The largemouth bass is the undisputed king of freshwater game fish. Although largemouths are now in every one of the lower 48 states, the largemouth bass was originally native to the Mississippi Basin and the Atlantic slope drainages of the Southeast from Florida to North Carolina, just below the Virginia state line. Their current distribution is indicative of their popularity – there are an estimated 30 million bass fishermen in the United States alone, constituting a $30 billion industry – but also to their adaptability. Largemouth bass can thrive in a wide range of environmental conditions and inhabit every major drainage system throughout Virginia, from the brackish waters of Back Bay to the Appalachian uplands, including the Eastern Shore.
