Half Rockbass? Half Smallie?

[EvanT123]

I've been dragging a tube and working a whirly tail grub on rocky banks alot lately and catching some nice smallies, walleyes, and Rock bass.

I'm not a huge fan of the rocks bass; the peeing and lack of fight leave something to be desired. I caught this one tonight and it almost looks like half a smallmouth. I would imagine that's not possible but I'm not a biologist and Mother Nature is a mad scientist. What do you think part smallmouth? Or rock bass adapting to its surroundings?

[Scott F]

No part smallmouth.

[BradH]

Straight Rock Bass

[JayKumar]

Cool color, but def all rock bass...at least that's how it looks....

[Kevin22]

Rockbass and smallmouth cannot crossbreed. That would be like crossing a bluegill with a largemouth. 

[coak]

Red eyes=Rock Bass

[wademaster1]

Red eyes=Rock Bass

Some smallies have red eyes as well.....

[AK-Jax86]

Nice looking fish whatever it is

[Broc]

rock bass... they dont interbreed.  Rock bass are genetically closer to crappie and sunfish than 'black' bass.

[Hooligan]

Uh... That's not entirely correct. Black bass are in the same family as sunfishes and are more closely related to the rest of the centrarchidae family than crappie. black bass, technically, aren't a bass at all.

That said, definitely pure Rock bass here.

While not entirely likely in the wild, hybridization of war mouth and black bass has occurred. There has also been documentation of black bass x rock bass, however that cross has not been successfully reproduced in lab conditions.