Largemouth bass eat spinnerbaits. That alone should be enough to convince you they’ll consume anything that fits in their prodigious mouths. In case it’s not, here’s a little more evidence from the FWC Fish and Wildlife Resource Institute.
On Feb. 28, a post to their Facebook page read: “Largemouth bass will eat almost anything that swims in front of them—the bigger the bass, the bigger their prey. FWC biologists study the diets of largemouth bass and have found a variety of food items when examining their stomach contents. Snakes, crabs, snails, frogs, turtles, and plastic lures are some of the more unique food choices our biologists have come across.”
The post was accompanied by photographs documenting those finds.
Then, in a well-timed follow-up, the FWC Fish and Wildlife Resource Institute shared the story of “Jonah” the baby turtle.
FWC biologists sampling largemouth bass in the Everglades noticed something unusual. There was something moving inside the stomach of one of the bass they collected. When they sliced that fish’s belly open, out popped a live baby turtle.
According to the post, the little turtle was released and it swam away.
To keep up with what FWC biologists are doing, follow the Facebook page @FWCResearch.