When the babies hatch, they stay in the nest for a week. Largemouth fry will stay in a school for three to four weeks, called a "brood swarm," which is guarded by their father. The largemouth bass is the state fish of Georgia and Mississippi, official freshwater fish of Alabama and Florida, and the official sport fish of Tennessee. read more
The juvenile largemouth bass consumes mostly small bait fish, scuds, small shrimp, and insects. Adults consume smaller fish (bluegill, banded killifish), shad, snails, crawfish , frogs, snakes, salamanders, bats and even small water birds, mammals, and baby alligators. read more
The world's record largemouth bass is 22-1/4 pounds taken by George W. Perry in Montgomery Pond near Valdosta, Ga. in 1932. In Florida where growing season is year-round, largemouth bass usually run about fifteen or sixteen pounds but even these are mighty rare. read more