Is it just me or do florida strain largemouth fight differently than northern ones? 2025
gypsyking reply :
It seems to me like the largemouth bass here in florida are better at peeling drag and change directions more often than the ones I used to catch up north, though I would say the northern bass had a bit more stamina and were more prone to jump.
BassWhole! reply :
Lb for lb, I haven't noticed a difference, not that either fights much to begin with. What I do find makes a difference is water temp, habitat, and time of year. Bass peeling drag, thanks for the chuckle.
gypsyking reply :
On 9/11/2019 at 8:02 PM, BassWhole! said:Lb for lb, I haven't noticed a difference, not that either fights much to begin with. What I do find makes a difference is water temp, habitat, and time of year. Bass peeling drag, thanks for the chuckle.
On light spinning tackle bass can indeed peel drag, but whatever bud????
boostr reply :
Florida LMB are a bit more aggressive and gianter...
TnRiver46 reply :
Every bass I've ever caught over 6 lbs pulls drag. Big ones are strong
2tall79 reply :
Wish I knew. ????
MassYak85 reply :
The northern ones up here definitely love to jump. But sometimes I feel they're lazy. One good head shake or dash for the nearest cover and if that doesn't work out they kind of give up until they get to the boat and they might try one last shake. Smallies on the other hand fight like theyre about to die of they don't get off.
JediAmoeba reply :
Unless I am fishing 6 lbs on a spinning reel I don't think I have ever had drag pulled if set correctly for northern bass.
gypsyking reply :
On 9/12/2019 at 12:18 AM, JediAmoeba said:Unless I am fishing 6 lbs on a spinning reel I don't think I have ever had drag pulled if set correctly for northern bass.
what about florida bass?
BassWhole! reply :
On 9/12/2019 at 12:26 AM, gypsyking said:what about florida bass?
LOL
gypsyking reply :
On 9/12/2019 at 12:44 AM, BassWhole! said:LOL
You're quite easily amused.
Wizzlebiz reply :
On 9/12/2019 at 12:53 AM, gypsyking said:You're quite easily amused.
Hes a basshole cant expect anything less.
I havent fished in florida however the 5lber I caught this summer didnt pull any drag from my spinning set up. I have had my drag pulled by me when a bass has me wrapped around a laydown. He was fairly lazy though. One jump to try try to get away then he just accepted it.
This is in northern California btw.
Grim_Reaver reply :
On 9/12/2019 at 1:18 AM, Wizzlebiz said:Hes a basshole cant expect anything less.
I havent fished in florida however the 5lber I caught this summer didnt pull any drag from my spinning set up. I have had my drag pulled by me when a bass has me wrapped around a laydown. He was fairly lazy though. One jump to try try to get away then he just accepted it.
What he said. If smaller largies are peeling drag, it's set way too lose. In general, drag can slip a little, but it shouldn't peel off. I haven't caught a northern, but strain doesn't matter as much as the environment they live in. Lake bass in general, even down here in Florida, are pretty lazy fighters. River bass however fight harder due to the constant current. They have to be stronger to navigate that environment.
Bass_Fishing_Socal reply :
On 9/11/2019 at 8:02 PM, BassWhole! said:Lb for lb, I haven't noticed a difference, not that either fights much to begin with. What I do find makes a difference is water temp, habitat, and time of year. Bass peeling drag, thanks for the chuckle.
You must have caught only tiny bass in small pool, otherwise use a broomstick and a rope.
gypsyking reply :
On 9/12/2019 at 1:32 AM, Marcus Y. said:What he said. If smaller largies are peeling drag, it's set way too lose. In general, drag can slip a little, but it shouldn't peel off. I haven't caught a northern, but strain doesn't matter as much as the environment they live in. Lake bass in general, even down here in Florida, are pretty lazy fighters. River bass however fight harder due to the constant current. They have to be stronger to navigate that environment.
Most of my bass fishing involves river bass, and they are indeed better fighters. As for peeling drag, most bass over 4 pounds are capable of doing so on my typical light spinning setups, though usually only for a short run or 2.
BassWhole! reply :
On 9/12/2019 at 1:42 AM, Bass_Fishing_Socal said:You must have caught only tiny bass in small pool, otherwise use a broomstick and a rope.
No, I've caught bass of all sizes big and small. As a matter of fact, I cut my teeth fishing in the Catskills with a medium spinning rod and 8 lb mono. Used the same rod in the salt, so good knots and knowing how much drag one can set, and how to use it was just second nature. Turns out when you set max drag for bluefish, bass, even large ones will pull inches, or at most a foot or two with such tackle. With 12lb BG and above on BC gear I hardly ever get any pulled out. Along with loop knot, and "catching them like I want to catch them", Too light a drag is how I know someone doesn't really fish, but to each his own.
WRB reply :
Northern strain LMB are more aggressive fish everywhere I have fished from Canada to Mexico and both east and west coast of America. Florida strian LMB are more wary fish and limited in range do to cold water below 45 degrees. Wary has nothing to do with fighting strength.
Fighting strength has a lot to do with how the bass is hooked, the size of the lure, health and condition fish, depth and water temperature and cover.
It's a myth that big bass are lazy fish and can barely jump. Big bass hooked off a bed during the spawn or post spawn can be a tired fish with little stamina. Pre spawn bass can be very strong and in excellent condition.
My PB NLMB is 12 1/4 lbs and didn't jump, strong fish but stayed down. My 2 PB FLMB both jumped completely clearing the water twice and were very strong bass and fast swimming bass hooked about the same depth as the NLMB 12 1/4 lb between 15' to 20', the 18.6 lb was at lake Casitas in the same location 10 years apart. My PB 19.3 lb FLMB was at lake Castiac in about 17' of water and jumped a body length out of the water, all 3 caught using jigs on 10 to 12 lb mono line.
If you button down the drag with giant FLMB they break you off, it's that simple.
Tom
greentrout reply :
we have some old lakes down here that have not had flmb stocked in those lakes ... they are not state run or federal lakes ...
i've had the privilege to fish a couple of these private lakes ...
anecdotal ... no doubt in my mind the nlmb strain is more aggressive than the flmb strain in that they readily strike artificial lures more readily than flmb strain ...
i've found their fighting ability to be about the same all things being equal and nlmb jump ...
good fishing ...
https://www.mdwfp.com/media/news/fishing-boating/mdwfp-stocks-five-lakes-with-largemouth-bass/
Bluebasser86 reply :
It varies from each individual IMO. I've caught members of both strains that fought extremely hard, and some that were very disappointing.
A bass can certainly peel some drag, nothing like a drag burning run some other fish can make, but I've had plenty of stout green and brown fish gain a fair amount of ground on me, especially when fishing lighter line or treble hooked baits when I'm not horsing them in as fast.
frogflogger reply :
The first time I caught a bass in Florida I was impressed with their strength - as for pulling drag - when frog fishing with drag tight as I could get it and 50# braid I've still had bass in the everglades and Okeechobee make my drag slip.
Florida strain bass are longer bodied than their northern kin, I don't know if this contributes to their strength.
Bluebasser86 reply :
On 9/12/2019 at 9:41 PM, frogflogger said:Florida strain bass are longer bodied than their northern kin
This depends on where they're located. One of the lakes I fish often was stocked with Florida strain bass. They're some of the shortest, fattest fish I've ever seen. It's not unusual for a 18" fish to be over 4 pounds. They also pull extremely hard. This one was from this past winter, 18" and almost 4.5 pounds.
N Florida Mike reply :
Don’t think I’ve ever caught a northern strain lmb. But the Florida strain fish I’ve caught fight pretty good. ???? River fish fight harder.
the reel ess reply :
I can tell a difference in how the fish fight between locations of FL bass. I can tell a difference between different seasons at the same location. I'm in SC so I doubt I've ever caught a northern strain largie.
papajoe222 reply :
I've fished from Minnesota to Florida and I doubt if I could tell by the fight where a bass is from. I can say, without hesitation, that the bass down south react more adversely to weather changes and take longer to return to 'normal.'
As for drag, I use it for it's intended purposes; avoiding line breakage and tiring the fish so as to land it easily.
I doubt if I've ever lost a fish because I'd set the drag to tight. I use braid almost exclusively, even for most treble hooked lures and I set my drag fairly loose. If I need to horse a fish, my thumb is the tool I use. IMO, setting the drag tight takes some of the fun out of fishing and doesn't give the fish a fighting chance. It is a sport after all.
greentrout reply :
https://www.lunkerlore.com/single-post/2018/03/29/Northern-strain-vs-Florida-strain-largemouth-Bass
WRB reply :
On 9/13/2019 at 10:26 PM, the reel ess said:I can tell a difference in how the fish fight between locations of FL bass. I can tell a difference between different seasons at the same location. I'm in SC so I doubt I've ever caught a northern strain largie.
Florida strain largemouth bass are not native to South Carolina, northern strain LMB and Red Eye bass are. According to SC DNR the coastal Santee Copper lakes since the early 80's have a population of FLMB and mixed FLMB/NLMB intergrades along the coastal regions, the northern and western regions are NLMN strain.
California all bass species are non-native and introduced from other states.
Tom
the reel ess reply :
On 9/15/2019 at 3:47 AM, WRB said:Florida strain largemouth bass are not native to South Carolina, northern strain LMB and Red Eye bass are. According to SC DNR the coastal Santee Copper lakes since the early 80's have a population of FLMB and mixed FLMB/NLMB intergrades along the coastal regions, the northern and western regions are NLMN strain.
California all bass species are non-native and introduced from other states.
Tom
I fish a good many places that are privately stocked. What would they most likely be?
WRB reply :
On 9/16/2019 at 2:29 AM, the reel ess said:I fish a good many places that are privately stocked. What would they most likely be?
You need to check with the folks who do the stocking.
Your Local DNR will know as they regulate fish stocking to prevent introduction of invasive fish.
Anglers tend to move fish around "bucket stocking" that is illegal nearly everywhere today, not sure about South Carolina laws.
Tom
the reel ess reply :
On 9/16/2019 at 2:37 AM, WRB said:You need to check with the folks who do the stocking.
Your Local DNR will know as they regulate fish stocking to prevent introduction of invasive fish.
Anglers tend to move fish around "bucket stocking" that is illegal nearly everywhere today, not sure about South Carolina laws.
Tom
I'm pretty sure it's illegal and I'm sure it happens, but I've never heard of a case of it.
OCdockskipper reply :
Bass from Florida usually fight dirty, wearing a wifebeater with a cigarette hanging out of their mouth. They are often drunk and have an arrest record for run-ins with the manager of the local Wendys.
Northern bass tend to fight by the rules and are very persistent, to the point of being annoying. They believe their home lake is the greatest in the world and their sports teams are wicked good. They are usually found near a Dunkin Donuts.
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