Large Mouth Bass :Largemouth Bass are the most important sportfish in the United States and as such are usually the focal species for private water management. There are two subspecies of Largemouth Bass that are stocked in private lakes. The northern-strain largemouth tends to be a bit more cold-tolerant, is readily feed-trained (in hatcheries) and tops out around 12 lbs in weight. Florida strain fish are almost always preferred when trophy bass are the target. Florida bass can grow to over 22 lbs and are reliant on forage for sustenance. Largemouth grow particularly fast in their first few years of life and must have a large forage supply if they are to maximize growth (which can average up to 4 lbs per year).