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SMALLMOUTH BASS (Micropterus dolomieui) <br />HABITAT USE INFORMATION <br />General <br />The original range of the smallmouth bass (Micro terus dolomieui) extended <br />from the Great Lakes south to northern Georgia and Alabama, east to the <br />Appalachian range, and west to eastern Oklahoma (MacCrimmon and Robbins 1975; <br />Lee et al. 1980). The species has been widely introduced outside of this <br />range in the Northeast and areas west of the Mississippi drainage (Lee et al. <br />1980). Two subspecies are recognized: (1) the northern smallmouth (M. d. <br />dolomieui) of the Great Lakes and adjacent regions (Hubbs and Bailey 1940); <br />and (2) the Neosho smallmouth (M. d. velox) of northwestern Arkansas, north- <br />eastern Oklahoma, and southwestern Missouri (Hubbs and Bailey 1940; Ramsey <br />1975). <br />Age, Growth, and Food <br />Age at sexual maturity of smallmouth bass varies throughout its range and <br />is related to latitude and to the growth rate of local populations (Robbins <br />and MacCrimmon 1974). Males and females mature at age II in the South and at <br />age VI in the North (Fraser 1955; Harlan and Speaker 1969; Turner and <br />MacCrimmon 1970). In the central part of the range, males usually mature at <br />age III-IV (about 25 cm), and females usually mature at age IV or V (30 cm) <br />(Stone et al. 1954; Webster 1954; Fraser 1955; Latta 1963; Pflieger 1975). <br />Although a 15-year old smallmouth bass has been recorded (Scott and <br />Crossman 1973), fish older than 7 years are uncommon (Robbins and MacCrimmon <br />1974). Adults are usually 20-56 cm long. The largest recorded smallmouth <br />bass was a 5.4 kg, 68.6 cm long fish from Kentucky (Anonymous 1972). <br />The diet of smallmouth bass changes from small to large food items as the <br />fish grow. Fry feed on microcrustaceans (Beeman 1924; Applegate et al. 1967). <br />Juvenile smallmouth bass eat larger insects, crayfish, and fish (Doan 1940; <br />Webster 1954). Adults primarily feed on fish and crayfish in both lakes and <br />streams (Tester 1932; Doan 1940; Tate 1949; Webster 1954; Reynolds 1965). The <br />diet is influenced by abundance (Paragamian 1973) and availability of prey <br />(Coble 1975).