Determining the Sex of Black Bass

October 6, 2016

Question: We fish Lake Silverwood most of the time, and usually it’s for bass. Is there a way to determine the sex of a largemouth bass? We are interested primarily in the fish we catch in the spring. Also, are crayfish part of the diet for bass in Lake Silverwood? (Doug T., Hesperia).

Answer: Unfortunately, there is no easy way to sex black bass (including largemouth bass) unless they are in spawning mode. The males move up first into the spawning areas and make the nests. The females then join them when they’re ready. When you see a pair on a nest, the male is usually the smaller of the pair and will be the most aggressive. A single female will mate with more than one male during the spawning season. And regarding their diet, yes, crayfish are part of the black bass diet.