BOOKS OF THE BLACK BASS

The Black Bass is native to the North American continent but he is a real world traveler. This page and the next one cover countries where the Black Bass is not a native, Canadian Black Bass books are not included as foreign books for that reason. When I decided to include Black Bass books written in other countries in the bibliography I had no idea what was out there. The Japanese books have been found through the efforts of my good friend, Dave Casinghino of Massachusetts. I've listed all I know about here in the hope that anglers from those countries will send me information on books I've missed. If you can provide details on any of these books or any others Please help!

I have copies of all these books in my collection except those that say "not seen." I speak no language other than English so have had to rely on friends for translations.

Black Bass Books from Japan

ACCESS editing group (head editor Shuichi Matsushita) - Colorful Bass Fishing (Sukora Special 24). 4to. 130 pages. 1996. Sukora, Inc. Tokyo Japan. Softbound. Illustrated with black & white and color photos and drawings. Ads.

ACCESS editing group - Colorful Bass Fishing (Sukora Special 33. 4to. 130 pages. 1997. Sukora, Inc. Tokyo Japan. Softbound. Illustrated with black & white and color photos and drawings. Ads. My friend Dave Casinghino said it contains the greatest chapter every written on Bass fishing, Enjoy Bass Fishing Date.

AKABOSHI, TETSUMA - Black Bass. 12mo. 192 pages. 1996. Ihatov Publishing. Tokyo, Japan. Written in Japanese and illustrated with a few small family photos. There is a bibliography in English consisting of American Bass books on page 167. Apparently Akaboshi is (was) the forefather of Black Bass in Japan (their version of Henshall). These are his memoirs released by his estate. The December 1980, NFLCC Gazette referenced a letter from Tsutomu Wakabauashi of Tokyo, Japan. "Tsutomu related a short history of bass fishing and lure collecting in Japan. It seems that, in 1925, there were seventy-three adult largemouth bass and over 300 fingerlings brought from California to Japan by a gentleman named Tetsuma Akaboshi. The bass were released in Lake Ashinoko, Hakone National Park, a famous resort area near Tokyo." The March 26, 1997 Wall Street Journal credited the rich banker, Akaboshi, with defying "local fishing interests by importing the voracious black bass by the tankload."

AKIZUKI, IWANA - The Black Bass Wipes Out The Killifish (Burakku Bassu ga Medaka wo Kuu). 1999. Takarajimasha Inc. Evidently there is a real problem with illegally stocked Bass and bluegill in the moat of the Imperial Palace's National Garden. The Bass are eliminating all the native fish species, a common problem with stocked predators like the Black Bass. The project to wipe out the invader fish in the moat has also created a movement to eliminate them in all waters. The publishers of videos, books, tournaments, tackle manufactures, etc., worry because elimination of all Bass would create financial. Evidently some of the tournament organizations offered to conduct a competition to help eliminate the Bass but they were refused because the fishing season had closed. In 1999, Shiga Prefecture began taking action against invader species such as Black Bass and bluegill. In 2000, the prefecture government started buying alien fish caught from the lake, this has helped to eliminate over 188 tons of such fish.

AUTHOR UNKNOWN AT THIS TIME - All Japan Bass Fishing Spot Guide.  Rod and Reel Select Writings.   Chikyumaru Co.  Not seen and I have no further details.

AUTHOR UNKNOWN AT THIS TIME - Bass Lure Catalogue.  Rod & Reel.  Chikyumaru Co.

AUTHOR UNKNOWN AT THIS TIME - Bass Navigation. 1997?. Softcover. This booklet comes with the Bass Navigation CD Rom and cost over $100 for the pair of items. Japanese language. Not seen.

AUTHOR UNKNOWN AT THIS TIME - Bassing File. Bandai Publisher. 40 loose water proof pages in a slip binder. Japanese language. Not seen.

AUTHOR UNKNOWN AT THIS TIME - Bass Fishing Professional Technique (English title) - translated Japanese title Bass Pro Style Series. Due in early 1998 Three volumes and each book in the series will highlight a different Japanese Bass Pro and his techniques and thoughts on Bass fishing. Softbound. Not seen.

AUTHOR UNKNOWN AT THIS TIME - Black Bass Fishing Basics.  Published by Holiday Fishing.  Not seen and I have no further details.  Japanese language.

AUTHOR UNKNOWN AT THIS TIME - The World Of Hand-Made Lures. 1997?? EI Mook (Bass World). Softcover. Not seen.  Japanese language.

AUTHOR UNKNOWN AT THIS TIME - Bass Hunter. Not seen and I have no further information.  Japanese language.

AUTHOR UNKNOWN AT THIS TIME - Bass Fishing Encyclopedia.  Rod & Reel Editing Group.   Chikyumaru Co.  Not seen and I have no further information.  Japanese language.

AUTHOR UNKNOWN AT THIS TIME - Yearbook of Bass Fishing '96-'97. Not seen and I have no further information.  Japanese language.

AUTHOR UNKNOWN AT THIS TIME - Bass Fishing in Lake Biwa. Not seen and I have no further information.

BB Times (English Title) - translated Japanese Title Black Bass & Field Information Magazine. Published by Tatsumi Publishing Co., Ltd. A full color Bass magazine. I have a couple of issues and the June 1999 appears to be number 18.

Bass Pro- A monthly Japanese language Bass magazine, published by E1 Publishing Co. Ltd.  Not seen.

Bass World - A monthly Japanese language Bass magazine, published by EI Publishing Co. Ltd. February 1997 is issue number 7. Another large Bass magazine with a good portion devoted to ads. The cover says "Stylish Bass Angler's Magazine." I have several copies and they run from 250 to over 300 pages.

BASS WORLD HOW TO SERIES -  I haven't seen these but they published a series of 10 How-To books on Bass fishing.  Individual titles are:  #1 -Marakami Haruhiko's Tsunekichi Bass World; #2 - Bass Fishing Basic Manual; #3 - Shimono Masaki's Preference To Bass Fishing; #4 - Bass Fishing, Ways To Attack Lakes & Rivers; #5 -  New Worm-Tech Complete Worming Manual; #6 - Lucky Craft Lures Perfect Manual; #7 - Floater Bass Fishing Perfect Manual; #8 - Musashi Shuto's How to Make Lures; #9 - Haruhiko Murakami's The Tsunekichi Discipline Of Shoreline Bass Fishing Techniques; and #10 -  Gary Yamamoto Sugoi Manual.  Some time back I asked the publishers for details but it doesn't look like they're going to provide them.  All printed in Japanese.

Basser a large monthly magazine published in Japan. This is the largest Bass magazine I've ever seen - I have a copy of April 1997, issue number 64, and it is 304 pages. The cover is printed in English and all the articles have an English title although text is in Japanese.

Crazy Bass a full color Japanese Bass magazine. I have one copy, August 2000, which is volume 1. I don't know if this one is still around or not.  Japanese language.

FUKUMARA, TAKESHI - The Reasons Why I Go Bass Fishing (loose translation). 12mo. 221 pages. 1997. Kodansha. Tokyo, Japan. This is one of just a few Japanese Bass books I've seen in a hardcover and dustjacket, includes a ribbon for marking your place in the book. Illustrated black & white photos and drawings with inside covers decorated with Bass plugs in color and one color illustration of a Largemouth Bass. Japanese language.

FUKUMI, TETSUYA - Bass Fishing Area Guide - Northern Kyushu. (c)1997. Magazine type format. Japanese language. Not seen.  Japanese language.

HARA, HIRONOSUKE - Easy Bass Fishing For The Very Beginner. 8vo. 160 pages. 1996. Tsuchiya Shoten Ltd. Tokyo, Japan. Softbound with a dust jacket. Illustrated in color with map drawings, drawings, and photos. Written in Japanese.

HATTORI, KOJI - Bass Fishing Complete Book. 8vo. 209 pages. 1997. EIPublishing. Tokyo. Japan. Softbound. Illustrated with black & white photos and drawings. These most be the same people who publish Bass World magazine because they have the Bass World logo on the front page and an ad on the dust jacket. Written in Japanese.

HATTORI, YUJI - Biwako Bass Fishing. 8vo. 239 pages. 1997. Meiko Tsushinsha. Osaka Japan. Softbound. Illustrated with black & white photos and drawings. A month by month guide to fishing Lake Biwako. Written in Japanese.

HAYASHI, KEIICHI - The Basics And Strategies Of Bass Fishing. 12mo. 164 pages. 1987. Tsuribitosha. Tsuribitosha Japan. Softbound with a dust jacket. Illustrated with black & white photos and drawings and a few color photos. Written in Japanese.

HIRANO, KENICHI - Bass Fishing. 8vo. 240 pages. All New edition 1996. ((c)1994) Seimido Publishing. Tokyo, Japan. Softbound with a dust jacket. Illustrated with photos and drawings in color and black & white. Written in Japanese.

IMAE, KATSUTAKA - Bass Fishing's Secret 48.  Rod and Reel/Outdoor Handbook.   Chikyumaru Co.   Not seen and I have no further details.  Japanese language.

ITOH, HIROSHI (editor) - Beginning Bass Lures. 4to. 143 pages plus 3 pages ads.. 1997. Tatsumi Publishing Co. Tokyo. Japan. Softcover with a dustjacket. Japanese language. Illustrated with black & white photos and drawings. Tatsumi Fishing Series 26.

ITOH, YUKI - 66 Ultimate Ways to Breaking the Common Sense of Bass Fishing.  Rod & Reel.  Chikyumaru Co.  Japanese language.  Not seen and I have no further details.

ITOI, SHIGESATO - Gocho Life (loosely translated: Fishing regrets or mistakes) 12mo. 251 pages. (c)1996 - 5 printings through March 5, 1997. Nesco. Japan. Not illustrated. First chapter covers the Gocho Life or being effected by the correctness and phenomenon of writing about mistakes while remembering them. Others chapters include authors reason for not fishing for over 46 years; why people fish for Black Bass; Bass fishermen or pros on the lake; fishermen who lack the necessary skills; diligence; changing your fishing habits and enthusiasm; a person living the "Gocho" life; and what to do when you go fishing. Written in Japanese. The fellow who translated this one for us said: "Sort of a philosophical look at analyzing life through Bass fishing or vice versa."

L & F a monthly Japanese Bass magazine. I have a copy from July 1997 and it indicates it is issue number 8. 138 pages illustrated both in color and black and white.

Lure magazine a color monthly Japanese Bass magazine. I have the June 2001 issue

MORIYA, MAMORU - Biwako Bass Map. Large 8vo. 272 pages plus ads. (?)1997. Tsuri No Yusha. Osaka, Japan. Softcover. Japanese language. Mostly maps with both color and black & white photos, drawings, and ads.

MURAKOSHI, MASAMI - Easy Bass Fishing. 4to. 149 pages. 1997. Nipponbungeisha. Tokyo Japan. Soft cover. Illustrated with color and black & white photos and drawings. Also includes some on trout fishing. Includes how-to and a tackle catalog.

MURAKAMI, HARUHIKO - see Bass World's How To Series

MURATA, JIM - Super Bassing Technique. (c)1997. Toen Mook Publisher. Softcover. Japanese language. Not seen.

NAGAE, ISSEKI - Let's go Bassin' after rain. 1994. I don't have any information on this book - I found it on his web page and have asked for details.

NISHIYAMA, TORU - Hit Bass Lure. 12mo. 198 pages. Kousaido Shuppan Publishers. (c)1984. There were at least 13 printings. Japanese language. Illustrated with black and white drawings and photos, also color photos. Illustrated with lures throughout and drawings to illustrate techniques for fishing them. Soft cover with a dust jacket. Covers shows "Fishing Library" in English so this may be part of a series.

NORI, HIROSUKE & SHUJI YAMADA – How To Enjoy Bass Fishing.  Mr. Nori was a pioneer in the art of topwater Bass fishing in Japan.  Not seen.

OSTER, DON - Black Bass Fishing - Revised Edition. 4to. 168 pages. 1996. Editorial Supervisor & Translator Tetsuya Nishiyama. Butikku Sha. Tokyo, Japan. Softbound with a dust jacket. Book is printed in Japanese except for chapter and section headings, which are still in English. An extra section has been added on select Japanese lakes with black and white lake maps. Illustrated with the same color photos as the original Largemouth Bass published by CyDecosse. Front cover shows The Hunting and Fishing Library.

Rod and Reel a monthly full color Japanese Bass magazine published by Chikyumaru Co. I have a couple issues and they are both over 225 pages. June 2000 is number 47. Like most Japanese fishing magazines it is full of ads but also includes material on Bass fishing

SHIMONO, MASAKI - Masaki Shimono's Bassing. 8vo. 232 pages. 1996. Sankaido. Tokyo, Japan. Softbound but also has a dust jacket. Illustrated with black & white photos and drawings. Written in Japanese.

SHIMONO, MASAKI - Masaki Shimono's Making a Living Through Bass Fishing  Outdoor Handbook.  Not seen and I have no further details.  Japanese language.

SHIMONO, MASAKI - Shimono Masaki's Biwako Bass Fishing Guide - Part I - Southern Area. 4to. 122 pages. 1997. Softcover. EI Publishing. Tokyo, Japan. Part 2 is in preparation. Japanese language. Illustrated with color photos and drawings and ads. Shimono is a professional guide and this book includes a navigational map and his hotspots. Note: The authors name is reversed on the two titles above but that is the way they appear in English on the book cover.

SHIMONO, MASAKI - see: Bass World's How To Series

SHUTO, MUSASHI - see: Bass World's How To Series

SUGAI, YASUSHI (editor) - Beginning Bass Fishing: The Super Techniques For Sure Bass Angling. 4to. 127 plus 3 unnumbered pages. 1996. Yama-Kei Publishers Co. LTD. Tokyo, Japan. Softbound with a dust jacket. Part of an Outdoor Book Series by this publisher. Profusely illustrated in black & white and color with map drawings, and photos, which cover every aspect of bass fishing. Written in Japanese. Includes a chapter on structure with contributions from several Japanese Pros. The Natural History of Bass was written by Kouji Yoshida. There are also chapters on lures: fundamentals & techniques; and one on where to go Bass fishing magazine.

Tackle Box is a Japanese language Bass magazine published by Free Way Inc..   Not seen but I have been told it contains lots of tackle ads and is the cheapest magazine so it is very attractive to anglers.

TANABE, NORIO - Bassing Pattern Book. Not seen and I have no further information.  Japanese language.

TANABE, TETSUO - The Strong Patterns of Bass Fishing.  Rod & Reel.  Chikyumaru Co.  Not seen and I have no further details.  Japanese language.

TATSUMI MOOK - FISHING INFORMATION EDITING GROUP - Beginning Black Bass Fishing. 4to. 135 pages plus a couple of pages of ads. 1996. Tatsumi Publishing Co., Ltd. Japan. Japanese language. Softcover. Several full color pages at the beginning. Illustrated with black and white photos and drawings.

TSURI SUNDAY EDITION DIVISION (compilers) - New Everything On Black Bass. 4to. 162 pages. 11th printing 1995. First edition 1988. Weekly Tsuri Sunday (Fishing Sunday). Softbound. A special Black Bass issue from a weekly Japanese magazine. Illustrated with color and black & white photos, maps, and drawings. Written in Japanese.

TSURI SUNDAY EDITION DIVISION (compilers) - Bass Fishing Now. 4to. 258 pages. 1996. Weekly Tsuri Sunday. Soft cover. Illustrated with color and black & white photos, maps, and drawings. Written in Japanese. Lots of full pages ads in color.

TSURI TOP GROUP (compilers) - Bass Fishing (this title in English on cover, translation of Japanese title is The Book On Understanding Bass Fishing) 8vo. 192 pages. 1995. Gakken. Tokyo, Japan. Softbound with a dust jacket. Illustrated with photos and drawings both in color and black & white. Written in Japanese. My copy is the 7th printing, September 28, 1996.

UCHIKOSHI, TOSHIRO - Bass Fishing Dictionary. 8vo. 145 pages. 1997. EI Publishing. Tokyo, Japan. Softcover, with a dust jacket. Japanese language. Illustrated with black and white photos and drawings.

WHITLOCK, DAVE - L. L. Bean Fly Fishing For Bass Handbook. 8vo. 156 pages. 1988. Shoei Publishing.  Tokyo.  Japanese version, translated by Tomonori Higashi. Illustrated with color photos plus color and black & white drawings. Softbound.

YAMAMOTO, GARY - see: Bass World's How To Series

YOSHIDA, KOJI - Bass Fishing: The Way To Enjoy It All Seasons and Allround. 12mo. 199 pages. 1984. Atene Shobou. Tokyo, Japan. Softbound with a dust jacket. Illustrated with black & white drawings. Written in Japanese.

YOSHIDA, KOJI - Bass Fishing Is Logical: (Nature + Luck). Another translation of title might be Bass Fishing Is A Matter of Reasoning. 12mo. 189 pages. 1997. Tera Corporation. Tokyo, Japan. Softcover with a dustjacket. Illustrated with black and white drawings and color photos. Japanese language.

YOSHIDA, KOJI (supervising editor) Bass Fishing 'Kasumi' Style Book (Kasumigaura Bass Fishing Style Book). 4to. 128 pages plus ads. 1997. EI Publishing. Tokyo, Japan. Softcover. Illustrated with color & black and white photos, drawings, and maps. Japanese language.

YOSHIDA, KOJI (total advisor) Kasumi Bassfishing Handbook (Kasumigaura Style Book II)  4to.  128 pages.  2000.  EI Publishing.  Toyko Japan.  Soft cover.  Illustrated with color and black & white photos, drawings, maps, and advertisements.  Japanese language.

YOSHIDA, KOJI - Black Bass. 12mo. 192 pages. 1997.  Keibunsha Publishing. Softcover with a dustjacket. Japanese language. Illustrated with black & white photos and drawings, color photos, ads.

YOSHIDA, KOJI - Let's go bass fishing with Papa (Papa to itsushoni basu turini)  12mo.  205 pages.  (c)2000 by author.  A study of Bass fishing.  Author told me he talks to and teaches his daughter about Bass fishing.   Illustrated with line drawings of a father teaching his young daughter to fish for Bass.  Includes drawings of the little girl with large Bass so he must have been a successful teacher.  My copy came to me through the generosity of Koji himself.   Japanese language.

           

Links to my other webpages

EUROPE & AFRICA

  

 

BASS HISTORY
 
BASS ON THE FLYROD

B.A.S.S. FEDERATIONS 

SMALLMOUTH BOOKSHELF

BLACK BASS MAGAZINES

Last update 5 April 2008