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Guadalupe Bass vs Largemouth

The Guadalupe Bass Compared: How It’s Different  from a Largemouth

There are many differences and similarities between the Guadalupe and Largemouth Bass. They both are two of the anglers’ favorite species. However, at first glance, these two bass species are hardly recognizable. They live in almost the same water and temperature conditions and hunt for similar fish.

We’ll compare the Guadalupe bass vs largemouth and underline the key differences and similarities. You’ll also learn more about how they feed, where they fish, what lures they prefer, and how their meat tastes.

Stay tuned!

Guadalupe Bass: What Is It?

Guadalupe BassA Guadalupe Bass is practically a native bass to the state of Texas. That’s why it’s called the Guadalupe bass. It’s one of the rarest bass species swimming around the floating waters of the northern and eastern Edwards Plateau. 

The Guadalupe bass spawning season begins in March and often lasts through May and June. Aside from other bass species, the Guadalupe bass sometimes spawns for the second time – during the early fall or late summer.

You can recognize the Guadalupe bass by the irregular broken lateral stripes and the jaw that doesn’t extend behind the eyes. Moreover, you can notice the Guadalupe bass by the rows of dark dots (almost as stripes) on the whitish belly side. Guadalupe is part of the black bass family and has a body color ranging from lime to olive green. 

The Guadalupe bass eats larvae, insects, crayfish, and smaller fish. This bass species is most active between April and May, and its favorite lures are underwater spinners, poppers, smaller crankbaits, and spoons. You can find the Guadalupe bass in small streams and rivers – especially in rocky, covered, and wooded areas.

Largemouth Bass: What Is It?

The Largemouth bass is quite similar to the Guadalupe Bass, except it grows larger and populates various water areas. The largemouth bass is a freshwater fish and belongs to the sunfish family. The biggest largemouth bass ever recorded is 38.2 inches, while the average length is around 16 inches.

It inhabits almost all water areas, including creeks, swamps, clear or vegetated lakes, rivers, and ponds. Similarly to other bass species, the largemouth’s diet mainly consists of plankton, insects, crayfish, and smaller sunfish.

You can recognize the largemouth bass by looking at its elongated lips extending behind the back margin of the eyes. Their spawning begins in the early spring when the temperature of the water reaches 60F. Some of the Guadalupe Bass facts are also true for the largemouth – you can find it in almost all of Texas, and it spawns between March and June.

The largemouth bass has a black-umber back. The tone of the color gradually changes to green at the sides. It has dark-color lateral lines forming a molted stripe.

Guadalupe Bass vs Largemouth: What’s the Difference?

If you’re comparing two bass fish – Guadalupe bass vs spotted bass, for example – you must consider their size, color, habitat, diet, spawning season, and favorite lures. In our case, the largemouth and Guadalupe bass are similar because of their diet, consisting mainly of zooplankton, crayfish, insects, and smaller fish species.

However, if you compare Guadalupe bass vs largemouth depending on their size and color, you’ll notice many differences. For example, the Guadalupe grows 12 inches on average, while the largemouth bass can grow up to 16 inches in length. The Guadalupe has a lime or olive-green colored body, while the largemouth has an umber-black back and greenish sides.

Next, you can notice the differences between these two bass species in their habitats. For instance, Guadalupe lives only in Texas – primarily in rivers and quiet water. On the other hand, the largemouth bass lives almost across the entire United States, including lakes, ponds, swamps, creeks, and rivers. 

Following is a table to sum up all the major differences and similarities between the Guadalupe and Largemouth bass:

Features: Guadalupe Largemouth
Size (adult) 16 inches 12 inches
Color Lime to olive-green Umber-black and green
Diet Insect larvae, fish, and crayfish Smaller fish, insects, frogs, and crustaceans
Spawning season Between March and June Between April and June
Habitat Texas rivers and river drainages Lakes, rivers, ponds, creeks, and swamps
Favorite Lures Crankbaits, spinners, and topwater lures Live baits like minnows, shiners, and shads

What’s Better: Guadalupe or Largemouth Bass

Even though they’re pretty different, both the Guadalupe and Largemouth bass are fun and challenging to fish. If you plan to fish for bass from the late winter to the late spring, you can use your tackle box to catch both species.

However, the best rods for catching a Guadalupe bass are ultra-thin spinning and casting. If you fish for the Guadalupe in clear streams, make sure that you use a low-visibility line. You can use light to medium-light spinning tackle to catch the Guadalupe bass in Texas rivers and lakes. 

If you’re an angler who uses spinners and casting rods, you can also use them to catch largemouth bass. If you’re versatile and can take a more extended trip out of town to a clear or vegetated lake, pond, or river, fish for the largemouth bass. It can be fun to catch because it hides near the weed bed, and you can hardly allure it.

The facts about the Guadalupe bass tell us it’s the smallest species of black bass. Its size makes it easy to catch. Conversely, the largemouth can be hard to target and battle in the covered water areas.

The best time to target both fish is during dawn and dusk and between March and June. Like any other bass species, the Guadalupe and the Largemouth are most active in the middle of the water column a few hours before the sun sets and rises. 

Largemouth and Guadalupe Bass: Final Remarks

Both bass species have desirable traits for newcomers and professional anglers. The Guadalupe bass lives only in the clean Texas rivers and can be fun to catch with crankbaits, spinners, and topwater lures. The largemouth bass is exceptional because it loves live baits, and you can target it almost everywhere in the Northern and Central USA.

They differ depending on their size, colors, and diet. However, you can easily recognize the Guadalupe bass from the Largemouth by the lime-to-green colors and 12 inch-size, while the Largemouth is much bigger and darker. Nonetheless, you can decide which one to fish based on the nearby water areas, type of lures, rods, and seasonal conditions.

FAQs

Are Guadalupe bass rare?

Yes, the Guadalupe bass species is rare, and you can fish it just in Texas.

How big do Guadalupe bass get?

A typical Guadalupe bass adult reaches an average of 12 inches in length.

Are Guadalupe bass good to eat?

The Guadalupe bass is good to eat because it has sweet white meat low in fats and rich in proteins. However, the taste can depend on the fishing area.

People Also Ask

What is the rarest kind of bass?

The rarest types of bass is the Guadalupe bass. Even though it’s a popular game fish for anglers in Texas, this fish doesn’t live in any other place in the world.

What is the most aggressive bass?

The most aggressive bass is the largemouth bass. They can offer you an incredible angling experience and tight battles.

2 Comments

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