The story might be a familiar one to the expat reader. A foreigner comes to Korea and adapts to the local conditions and prospers under unusual scrutiny. But in this case, the foreigner is the largemouth bass that has made Korean inland waters its home.

Fishing for the aggressive largemouth bass has become one of the fastest growing outdoor adventures on the Korean peninsula yet it is also part of an ongoing environmental issue.

In the early 1970s, the largemouth bass was brought to Korea by the government’s Fisheries Research and Development Institute and later the fish was distributed to private commercial fish farms. From there, it somehow escaped into the nation’s freshwater river system, spawning and spreading to the far reaches of backwaters and irrigation ponds.

In North America, the largemouth bass is regarded as a popular sporting fish and the non-native Eurasian carp is considered a “trash” fish, whereas here in Korea, the various species of carp are prized gamefish and the non-native largemouth bass has garnered a love-hate relationship among Korean anglers.

The primary reason why many Korean anglers detest the bass is that as a voracious predator, it immediately claimed a top spot in the Korean freshwater food chain. Many fishermen claim the bass has decreased the native fish population and is causing an ecological imbalance.

However, a minority of Korean fishermen have come to appreciate the sporting value of pursuing the largemouth bass in the last few years. Outfitted with baitcasting reels, graphite rods, and a tackle assortment of Texas-rigged plastic worms, crankbaits, spinners, jigs and jerkbaits, these anglers have developed an affinity for using artificial lures, as opposed to their traditional bait fishing counterparts.

This has lead to a small cottage industry of specialized tackle and equipment that American bass fishing is famous for. Already Korean tackle manufacturers are accounting for their bass angling customers. Web sites and clubs have been formed and there is the Korean Bass Federation that holds bass fishing tournaments.

Many of these bass fishing aficionados have adopted the conservation philosophy of catch and release fishing. By returning the fish to the water, it insures the fish will grow to a larger size and continue to spawn. Ironically, by practicing catch and release, the anglers are perpetuating the problem of the largemouth bass being an invasive predator that is decimating the native fish numbers.

There is no easy answer to such an ecological conundrum, especially when considering their recreational value, and the simple fact that they are here to stay and are now thoroughly permeated in some Korean inland waters. To prevent further distribution, it is illegal to transport the fish and place it into other bodies of waters.

The bass can now be found in the Han River system in the Seoul area and its tributaries in Gyeonggi Province. The Nam River connects to the Nakdong River and bass can be found in points along both river systems. The Guem Ho River that wraps around the north of Daegu gets a lot of action with local bass anglers. Andong Lake is a popular location where a fisherman standing on the casting deck of a bass boat is a common sight.

As a result of bass still being a “minority” fish neglected by many other Korean anglers, and because of catch and release fishing, Korean fishermen across the country are pulling out trophy sized bass. A world record class fish might exist out there. Currently, the world record for largemouth bass is one caught in 1932 that weighed in at 22 pounds, 4 ounces.

It takes about 10 years for a bass in southern temperate climates to reach 10 pounds, but in ideal conditions the fish can grow faster and larger. Given the fact that the largemouth bass has been spreading and increasing in numbers since the early 70s without heavy fishing pressure, there is potential for catching a trophy fish.

Fishing for a Korean largemouth bass is the same as fishing for their cousins in North America. Their habitat characteristics are identical. They prefer water with heavy aquatic vegetation for cover, and are attracted to any sort of structure, either man-made such as bridge footings, or natural cover like a submerged tree.

Being known as rapacious hunters, bass will cannibalize its own kind, prey on worms, crayfish, minnows, frogs, water snakes, or even ducklings or a swimming mouse. Likewise, there are numerous lures resembling aquatic creatures that would appeal to the palate of a bass.

Cast for them in the weeds along shorelines and overhangs with plastic worms. In open water, use crankbaits or deep divers. Nearly anything might work; just keep casting the line in the water. They are out there.

Copyright © James Card.