Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Evaluating and adjusting fish populations Just how much largemouth can a largemouth eat?

I read somewhere on here what size bass a large bass can eat, and now I can't find the info!!

Something ridiculous. I want to say an 18 inch bass can eat a 14 inch bass, is that correct? I have to be mis-remembering.

Stan:

In regards to the LMB; eat a 14" LMB and live? There's been a number of pictures floating around of LMB finding out that their eyes were MUCH larger than their gullet, and both fish have been found floating.

I was looking at the avg size chart of healthy bass and the difference in weight between a 14 inch and a 18 inch bass is more than double....that alone is impressive. So, I don't remember what I read on this forum, but it certainly seems possible that an 18 incher could hammer a 14 inch bass, but certainly could easily handle anything smaller.

I'm wondering just how many of my million 12inch bass get grief from their bigger buds.

Typically a LMB prefers forage fish that are 1/4 to 1/3 it's body length. Fish that are more fusiform are easier to swallow. While I'm sure LMB eat larger fish, I don't think that it's a common occurrence.

The longer the fish, the more girth it has, that's why the weight increases so much over a shorter fish. Don't forget thta LMB eat fish whole, so they'd have to swim around with a fish sticking part way out of their mouth for a while if they eat a long fish compared to their body length.

I agree, why choke down a 14 incher when there are so many 8-12 inchers in a bass crowded lake.