Spotts Vs Smallies

[PABASS]

We don't have Spotts in PA and I recently watched a fishing show that said spotts put up more of a fight then a SMB?(This was in a lake)  I have never fished for SMB in anything other than a river and these "river" SMB fight like nothing I have caught before, so whats your opinion do spotts indeed fight harder?

[38 Super Fan]

Nope. Good fighters, but not on par with a Smallie.

[flyfisher]

In the rivers I fish there are some spots and smallies and I say the smaller spots fight harder but once they both get above about 12" the smallie wins hands down. Now a comparison of lake spots to lake smallies I have no idea.

[bullett 21]

Smally are by far stronger fighters ,I catch lots of spots here in ga .And they do fight but give out quick.more then smally's.Ive fished small mouth when i was a kid on chatauqua lake in western ny.I remember them well .

[WRB]

When comparing the fighting ability of a bass you should use a measure to compare against like pound for pound. Also take into consideration the health of the bass, water temperature and current.

Spotted bass come in two different species; northern or Kentucy spotted bass and southern or Alabama spotted bass. Smallmouth are one species, so it would be fair to compare Alabama spots that grow about the same size as smallmouth bass.

A 3 lb smallmouth verses a 3 lb spotted bass in the same ecosystem and health would pull against your medium light tackle about the same, the smallie would jump higher and more often. Fighting power is nearly equal, acrobatics the smallie wins.

Tom

[down4ttown]

Smallie wins this hands down. 

[wademaster1]

Smallies fight harder and are more acrobatic IMO. Ounce for ounce a smallie is seldom rivaled in this category.

[War Eagle 44]

I can't really weight in on this as I've never caught any smallies but I did read an article once where KVD said he thought the "Coosa River" spotted bass fought harder than smallmouth. I would love to catch some nice smallmouth one day. I can tell you though that the spots around here fight much harder than the largemouth. 

[Bluebasser86]

Spots fight harder pound for pound than a largemouth and they do pull really hard for their size at times but not like a smallmouth. 

[War Eagle 44]

Spots fight harder pound for pound than a largemouth and they do pull really hard for their size at times but not like a smallmouth. 

I'd have to catch a smallie to believe it.

[bmlum415]

IMO the hardest fighter is a smallmouth followed by spots, then you have largemouth that I find to be a fairly lazy fish when it comes to fighting, even one over 4 lbs seem to just go straight down. Oh and I find that white bass are the best fighters of them all, I had a 16 incher on and it fought like a 6lb bass

[midgastumpjumper]

none of them fight like Georgia's Shoal bass

 

 

[PABASS]

Yes, with all things being equal was the comparison as Tom pointed out.  The SMB in the rivers I fish are crazy and I mean nuts, they will bury themselves under rocks they bite down when you lip emm, then instinctively know to swim down stream when they are hooked.  A quarter# SMB fights harder then a 2#LMB around here.

 

I am not a biologist but when you compare a fish like the SMB whom is typically in current to a LMB or spott that typically isn't, its fairly easy to see why a SMB is the harder fighting fish.  

 

Lake SMB Vs Lake Spott Vs River LMB, whom would win lol..

[SPEEDBEAD.]

Yes, with all things being equal was the comparison as Tom pointed out.  The SMB in the rivers I fish are crazy and I mean nuts, they will bury themselves under rocks they bite down when you lip emm, then instinctively know to swim down stream when they are hooked.  A quarter# SMB fights harder then a 2#LMB around here.

 

I am not a biologist but when you compare a fish like the SMB whom is typically in current to a LMB or spott that typically isn't, its fairly easy to see why a SMB is the harder fighting fish.  

 

Lake SMB Vs Lake Spott Vs River LMB, whom would win lol..

 

I've caught all three you mention and I still think the smallmouth fight harder and get bigger. Biggest spot I have ever caught was about 3lbs on KY Lake and I've caught a ton of 3lb smallmouth to compare it to.

 

There really is no comparison IMO. That spot was feisty, but it didnt bulldog and jump like any of those smallmouth.

[roadwarrior]

The overall ranking is unquestionable. What is a litle more interesting to me is

how much stronger a smallmouth becomes as it grows bigger. A lot of this I think

has to do with the size of the tail; a scondary consideration might be "mass in

motion". The body configuration is built for speed. The body of a lazy green fish

is designed for the lifestyle of a cow: minimize activity, eat whenever the opportunity

arises and grow fat.

 

Wow! That sounds like a description of most of the Rebels down here in Dixie.

 

 

[bmlum415]

The 5-10 lb spotted bass in new melones and pineflat lake in Cali fight like a freight train

[WRB]

I believe few anglers that have compared a Alabama spotted that are river bass sma eas smallmouth bass simply have never caught a heathly 3 lber to make a comparison. Kentucy spotted rarely grow to 3 lbs and don't fight like the Alabama spot, as KVD made reference to and he should know.

Check out the New Melonies lake record spotted bass caught 2 weeks ago, beautiful bass. Anyone who thinks a big spot is fat and lazy doen't know how power the Alabama spot is.

Like any bass the tackle needs to be appropriate to the size of fish fighting against it. A 5 oz swimbait stuffed down the throat of a big bass on 30 lb Xheavy 8' rod doesn't give the fish much of a chance to fight.

I have caught a lot of 15+lbs LMB on 10 and 12 lb standard 4 power/ Med-hvy bass tackle that fought very hard and jumped completely a body length out of the water, the fight cover over a 50 yard stretch of water!

Catching a ripe spawner's full of eggs or a post spawner half alive is far different then catching a healthy bass.

Tom

[Bluebasser86]

I believe few anglers that have compared a Alabama spotted that are river bass sma eas smallmouth bass simply have never caught a heathly 3 lber to make a comparison. Kentucy spotted rarely grow to 3 lbs and don't fight like the Alabama spot, as KVD made reference to and he should know.

Check out the New Melonies lake record spotted bass caught 2 weeks ago, beautiful bass. Anyone who thinks a big spot is fat and lazy doen't know how power the Alabama spot is.

Like any bass the tackle needs to be appropriate to the size of fish fighting against it. A 5 oz swimbait stuffed down the throat of a big bass on 30 lb Xheavy 8' rod doesn't give the fish much of a chance to fight.

I have caught a lot of 15+lbs LMB on 10 and 12 lb standard 4 power/ Med-hvy bass tackle that fought very hard and jumped completely a body length out of the water, the fight cover over a 50 yard stretch of water!

Catching a ripe spawner's full of eggs or a post spawner half alive is far different then catching a healthy bass.

Tom

Table Rock doesn't have Kentucky spots but it does get some absolute footballs. I've seen 16 inchers pushing 3 pounds and my biggest was almost 4 and not quite 18". You're right, they are not lazy fighters when they are big and healthy.

[War Eagle 44]

Yes, with all things being equal was the comparison as Tom pointed out.  The SMB in the rivers I fish are crazy and I mean nuts, they will bury themselves under rocks they bite down when you lip emm, then instinctively know to swim down stream when they are hooked.  A quarter# SMB fights harder then a 2#LMB around here.

 

I am not a biologist but when you compare a fish like the SMB whom is typically in current to a LMB or spott that typically isn't, its fairly easy to see why a SMB is the harder fighting fish.  

 

Lake SMB Vs Lake Spott Vs River LMB, whom would win lol..

I know you prefaced your post but you are very wrong about spots not relating to current. 99% of the time current is exactly where you will find them, the more swift the better. As I stated I can't say anything for sure but I would love to catch a few big smallies for comparison purposes.

 

I agree 100% with WRB and his opinion of the Alabama spot.