente Guerrero Dam — Las Adjuntas Tampico — Pánuco River and Chairel Lagoon Lake Atitlán — Sololá Lake Yojoa — Cortés, Comayagua and Santa Bárbara Hanabanilla Reservoir — Escambray

calendar and clock

when to fish

best season

time of yearbest: Oct–Mar

JanFebSeaAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Spring and summer. In spring (September to November) it moves into shallow water to build nests. In winter it stays deep and slow.

best time of day

Daytime, with peaks at dawn and dusk. Peaks at dawn and late afternoon; on cloudy days it strikes all day.

weather, water and behavior

what affects the largemouth bass
sensitivity The little bars show how much each factor affects this species. Five full: it feels it a lot.

cold and cold fronts

Tolerates cold water, but slows down below 15 °C.

atmospheric pressure

Very sensitive to cold fronts: after the front passes, drop the lure and slow down.

moon

Small effect; spring nests follow the moon in some reservoirs.

rain

Drizzle and overcast weather are often excellent.

water level

A rising level that floods the vegetation pulls the black bass into the shallows.

noise

Wary in clear water; long casts.

wind

The windward bank concentrates the lure and black bass.

depth

Shallow early and late in the afternoon; 3 to 8 m in strong sun and in the cold.

technique, gear and bait

how to fish

Surface casting Mid-water casting Bottom casting Fly fishing

rod: 6' to 6'6", fast action, 8 to 17 lb
spinning / baitcasting reel: low-profile baitcasting reel 100 or spinning reel 2500
line: braided 15 to 20 lb
leader: fluorocarbon 12 to 16 lb
hook: offset 2/0 to 4/0 for silicone; treble hooks on hard lures

lures

silicone worm (Texas and wacky rig)
spinnerbait
crankbait
skirted jig
popper and small zara
frog

natural baits

live lambari
minhocuçu

accessories

alicate
polarized glasses

tip from an angler

Work slowly near snags and walls. After a cold front, use silicone on the bottom, almost still.

ready-made kit

surface trahira

Casting in lagoons, marshes, small reservoirs and vegetated reservoir edges, using frogs, sapito, zara and buzzbait.

ready-made kit

peacock bass in reservoirs (southeast and center-west)

Boat fishing in large reservoirs in SP, MG, GO, MS and PR, where blue and yellow peacock bass were introduced. Clear water, pressured fish and plenty of submerged structure.

guide

imaging: down, side and live sonar

How to read down imaging, side imaging and live sonar to find structure, confirm fish and get back to the right spot.

guide

baitcasting reel: setting up and casting without backlash

How the brakes work, how to set spool tension, how to use your thumb, and what to do when backlash appears.

guide

precision casting

Overhead, sidearm, pitching, flipping and skipping: when to use each, how to aim at structure, and why the first cast to a spot is the one that gets the most bites.

what the law says

rules for the largemouth bass

Summary of the regulations we found, with the source for each. Rules change; before keeping or transporting fish, check with the state environmental agency.
Conservation: Considered invasive; harms lambaris and young native fish.

Releasing it into the natural environment without a license is an offense

releasing or introducing fish into rivers, reservoirs and lakes is prohibitedPRSCRSSPMGconfirm with the agency

Introducing an exotic species, or one outside its natural range, without a technical opinion and a license is a federal environmental offense. This includes releasing a fish from a tank, pay lake or aquarium into a river or reservoir. In MG, the IEF states that stocking without a license is prohibited.

Source: Lei federal nº 9.605/1998, art. 31, and Decreto federal nº 6.514/2008, art. 25

PR: exotics allowed; returning them to the water is restricted

exotics may be caught freely; confirm the release rulePRParanáSoutheast Atlanticconfirm with the agency

In PR, non-native fish may be caught in the interior basins. Portaria IAT 650/2025 sets a rule on releasing non-natives, with an exception for catch-and-release events aimed at them. Confirm with IAT before returning the fish to the water.

Source: Portaria IAT nº 650/2025 (fishing in the interior basins of PR; replaced Portarias IAT 177/2025 and 223/2025) - Instituto Água e Terra

catch and release
catch and release Releasing the fish alive, quickly and with a wet hand. During a closed season it isn't always allowed: what the regulation says applies.

Where it is already established, follow local rules. Never transport it alive to another lake or river.

in the kitchen

White, firm meat; fried or grilled fillet.

calculator

how much it weighs without taking it out of the water

total length (cm)

Length-weight relationship W = a·L^b (a = 0.01047, b = 3.08; FishBase). It's an average: a fat or lean fish can vary by 10% to 20%.

estimated weight

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sources and references

The season weights (months), the time of day and the sensitivities (cold, pressure, moon, wind, rain, tide, strong light, murky water and noise) are the app's editorial estimates, based on the literature below and on the field experience of anglers and guides. They are not official data nor a measurement made for this species, and they may vary by region and year. Closed seasons and legal rules appear in the rules section, with the norm and a link.