In The Black Bass (originally Black Bass II) the player is an angler in a Black Bass fishing tournament. In this tournament, the player starts out on Lake Amanda as a rating C class angler in 200th position. The player has to find a good position on the lake to fish as the size, type (fish types: Black Bass, Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout, and Pike), quantity of fish, and obstacles vary depending on where the player is on the lake. Once the ideal location is selected, the player casts out the lure using a power meter and then slowly reels it back in. The player must try to attract the interested fish by wiggling the lure in the water and if the fish grabs the lure the player must reel the fish back in making sure that the line does not snap as well as avoiding any obstacles in the way.

To help the player is the fact that there are many lures to choose from (more are unlocked as the player progresses though the game) as well as a guide that tells the player how good the currently selected location is. The player has one day in game time to catch the biggest Black Bass they can find, as at the end of the day the average weight of you caught Black Bass improves or reduces the players rating as well as their overall position. The player's rating determines how much progress in the tournament is made. Getting further in the tournament, unlocks new lakes (lakes: Lake Amada, Japan Lake, Lake More, San Lake).