The Florida Bass - What's in a Name

Florida’s iconic and most popular freshwater sportfish has a new name.

The American Fisheries Society established the Florida bass as a separate species from the largemouth bass. This means that in most of Florida (except the western panhandle; see map) what was known as a largemouth bass is now called a Florida bass. What was formerly known as the northern largemouth bass is now referred to as the largemouth bass (Micropterus nigricans) and what was formerly known as the Florida strain largemouth bass is now called the Florida bass (Micropterus salmoides). The two species cannot be distinguished visually and genetic testing is required to confirm the species. Other than a new name, this will not affect anglers in Florida in terms of regulations, state records, or participation in TrophyCatch. FWC regulations have been updated to reflect the name change and either Florida bass or largemouth bass are eligible for the Florida State Record Bass or TrophyCatch.

It has been known for decades that bass from Florida grew larger than bass from other parts of the country and biologists have debated for years whether bass in Florida were a different strain, subspecies or even species. In 2023, the American Fisheries Society divided what had been known as largemouth bass into two separate species and assigned new common and scientific names, based largely on information in study by Yale University published in Nature in 2022. The publication indicated that bass in the southeast United States have significant genetic differences from those in other parts of the country to warrant being two separate species.

Why was this name change made?

Genetics studies confirmed what many anglers and biologists have believed for a long time – Florida bass are special! Recent research at Yale University using advanced genetic analysis determined Florida bass to be its own species. The research also identified the range of Florida bass to be larger than once believed, including not only Florida, but also parts of Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina.

Why does this matter?

Understanding and conserving fish species is crucial for sustainable recreational fishing and biodiversity preservation. The classification of species plays a key role in these efforts. Black basses (Micropterus spp.) are well-known freshwater fish and highly popular for recreational fishing. This new understanding of black bass diversity, distribution, and classification provides a critical foundation for better managing and conserving these important and iconic fish. It will aid in ensuring their continued conservation and sustainable use for future generations.

How will this impact bass fishing in Florida?

The name change will not affect how anglers fish for bass in Florida. It will impact how anglers see bass referred to in Florida. In most of the state, excluding the western panhandle, what was formerly known as largemouth bass will now be referred to as Florida bass in news releases, articles, regulations booklets, signs, etc.

What does this mean for TrophyCatch?

Florida bass and largemouth bass are still accepted into the program.

Can I visually tell the difference between Florida bass and largemouth bass?

The two species cannot be easily distinguished visually and genetic testing is usually required to determine the species.

How can anglers ensure they are correctly following regulations if they can’t tell the difference between the two species?

Regulations are the same for both species throughout Florida, so there is no need for anglers to distinguish between the two species for regulations purposes.

TrophyCatch Research Highlights

Florida Bass Diet Study – by Kyle D. Williams

What does it take to grow a trophy bass, Florida’s most popular freshwater sportfish? The research arm of the Florida Trophy Bass Project is working to answer that question through an innovative new study. A series of bass feeding trials conducted over three consecutive years evaluated which forage species provides the greatest growth rates of adult Florida bass, and this research is ongoing. The project is focused on bluegill and lake chubsucker as abundant Florida native species that are common prey of Florida bass, as well as rainbow trout due to its high caloric value and historic link to trophy bass production in other locations. Read below to see which species provided the fastest bass growth rates.

Rainbow Trout

Although not native to Florida, rainbow trout have long been considered a prime trophy bass forage so it was practical to include them in this groundbreaking study. In the feeding trials, trout produced the highest average weight gain at 0.86 pounds per bass.

Bluegill

A native bass prey species important due to its widespread distribution, the bluegill is a popular Florida game fish in its own right and may also be used for bass bait (see Methods of Taking Fish). The average weight gained by bluegill-fed bass was 0.49 pounds.

Lake Chubsucker

A common Florida forage fish that may be less familiar to anglers because it is seldom caught, the lake chubsucker is also considered a prime trophy bass forage by fisheries managers. Bass that were fed chubsuckers gained an average of 0.37 pounds.

Managers aiming to maximize production of trophy-sized fish often focus on abundance, size, and composition of prey fish populations. This continuing study will have direct application for FWC’s management of trophy Florida bass.

Fish illustrations by or after Duane Raver, Jr. and Hugh Chrisp