“A bass is a bass is a bass” (fishing adage)
“A bass is a bass is a bass” is a fishing adage that means a bass will behave and react the same, no matter what body of water that the fish is found in. “A bass is a bass no matter where you find him” was cited in print in 1944. “A bass is a bass and no matter where you fish for them, the method is the same” was cited in 1975.
“A bass is a bass is a bass” was cited in 1977.
14 June 1931, Springfield (MA) Sunday Union and Republican, “Millions of Americans Are Fishing for Hundreds of Different Kinds of Fish,” pg. 6H, col. 3:
A bass is a bass whether it has a large or a small mouth and for all its aristocracy it manages to be democratic.
29 July 1944, The Evening Independent (Massillon, OH), “Campfire Corner” by Jack Welch, pg. 5, col. 4:
“But,” I observed to myself. “a bass is a bass no matter where you find him, and I’ve known times when they wouldn’t strike at anything but a lively frog, cast from the boat or still-fished or drift-fished over the side.”
27 June 1971, Southern Illinoisan (Carbondale, IL), “Minnesota bass bite well” by Art Reid, pg. 15, col. 2:
Our success proves again that a bass is a bass no matter in Florida, Southern Illinois or Minnesota.
11 July 1975, Galveston (TX) Daily News, “Louisiana March Bass Offer New Experience” by A. C. Becker Jr., pg. 10-A, col. 3:
A bass is a bass and no matter where you fish for them, the method is the same. Well, not quite.
10 September 1977, Sunday Advocate (Baton Rouge, LA), “Ex-Perch Jerker Doing O.K.” by John Musemeche, pg. 15-C, col. 4:
A bass is a bass is a bass. They are creatures of habit and if I can figure out what makes a bass hit in Louisiana I should be able to do it somewhere else.
30 July 1978, Joplin (MO) Globe, “I’d Rather Be Fishin’” by Ron Bogue, pg. 4D, cols. 6-7:
Call them what you will—largemouthbass, smallmouth bass, Kentucky bass, lineside bass, brown bass, spotted bass, black bass, bucketmouth bass hawg bass, board bass or braggin’ bass — the daily limits and the minimum length limits are the same.
In other words, a bass is a bass is a bass — unless it happens to be a white bass, that is.
Google News Archive
19 October 1978, Kentucky New Era (Hopkinsville, KY), “Pennyrile Outdoors” by Cecil Herndon, pg. 19, col. 2:
Still, a bass is a bass is a bass. We can’t imagine a need for additional excitement when a large bass strikes whatever lure we happen to be using at the time.
Google Books
Catching Bass Like a Pro
By Steve Price with Guy Eaker
Helena, MT: Falcon
2000
Pg. 10:
A the same time, it’s important to remember that a bass is a bass is a bass wherever it does happen to live.
Google Groups: rec.outdoors.fishing.bass
guides..muffed
Pat Goff
6/17/01
(...)
A bass is a bass is a bass. A Canadian bass is just like a Florida bass. They seek out the same thing, they will bite the same lures, and knowledge in one place will work in others.
23 July 2001, Altoona (PA) Mirror, “Pro tricks for catching summer bass—northern style” by Vic Attardo, Bass Fishing - Pennsylvania Outdoor Times, pg. 6, col. 1:
Aside from the fact that “a bass is a bass is a bass” no matter where it swims, the pros do treat northern fish a bit differently than their southern counterpart, particularly in late summer.
Anniston (AL) Star
Outdoors: Kayak fishing for waters big and small
Posted: Saturday, June 20, 2015 7:45 am | Updated: 7:45 am, Sat Jun 20, 2015.
By Charles Johnson/Special to The Star
(...)
There is an old saying among anglers, “A bass is a bass, is a bass.” It means bass pretty much behave and react the same no matter what body of water they inhabit. So the lures used here in Alabama can be just as effective in other states.