Doug, a bass will 'geneticaly' try to kill and eat prey that is up to 1/2 times it's own length.

Soemtimes they mess up, and get something that's too big for them.

I 'netted' a bass from the surface of a lake in San Diego that had a bluegill 'stuck' in it's throat. The bass had tried to swallow the 'gill, realized it was too large, and tried to spit it out. The spines on the 'gills fins worked like barbs, and solidly wedged it in place.

We pulled out the 'gill, which was dead. It weighed over a pound and a half. The bass, which was still alive, we weighed and released. The bass weighed eight and one half pounds.

I've seen bass eat birds, snakes, frogs, mice, and even a small squirrel.

Good Luck!

Buddy