What Do Bass Eat? A Complete Guide to Bass Diet and Feeding Habits

By: FishUSA Staff

February 21, 2025

Understanding what bass eat is crucial for anglers who want to improve their catch rates. Bass are opportunistic predators with a diverse diet that changes based on their environment, size, and season. Their feeding habits revolve around availability, energy efficiency, and seasonal behavior. This guide explores the primary food sources for bass, seasonal feeding patterns, and the best bait choices for catching them.

Understanding the Bass Diet

Baitfish: The Primary Food Source for Bass

Crustaceans: Crawfish

Insects, Amphibians, and Reptiles

Unusual Prey: Small Mammals and Birds

Seasonal Feeding Patterns

Conclusion

Understanding the Bass Diet

Bass are predatory fish that rely on their keen eyesight, lateral line sensitivity, and ambush tactics to catch prey. Their diet primarily consists of:

Baitfish: Shad, minnows, bluegill, herring, and other small fish.
Crustaceans: Crawfish
Insects and Larvae: Mayflies, dragonflies, and aquatic larvae.
Amphibians: Frogs and salamanders.
Reptiles: Small snakes and lizards.
Small Mammals and Birds: Mice, rats, and baby birds near the water’s edge.

Baitfish: The Primary Food Source for Bass

Baitfish are the primary forage for bass in a vast majority of water bodies. They’re plentiful, soft, and packed full of the nutrients bass need to survive. Different species of baitfish are abundant in lakes, rivers, and reservoirs, providing a steady food source for bass.

1. Shad

Shad are one of the most common food sources for bass, especially in large lakes and reservoirs. Typically gizzard shad in northern regions and threadfin shad further south. They travel in schools, making them easy targets for bass.

Best Imitation Baits: Paddle tail/hard body swimbaits, crankbaits, spinnerbaits, jerkbaits, spooks, poppers, and swim jigs.
Best Time to Target:

Early Spring

Characterized by shad die-offs, this is when jerkbaits shine.

Late Spring

This is when shad spawn on shallow cover. Use spinnerbaits, swim jigs and poppers.

Fall and Winter

Shad school up tight and bass take advantage of it. Swimbaits, spinnerbaits, crankbaits, spooks, and jerkbaits excel.

2. Minnows and Shiners

Minnows and shiners, such as fathead minnows, spot tail shiners, and golden shiners, are a year-round food source for bass, especially in ponds, smaller lakes, and rivers. They are smaller than shad but just as effective at attracting bass.

Best Imitation Baits: Soft plastic jerkbaits, swimbaits, jerkbaits, spooks and poppers.
Best Time to Target: Spring and Summer when minnow populations peak.

Herring

Herring are a less common food source for bass, but they are a primary forage for bass where they do exist. Herring are common in large, deep reservoirs of the middle to southern United States. Bass in herring lakes will often roam offshore in pursuit of these nomadic baitfish.

Best Imitation Baits: Soft plastic jerkbaits, walking topwater baits, spoons.
Best Time to Target: Year-round

3. Bluegill, Sunfish, and Perch

Larger bass often target juvenile bluegill, sunfish, and perch, especially in shallow waters near vegetation.

Best Imitation Baits: Squarebill crankbaits, glide baits, swimbaits, jigs, soft plastic stickbaits, creature baits, and topwater frogs.
Best Time to Target: Spring, Summer, and Fall. Late spring can be the most effective, as bluegills and perch are spawning in shallower water.

Crustaceans: Crawfish

Crawfish are a staple in the bass diet, particularly around hard bottom, rock, or other structure. Their high protein content makes them an essential food source.

1. Crawfish

Crawfish are most active from early spring to early fall. Bass will often hunt for them around rocks, logs, and stumps.

Best Imitation Baits: Jigs, soft plastic craws, and crankbaits in red or brown hues.
Best Time to Target: Pre-spawn and post-spawn seasons.

Insects, Amphibians, and Reptiles

While baitfish and crustaceans make up the majority of a bass's diet, they will also eat insects, frogs, and even small reptiles if the opportunity arises.

1. Insects and Larvae

Juvenile bass rely heavily on insects and aquatic larvae before they transition to larger prey, but adults will take advantage of insect hatches as well.

Best Imitation Baits: Small poppers, hair jigs, insect imitating soft plastics.

2. Frogs and Salamanders

Topwater frogs are a great representation of amphibians that bass hunt near lily pads and weedy banks.

Best Imitation Baits: Hollow-body frogs and buzzbaits.
Best Time to Target: Late spring, summer, and early fall.

3. Small Snakes and Lizards

Although rare, bass will occasionally eat small snakes and lizards that fall into the water.

Best Imitation Baits: Large worms and creature baits.

Unusual Prey: Small Mammals and Birds

Large bass have been known to eat mice, rats, and even small birds that fall into the water. This is more common in rivers and areas with overhanging trees.

Best Imitation Baits: Large topwaters.

Seasonal Feeding Patterns

The diet of bass changes with the seasons. Understanding these patterns will help you choose the right bait at the right time.

Spring (Pre-Spawn and Spawn)

Bass feed aggressively on crawfish, shad, and minnows.
Best lures: Jigs, jerkbaits, spinnerbaits, and soft plastics.

Summer

Bass target anything they can get a hold of at a variety of depth ranges. Bluegills, crayfish, and all types of baitfish.
Best lures: Soft plastic creature baits, stick baits, Topwater frogs, crankbaits, jigs, topwaters, and swimbaits.

Fall

Bass chase shad and minnows as they migrate.
Best lures: Spinnerbaits, crankbaits, jerkbaits, buzzbaits, and other topwaters.

Winter

Bass slow down and eat smaller, easy-to-catch prey.
Best lures: Jigs, blade baits, soft plastic jerkbaits on a jighead, and suspending jerkbaits.

Conclusion

Bass are opportunistic predators that adjust their diet based on the environment and season. Whether they are hunting shad in open water, ambushing crawfish near rocky banks, or chasing bluegill in the shallows, understanding their feeding habits will improve your ability to catch them. By selecting the right lures and mimicking their natural prey, you can increase your chances of success on the water.

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