Fishbook: Bass

‘Fishbook’: Our species-guide series based on “Get Fishing”
the brilliant how to fish book by Allan Sefton

We profile the UK’s most common as well as some lesser-known fish species to help newcomer anglers find out more about fish that can be caught in our lakes, canals, rivers, ponds and sea.

Understanding the kinds of fish you might catch will add interest and could even make your fishing easier! Here you’ll find out more about…

BASS

Name:
Bass

Scientific name:
Micropterus salmoides

Life span:
Around 25 years

Typical size:
1-6lb

British record:
19lb 9oz

Waters:
Found around most coastlines of England and Wales, less common in Scotland. Open beaches, sand bars and shallow bays are great places to catch bass

Interesting fact:
It is important to keep up to date with the law about keeping bass you catch, so check online

About Bass

Sometimes bass shoals join with mackerel to feast on sand eels. If you are lucky, a bass may get to your lure first. Bass turn up regularly at some deep-water points.

Bass are handsome, silver predatory fish that anglers catch using lures or bait. Their location is unpredictable. During summer, shoals of immature ‘school bass’ often run into estuaries in southern England. Bass are a slow-maturing fish. Small fish should be returned to give them a chance to breed.

Bass are in great demand for the table and wild ones are over-fished by commercial fleets. This has led to strict, and changing, size limits and catch controls for anglers too. It is important to keep up to date with the law about keeping bass you catch, so check online.

Visit the rest of the How To Fish video gallery here to learn new tricks and discover more about the basics of angling.

Find out more about:

• Mackerel
• Coalfish
• Wrasse
• Pollack
• Flounder

Read more about how you can get into sea fishing. Alternatively, find a venue near you where you can #getfishing!

Some of the above content is taken from the new book, Get Fishing – the ‘how to’ guide to Coarse, Sea and Fly Fishing by Allan Sefton published by Merlin Unwin Books. This colourful, lively book is aimed at complete beginners of all ages, those who have been out fishing a couple of times and want to take it further and families of all abilities. It’s also packed with top-tips and info that make it useful for more experienced anglers too. Find out more about, and purchase a copy of the book here.

Header image thanks to David Overland and text reproduced with permission and © Merlin Unwin Books.