Spotted Bass - BassFishingColors.com
SPOTTED BASSThe spotted bass is also known as the smallmouth bass, Kentucky bass, Kentucky spotted bass,  northern spotted bass, Alabama spotted bass, Wichita spotted bass, black bass, and spot. The spotted bass is similar in appearance to its larger cousin the largemouth bass. It has a green to olive-green hue; white, mottled belly; and a broad stripe of broken blotches, usually diamond-shaped, along the midline of its body. The spotted bass has scales on the base portion of the rear part of the dorsal fin. The first and second dorsal fins of the spotted bass are clearly connected in the middle. The spotted bass’s upper jaw does not extend past the eye. These two traits of the spotted bass can quickly distinguish it from the largemouth. Above the lateral line there are dark markings, and below the lateral line the scales have dark bases that give rise to the linear rows of small spots which are responsible for the common name. The Spotted Bass world record is 9 pounds, 4 ounces. This record bass was caught in Lake Perris, California in 1987. Spotted bass are strong fighters when caught on light tackle. Popular lures and baits for spotted bass are jigs, crankbaits, spinners, small plastic worms and crayfish. The spotted bass prefers small to medium streams and rivers with clear, slow-moving water, gravel or rock bottoms. Spotted bass may occupy reservoirs, but are seldom found in natural lakes. They do not enter brackish water. Spotted bass are native to the Mississippi River basin and across the Gulf States of the US, from central Texas through the Florida panhandle. Its native range extends into the western Mid-Atlantic States and it has been introduced into eastern North Carolina and Virginia. The spotted bass has also been introduced to southern Africa, where it has become established in some isolated waters. The Wichita spotted bass is limited to the West Cache Creek, Oklahoma. The Alabama spotted bass has been introduced into California. The principal foods of the spotted bass are crayfish, fish and aquatic insects. The spotted bass is less of a fish eater than other black basses and seems to be more selective in its feeding habits. Spawns of the spotted bass are very much like the largemouth. Spawning occurs in the spring when water temperatures reach 60 to 65 degrees. Sexually mature spotted mates build saucer-shaped nests on a soft, clay bottom or on gravel bars generally near brush, logs or other heavy cover. The eggs hatch in four or five days, yielding up to 3,000 fry per nest. Spotted bass tend to grow slower than largemouths and do not attain as large a size as other black bass family members. The young grow to 1-1/2 to 4 inches the first summer. Spotted bass reach maturity at about seven inches in length. Average length for a 4 year old spotted bass is 14 inches. The growth rate slows after this with an average length of 18 inches for an 8 year old spotted bass. There are three recognized subspecies of spotted bass. They are the northern spotted bass which has 60 to 68 scales along the lateral line, the Alabama spotted bass which has 68 to 75 scales along the lateral line and the Wichita spotted bass which was thought by some to be extinct. 
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