SUWANNEE BASS

A sunfish called the Suwannee Bass is another heavy-bodied member of the black bass family. It rarely gets larger than 12 inches long although a few have been measured up to 16 inches in length. Mature Suwannee bass have bright turquoise blue coloring on their cheeks, breast, and ventral parts. A pattern of dark vertical blotches along the lateral line exists and where the lateral line meets the caudal fin there is also a dark blotch. Their upper jaw does not extend beyond the eye. They have a shallow notch between the dorsal fins with a distinct connection between the spiny and soft-rayed dorsal fins. Scales are also present at the base of the dorsal, anal and caudal fins.

The current world record for the Suwannee bass is 3 pounds, 14-1/4 ounces caught in the Florida Suwannee River in 1985.

The Suwannee bass is seldom fished for due to its small size and the limited area in which they are found. When fishing for Suwannee though it’s best to use light tackle to help ensure a good fight. Recommended live bait for Suwannee Bass is crayfish. Recommended artificial lures are small crayfish-colored spinnerbaits, crankbaits, plastic worms, and jigs. Suwannee bass prefer rapidly flowing water along rocky shoal areas but do not restrict themselves to these areas as they have been found in large springs and spring runs.

The Suwannee bass can only be found in the Suwannee, Ochlockonee and Aucilla River systems of south Georgia and northern Florida, the tributaries of the Suwannee River in Florida including the spring-fed lower reaches of the Santa Fe River and its tributary Ichetucknee River, and the St. Marks and Wacissa river systems of Florida. Due to the limited area of concentration for these sunfish they have been designated as a “Species of Special Concern” therefore if fishing for this species be sure to know existing rules and regulations for any size and weight limits.