4. Bass and Crappie

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Bass are a group of fish that have long bodies with many bones

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Some bass live in the ocean, and some live in freshwater lakes and streams

Freshwater bass swim freely in lakes, ponds, and streams

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They are big and strong which makes them popular for both sport fishing

and for food

Freshwater bass are also fierce hunters

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They have very few enemies

The largemouth bass lives in the quiet waters of freshwater lakes

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Most largemouth bass weigh about 4 pounds

Some largemouth bass grow to more than 2 feet long

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and can weigh 20 pounds!

The Missouri State Record for largemouth bass is 13 lbs 14 oz

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This fish was caught on Bull Shoals Lake in 1961

Smallmouth bass live in large lakes and cold streams

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They are very strong fighters for their size

Smallmouth bass can grow to be 1 foot long

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and weigh as much as 10 pounds

This Missouri State Record for smallmouth bass is 7 lbs 2 oz

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This fish was taken on Stockton Lake in 1994

White bass is the state fish of Oklahoma (gee, how would I know that)

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The world record is 6 lbs 13 oz taken on Lake Orange in Virginia

The Missouri State Record for white bass is 5 lbs 6 oz

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This was caught on Table Rock Lake in 2002

All bass are carnivores

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Vocabulary:

carnivores

An animal that eats only meat

Freshwater bass hunt for fish, frogs, crayfish, and insects

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Largemouth bass will even eat baby ducks

More than 370 kinds of bass live in the ocean

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The striped bass is a common saltwater fish found in the Atlantic Ocean

Saltwater bass are larger than freshwater bass

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Groupers are a kind of bass that live in warm tropical waters

Groupers can grow to be 8 feet long

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and may weigh over 500 poundsGoliath Grouper

The world record for a grouper is 46 lbs 2 oz

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This fish was caught off the coast of Virginia in 2008

Yellowedge Grouper

Tiger Grouper

Crappie is a popular game fish in the sunfish family

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They are considered to be one of the best tasting fish among game fish

The Missouri State Record for crappie is 4 lb 9 oz

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This fish was caught in a private pond in 2000