Bonus Backcountry Bartrams Bass

Rainbow and brown trout were the target species during a recent wade-fishing trip, and we caught plenty of them. Bartrams bass were a bonus — an excellent bonus from my standpoint.

I wasn’t shocked to catch Bartrams bass. I’d caught them from the same section of the Chattooga River before — while fishing with the same friend, in fact. And I’ve caught many Bartrams farther downstream on the same river. I did not expect to catch enough bass to lose count, but that’s exactly what happened.

Interestingly, I think I could have caught far more. The Bartrams mostly came late in the day. We were fishing through a section of remote river and needed to keep moving to ever get to where we could reasonably get out and connect with a trail. I was casting while walking and in places getting at least one hit on almost every cast.

I’m a huge fan of Bartrams bass. While they don’t grow very large, they are feisty and fun to catch and ways have fabulous markings.

Bartrams bass, by the way, are upland black bass — one of the redeye species — and they are only found in the upper Savannah River watershed. Hybridization with non-native Alabama bass and spotted bass has substantially reduced their range over the years. Select water still have strong populations, though.

The trout also served up big fun, but that’s another story! To see the river and catches of trout and bass, check out “Brown Trout, Rainbows & Bartrams Bass — Walk-in Fishing Adventure” on Fishing on Foot YouTube.