Freshwater lure fishing from a Lake / Pond / Reservoir
Smallmouth Bass: Retrieve parallel to banks and inflows, changing depth and speed if there is no response. Follow local invasive-fish handling rules.
Waters: Rivers & lakes
Fish
Smallmouth Bass コクチバス
Micropterus dolomieu ・ Centrarchidae (Freshwater Sunfishes)
Catch season
- Catchable
- Peak
Months for Smallmouth Bass are a broad Japan-wide guide and shift with region, temperature and conditions; prefer local reports and rules.
About
A non-native fish from North America. It has a smaller mouth than the largemouth bass and prefers colder water. Japan lists it as an Invasive Alien Species.
Basics
- Scientific name
- Micropterus dolomieu
- Family
- Centrarchidae (Freshwater Sunfishes)
- Japanese name
- コクチバス
- Kana
- こくちばす
- Waters
- Rivers & lakes
- Size
- 50 cm (max 90 cm)
- Time of day
- Dawn, Dusk, Night
- Depth (tana)
- Around bank cover and through mid-water, changing depth with season and temperature.
How to catch it
Kit for this fish
Freshwater lure starter kit ・ Kit total ¥17,000–50,000
- 6.6 ft ML freshwater lure rodVersatile spinning rod for bass and medium or small trout. ¥6,000–22,000AdFind on AmazonFind on Rakuten
- Spinning reel, size 2500The most versatile size for pier fishing: one reel covers sabiki, float fishing and eging. ¥4,000–15,000AdFind on AmazonFind on Rakuten
- 8 lb fluorocarbon lineGeneral freshwater lure line; adjust strength for cover. ¥800–2,400AdFind on AmazonFind on Rakuten
- Freshwater minnow and soft lureFish- or crustacean-shaped lures; check water-specific tackle restrictions. ¥600–2,500AdFind on AmazonFind on Rakuten
- Fishing pliers / hook removerEssential protection from venomous spines and sharp teeth. Most injuries happen when someone unhooks a fish bare-handed. ¥800–4,000AdFind on AmazonFind on Rakuten
- Cap and polarised sunglassesAlso safety equipment, protecting your eyes from a flying rig. Polarised lenses additionally let you read the bottom. ¥2,000–20,000AdFind on AmazonFind on Rakuten
- Life jacket, adult (Japan Craft Inspection approved)The first thing to buy, and worn on piers, rocks and boats alike. Boat fishing requires the government-approved type marked with the cherry-blossom stamp. ¥5,000–20,000AdFind on AmazonFind on Rakuten
First check the permit, lure and hook rules, and handling requirements for invasive fish.
Product links may be affiliate links. Prices move, so treat the ranges as a guide.
Eating
Food use varies locally. Check harvest rules and water quality, avoid raw consumption and cook thoroughly.
Rules
Smallmouth Bass is regulated as a designated invasive alien species. Keeping, live transport and release are generally restricted. Local no-release rules and disposal methods vary, so also confirm permits, closed seasons, size and harvest rules.
Closed seasons and size limits — how to find the numbers, which differ by prefecture
This article organises general information and is not legal advice. Rules differ by municipality and by fishery cooperative, and they change. Always check the current rules for where you are going.
Other fish taken the same way
Other fish from the same kind of place
Seasons, sizes and eating quality are general guides. Rules change, so check the latest prefectural, fishery-cooperative and site rules before fishing. This app provides general information, not legal advice.