When available, which food item is consistently identified as the backbone of sustenance for older and larger smallmouth bass?

Answer

Crayfish

Crayfish rise to the top of the smallmouth preference list and, when present, form a substantial percentage of the forage for the older, larger bass populations.

When available, which food item is consistently identified as the backbone of sustenance for older and larger smallmouth bass?
fooddietbassfishsmallmouth