Habits and differences between largemouth and smallmouth bass featuring Glenn May with a crankbait on Banks Lake, Washington. Largemouth bass, known for their wide mouths that extend past their eyes, prefer warmer, murkier water and tend to be ambush predators, using cover such as logs or vegetation to surprise prey. Smallmouth bass, on the other hand, have a mouth that does not extend past their eye line, are more inclined towards cooler, clearer waters, and are known to be more active hunters,