COLUMN : BASS SCIENCE
PHOTO BY JOSH GASSMANN
THE business end OF A BASS
Understanding largemouth comes down to understanding their namesake feature
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
TJ Maglio is a tournament angler and outdoor writer based in Minnesota . He has a degree in wildlife ecology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and has also worked professionally as a wildlife biologist and environmental consultant .
A ny detailed study of the largemouth bass wouldn ’ t be complete without a deep dive into its namesake mouth . The mere sight of that gaping mouth as it engulfs a topwater is enough to get even the saltiest basser excited .
The previous installment of this column suggested that one of the keys to bass ’ success and widespread adoration was in part due to them being the ultimate generalist ; good at just about everything . That assertion carries through to their mouth physiology , one that has uniquely evolved to allow them the ability to successfully feed in many different conditions and habitats with a wide variety of prey species .
Here ’ s a breakdown of the largemouth bass ’ head and mouth structure , and details on how the various parts work together to make mama bass as comfortable deftly picking a crawfish out of the rocks in 20 feet of water as she is engulfing your frog as it slides through a patch of matted duck weed .
Scientists have extensively studied the feeding methods of the largemouth bass , as well as the bones and muscles that make it happen . Bass use a common method called suction feeding in which the bass rapidly expands its mouth , creating a negative partial pressure in the buccal ( mouth ) cavity . This area of negative pressure causes water to rush into the rapidly expanding mouth cavity .
28 MAJORLEAGUEFISHING . COM | APRIL-MAY 2021