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Somerville Lake

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Somerville Lake is a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reservoir on Yegua Creek in the Brazos River basin, 10 miles (16 km) northwest of Brenham , Texas , United States. The town of Somerville in Burleson County is adjacent to the reservoir. The lake extends into portions of Burleson County, Washington County , and Lee County . The dam lies in Washington County. The dam and lake are managed by the Fort Worth District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The reservoir was officially impounded in 1967, and serves to provide flood control and water for irrigation for the communities downstream. Somerville Lake is a popular recreational destination.

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40-512: Somerville Lake is also commonly known as Lake Somerville . Somerville Lake has been stocked with species of fish intended to improve the utility of the reservoir for recreational fishing. Fish present in Somerville Lake include largemouth bass , hybrid striped bass , white bass , bluegill , catfish , white crappie , and black crappie . The reservoir is surrounded by prairie and rolling grasslands dotted with mixed hardwood forests. There

80-545: A diet consisting almost entirely of smaller fish like shad , yellow perch , ciscoes , suckers , shiners , other cyprinids , freshwater silversides , and sunfish (such as bluegill and green sunfish ). It also consumes younger members of larger fish species, such as catfish , trout , walleye , white bass , striped bass , and even smaller black bass. Among the crayfish species preyed upon include Faxonius difficilis , F. harrisonii , F. hartfieldi , and Procambarus clarkii . Prey items can be as large as 50% of

120-499: A higher aerobic scope, potentially providing them with more energy for growth, reproduction, and responding to environmental change. Another study found that maternal exposure to the stress hormone cortisol resulted in a lower responsiveness to angling stressors in their progeny . These studies in tandem provide evidence that repeated exposure to stress hormones and high angling pressure can bring out suboptimal phenotypes in largemouth bass populations. Maxilla In vertebrates ,

160-544: A hook" angling towards fishing with artificial lures and strategies. It is often the case that recreational fishermen become "addicted to fishing" shortly after they make largemouth bass their target species. The cultural implications of largemouth bass are quite significant, as there are even competitions and tournaments specifically targeting largemouth bass in North America. The largemouth bass has been introduced into many other regions and countries due to its popularity as

200-404: A jagged horizontal stripe along each flank. The upper jaw ( maxilla ) of a largemouth bass extends beyond the rear margin of the orbit . The largemouth bass is the largest of the black basses , reaching a maximum recorded overall length of 29.5 in (75 cm) and a maximum unofficial weight of 25 lb 1 oz (11.4 kg). Sexual dimorphism is found, with the female larger than

240-411: A popular live bait used to catch trophy bass, especially when they are sluggish in the heat of summer or in the cold of winter. Largemouth bass usually hang around big patches of weeds and other shallow water cover. These fish are very capable of surviving in a wide variety of climates and waters. They are perhaps one of the world's most tolerant freshwater fish. The world record largemouth according to

280-573: A sport fish and tolerance to urban environments. It causes the decline, displacement or extinctions of species in its new habitat through predation and competition, for example in Namibia . They are also an invasive species in the Canadian province of New Brunswick , and are on the watch list across much of the far northern US and Canada. In colder waters, these fish are often a danger to native fish fry such as salmon and trout. They have also been blamed for

320-597: A study done in Japan showed that the introduction of both largemouth bass and bluegill into farm ponds have caused increases in the numbers of benthic organisms, resulting from the predation on fishes, crustaceans, and nymphal odonates by the bass. The largemouth bass has been causing sharp decreases in native fish populations in Japan since 1996, especially in bitterling fish in Lake Izunuma-Uchinuma . To better understand

360-531: Is a Texas state park at the lake. This article related to a lake in the United States is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Largemouth bass The largemouth bass ( Micropterus nigricans ) is a carnivorous freshwater ray-finned fish in the Centrarchidae (sunfish) family, native to the eastern and central United States , southeastern Canada and northern Mexico . It

400-478: Is a form of facial fracture . A maxilla fracture is often the result of facial trauma such as violence , falls or automobile accidents . Maxilla fractures are classified according to the Le Fort classification . Sometimes (e.g. in bony fish), the maxilla is called "upper maxilla", with the mandible being the "lower maxilla". Conversely, in birds the upper jaw is often called "upper mandible". In most vertebrates,

440-401: Is a highly prized sport fish among anglers for their vigorous resistance when caught, and have been introduced to many regions due to their popularity in bass fishing and tolerance to urban streams . However, they have become an invasive species in some areas, causing the decline, displacement or extinction of native species through predation and competition . The largemouth bass

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480-428: Is also a fusion of two mandibular bones at the mandibular symphysis . The mandible is the movable part of the jaw. The maxilla is a paired bone - the two maxillae unite with each other at the intermaxillary suture. The maxilla consists of: It has three surfaces: Features of the maxilla include: Each maxilla articulates with nine bones: frontal , ethmoid , nasal , zygomatic , lacrimal , and palatine bones,

520-421: Is cover for their nest, such as roots or twigs. After finishing the nest, the males swim near the nest looking for a female to mate with. After one is found, the two bass swim around the nest together, turning their bodies so that the eggs and sperm that are being released will come in contact on the way down to the nest. Bass will usually spawn twice per spring, with some spawning three or four times, although this

560-537: Is illegal to use or possess live Neogobius melanostomus as bait in the Great Lakes Region. Largemouth bass usually reach sexual maturity and begin spawning when they are about a year old. Spawning takes place in the spring season when the water temperature first remains continuously above 60 °F (16 °C) for a sufficient period of time. In the northern region of the United States and Canada, this usually occurs anywhere from late April until early July. In

600-466: Is known by a variety of regional names, such as the widemouth bass , bigmouth bass , black bass , bucketmouth , largie , Potter's fish , Florida bass , Florida largemouth , green bass , bucketmouth bass , green trout , Gilsdorf bass , Oswego bass , LMB , and southern largemouth and northern largemouth . The largemouth bass, as it is known today, was first described by French naturalist Georges Cuvier in 1828. A recent study concluded that

640-413: Is not as common. The male will then guard the nest until the eggs hatch, which can take about two to four days in the southern US and Northern Mexico, and slightly longer in the northern part of its native range. Finally, depending on the water temperature, the male will stay with the nest until the infant bass are ready to swim out on their own, which can be about two more weeks after they hatch. After this,

680-503: Is some standing timber in the upper end of the reservoir. In addition to maintaining the dam that creates the reservoir, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers maintains recreational facilities at the lake. Rocky Creek Park and Yegua Creek Park are developed US Army Corps of Engineers parks. Pecan Lake Park and McCain Park are undeveloped US Army Corps of Engineers parks. Boating and fishing are very popular. Lake Somerville State Park and Trailway

720-621: The IGFA is shared by Manabu Kurita and George W. Perry. Kurita's bass was caught from Lake Biwa in Japan on July 2, 2009, and weighed 10.12 kilograms (22 lb 5 oz). Perry's bass was caught on June 2, 1932, from Montgomery Lake in Georgia and weighed 10.09 kilograms (22 lb 4 oz). This record is shared because the IGFA states a new record must beat the old record by at least 2 ounces. Strong cultural pressure among largemouth bass anglers encourages

760-474: The maxilla ( pl. : maxillae / m æ k ˈ s ɪ l iː / ) is the upper fixed (not fixed in Neopterygii ) bone of the jaw formed from the fusion of two maxillary bones. In humans, the upper jaw includes the hard palate in the front of the mouth . The two maxillary bones are fused at the intermaxillary suture, forming the anterior nasal spine . This is similar to the mandible (lower jaw), which

800-642: The smallmouth bass , is even more aggressive. Anglers most often fish for largemouth bass with lures such as Spinnerbait , plastic worms (and other plastic baits), jigs , crankbaits , and live bait, such as worms and minnows. A recent trend is the use of large swimbaits to target trophy bass that often forage on juvenile rainbow trout in California. Fly fishing for largemouth bass may be done using both topwater and worm imitations tied with natural or synthetic materials. Other live baits, such as frogs or crawfish , can also be productive. Large golden shiners are

840-404: The vomer , the inferior nasal concha , as well as the maxilla of the other side. Sometimes it articulates with the orbital surface, and sometimes with the lateral pterygoid plate of the sphenoid . The maxilla is ossified in membrane. Mall and Fawcett maintain that it is ossified from two centers only, one for the maxilla proper and one for the premaxilla. These centers appear during

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880-411: The appearance of a furrow on the lateral wall of the nose. In the adult the vertical diameter is the greatest, owing to the development of the alveolar process and the increase in size of the sinus. The alveolar process of the maxillae holds the upper teeth, and is referred to as the maxillary arch. Each maxilla attaches laterally to the zygomatic bones (cheek bones). Each maxilla assists in forming

920-608: The bass's body length or larger. Studies of prey utilization by largemouths show that in weedy waters, bass grow more slowly due to difficulty in acquiring prey. Less weed cover allows bass to more easily find and catch prey, but this consists of more open-water baitfish . With little or no cover, bass can devastate the prey population and starve or be stunted. Fisheries managers must consider these factors when designing regulations for specific bodies of water. Under overhead cover, such as overhanging banks, brush, or submerged structure, such as weedbeds, points, humps, ridges, and drop-offs,

960-414: The boundaries of three cavities: Each maxilla also enters into the formation of two fossae: the infratemporal and pterygopalatine , and two fissures , the inferior orbital and pterygomaxillary . -When the tender bones of the upper jaw and lower nostril are severely or repetitively damaged, at any age the surrounding cartilage can begin to deteriorate just as it does after death. A maxilla fracture

1000-502: The correct scientific name for the Florida bass is Micropterus salmoides , while the largemouth bass is Micropterus nigricans . It is the largest species of the black bass , with a maximum recorded length of 29.5 inches (75 cm) and an unofficial weight of 25 pounds 1 ounce (11.4 kg). The largemouth bass is the state fish of Georgia and Mississippi , and the state freshwater fish of Florida and Alabama . It

1040-496: The effects of angling on largemouth bass populations, researchers have studied physiological variation in the largemouth bass. One study found that in areas where angling was high, there was a significant effect on bass physiology. In stress tests, bass from protected areas had increased cortisol responsiveness compared to those in the highly active fisheries. The largemouth bass in Freshwater Protected Areas also had

1080-595: The extinction of the Atitlan grebe , a large waterbird which once inhabited Lake Atitlan , Guatemala . In 2011, researchers found that in streams and rivers in the Iberian Peninsula , juvenile largemouth bass were able to demonstrate trophic plasticity, meaning that they were able to adjust their feeding habits to obtain the necessary amount of energy needed to survive. This allows them to be successful as an invasive species in relatively stable aquatic food webs. Similarly,

1120-408: The foremost part of the upper jaw, to which the incisors are attached in mammals consists of a separate pair of bones, the premaxillae . These fuse with the maxilla proper to form the bone found in humans, and some other mammals. In bony fish , amphibians , and reptiles , both maxilla and premaxilla are relatively plate-like bones, forming only the sides of the upper jaw, and part of the face, with

1160-554: The hook, survival odds greatly decrease. Largemouth bass have a white, slightly mushy meat, lower quality than that of the smallmouth bass , bluegill , yellow perch , crappie or walleye . Small largemouth, of 10–14 inches, can contain higher quality meat, especially during the spring. Given largemouth bass' prevalence across North America and their accessibility to the everyday angler, largemouth bass are often viewed as an introductory fish. Fishing for largemouth bass can help beginner anglers transition away from traditional "worm on

1200-523: The largemouth bass uses its senses of hearing, sight, vibration, and smell to attack and seize its prey. Adult largemouth are generally apex predators within their habitat, but they are preyed upon by many animals while young, including great blue herons , larger bass, northern pike , walleye , muskellunge , yellow perch, channel catfish , northern water snakes , crappie , common carp , and American eels . Multiple species of kingfishers , bitterns , and other herons feed on this bass, as well. Both

1240-466: The largemouth bass. This study concludes that Lacépède's name is the correct binomial for the Florida bass and that the oldest available binomial for the largemouth bass is Cuvier's Huro nigricans , which has a type locality of Lake Huron which is within the range of the largemouth bass. The largemouth bass is an olive-green to greenish gray fish, marked by a series of dark, sometimes black, blotches forming

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1280-429: The male, female, and newborns will switch to more of a summer mode, in which they then focus more on feeding. Largemouth bass are keenly sought after by anglers and are noted for the excitement of their 'fight', meaning how vigorously the fish resists being hauled into the boat or onto shore after being hooked. The fish will often become airborne in their effort to throw the hook, but many say that their cousin species,

1320-612: The male. Largemouth bass prefer habitats with abundant littoral vegetation and generally maintain relatively small home ranges in lakes. They have an average lifespan of 10 to 16 years in the wild. Juvenile largemouth bass consumes mostly small bait fish , scuds , water fleas , copepods , small shrimp , and insects. Adults consume smaller fish ( bluegill , banded killifish , minnows , juvenile bass), shad , worms , snails , crawfish , frogs , snakes , and salamanders . In larger lakes and reservoirs, adult bass occupy slightly deeper water than younger fish, and shift to

1360-415: The practice of catch and release , especially the larger specimens, mainly because larger specimens are usually breeding females that contribute heavily to future sport fishing stocks. Largemouth bass respond well to catch and release , with a very high survival rate after release, especially if the fish is handled with care and is loosely hooked in the side or top of the mouth. However, if the fish swallows

1400-412: The premaxilla also forming the lower boundary of the nostrils . However, in mammals, the bones have curved inward, creating the palatine process and thereby also forming part of the roof of the mouth. Birds do not have a maxilla in the strict sense; the corresponding part of their beaks (mainly consisting of the premaxilla) is called "upper mandible". Cartilaginous fish , such as sharks, also lack

1440-405: The second dentition. The maxilla was formerly described as ossifying from six centers, viz.: At birth the transverse and antero-posterior diameters of the bone are each greater than the vertical. The frontal process is well-marked and the body of the bone consists of little more than the alveolar process, the teeth sockets reaching almost to the floor of the orbit. The maxillary sinus presents

1480-412: The sixth week of prenatal development and unite in the beginning of the third month, but the suture between the two portions persists on the palate until nearly middle life. Mall states that the frontal process is developed from both centers. The maxillary sinus appears as a shallow groove on the nasal surface of the bone about the fourth month of development, but does not reach its full size until after

1520-465: The southern states, where the largest and healthiest specimens typically inhabit, this process can begin in March and is usually over by June. Males form nests by moving debris from the bottom of the body of water using their tails. These nests are usually about twice the length of the males, although this can vary. Bass prefer sand, muck, or gravel bottoms, but will also use rocky and weedy bottoms where there

1560-518: The young and adult largemouths are targeted by the bald eagle . Notably in the Great Lakes Region, Micropterus salmoides along with many other species of native fish have been known to prey upon the invasive round goby ( Neogobius melanostomus ). Remains of said fish have been found inside the stomachs of largemouth bass consistently. This feeding habit may impact the ecosystem positively, but more research must be conducted to verify this. It

1600-553: Was first formally described as Labrus salmoides in 1802 by the French naturalist Bernard Germain de Lacépède with the type locality given as the Carolinas. Lacépède based his description on an illustration of a specimen collected by Louis Bosc near Charleston, South Carolina . Recent phylogenomic studies, however, place the type locality given by Lacépède as within the range of the Florida bass ( M. floridanus ) and outside that of

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