Hopewell Valley Student Podcasting Network Show Name:  Andrew RowanEpisode Title:  Bass, The Fan Favorite

Thank you for tuning into What’s The Catch? The podcast I'm your host Andrew Rowan.

In this episode of What’s The Catch? For the first episode ever, the catch of the day is gonna be: Bass, everything you need to know about the species, how to catch ‘em, where you can catch ‘em, and why you should go for these guys on your next fishing trip.

Segment 1: Species background

The Bass is a common species of freshwater and saltwater fish native to North America . It is one of the most popular game fish to catch. They’re so popular that most fishing tournaments consist of catching bass. They are personally my second favorite type of fish to catch. They’re are different types of bass, but we’ll focus today on the Largemouth and smallmouth. Fun facts:

• Types of bass: largemouth, smallmouth, rock bass, peacock bass , and black sea bass
• Average largemouth  length: 10-20 inches
• Average largemouth weight: .5 to 4.5 lbs
• New jersey State largemouth record: 10 pounds
• Average smallmouth length: 12- 18 inches
• Average smallmouth weight:1 to 4 lbs
• New jersey small mouth state record:7 lbs, 2 oz
•  largemouth US record: 22 lbs, 4 oz caught by George perry in 1932 in southern Georgia
• smallmouth US record: 11 lbs, 15 oz caught by David Hayes in 1955 on the border between kentucky and tennessee

Segment 2:  Equipment

Before we can talk about lures and baits,we need to figure out what kind of rod to use. Spinning rods work just fine but I would recommend a bait caster if you have the money.for line, i would recommend anytype of line between 8-12 test lines. You can go with monofilament or fluorocarbon, either is a great choice For largemouths, I would recommend if you intend to use a hook and plastic worm, I would say go with a wacky rig or texas rig. If you intend to use a hard plastic, I like to use a crankbait or a buzzbait. For smallies, these lures may work too but if you want the best results, I’d say get a jig.whether it be a hairy jig or tube jug, smallies will love them.  All of these choices are perfectly fine to use. You could use a real worm and a bobber if you wanted to.

Segment 3:  Where you can find them

Before you go find a spot, you gotta think about when is the best time. I would recommend fishing for these guys at night because they feed more at night and there's less anglers with you. The best seasons to catch them in Jersey are the spring and fall. Also largemouths are more active in warm water while smallmouths you can catch in cooler water but they still like to be on the warmer side. Bass fishing isn’t as strong in Jersey as other states, but that doesn’t mean you can’t find good spots. You can find them in most lakes and stocked ponds. There are tons of places to catch them in Hopewell, but I'll just name a few. Some local areas You can catch them in rosedale lake in rosedale park, curlis lake next to the mercer meadows equestrian center,Hunt lake near Orlando’s Cafe just to name a few, and in the canal next to the Delaware river. I wanted to include the best spots for North and South Jersey, so I've picked one spot for each. For north jersey I went with Monksville reservoir, and for south I chose Union Lake in Millville. If you have time to go to PA, I'd recommend Neshaminy State park in Bensalem. 

Segment 4: why should you want to catch them?

I would recommend bass to both beginners and experienced anglers. Both smallmouth and largemouth´s put up great fights when reeling them in and itś always a blast. Also when you get that new personal best of let's say a 8lb or 10lb bass, the excitement is like nothing else.

Music Credits:   

• Caravan By Oliver Tray on SoundCloud

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