What type of bass is this??

[PAbasser927]

Caught this guy over the weekend.  It has red eyes like a rock bass and very very faint bands running down the side like a smallmouth.  Hybrid of the two?

[frosty]

Sure looks like a smallmouth to me. There’s a hybrid called a mean mouth, but I’m not sure on their range. 

[2tall79]

Yup, I'd say smallmouth.  They change colors like a chameleon.  I could always tell at weigh-in if fish were caught on rocks or in weeds by the color variation.

[Scott F]

Most of the smallmouth I catch have red eyes. 

[PAbasser927]

Thanks for the replies!  This is the first decent smallie I have ever caught.  I didn’t realize they fluctuate in color so much!  When it comes to smallies I have only ever caught dinks bank fishing the river until this guy.  I just started bass fishing last year and have really only been targeting largemouths.

[soflabasser]

The fish you are holding in your hand is a smallmouth bass.

[Dtrombly]

Smallie

[Ratherbfishing]

It's a smallmouth that's just come back from a major bender-hence the red eyes.

[frosty]

Check out the opposite coloration of them 

[Scott F]

Colors and the bands on smallmouth can change pretty quickly. Like a chameleon, they can change color to blend in with their surroundings. Catch one off a sand, light colored bottom and the smallie will be very light in appearance. Put him in a dark livewell and in a few minutes, he will look very different. 

[frosty]

15 minutes ago, Scott F said:

Colors and the bands on smallmouth can change pretty quickly. Like a chameleon, they can change color to blend in with their surroundings. Catch one off a sand, light colored bottom and the smallie will be very light in appearance. Put him in a dark livewell and in a few minutes, he will look very different. 

Stress will change the color. The more stressed they are the darker they get. 

This is from the same creek, same general area, except in October compared to the golden girl from March. 

[moguy1973]

I've caught smallies that were so PO'ed a the bait I threw at them they were almost black in color.  Then after getting them up out of the water and they settle down a bit they turn back to their brown color.

 

i've caught hybrid meanmouth smallie/spot or smallie/largemouth varieties before but usually they will have a distinct lateral line on them as well as being a greenish brown rather than brown like a typical smallie, but that one the OP has is all smallie.

[Munkin]

Smallmouth, they change colors depending on where they are caught and their stress level.

 

Allen

[MIbassyaker]

Here's 6 smallies and 3 largemouth (top middle, bottom left and bottom middle) caught from the same location within the same hour and a half. Notice the variation in shading and strength of the markings:

[12poundbass]

Hmmmm the green is throwing me off. I'm no expert. The eyes say smallie but the green is throwing me off. I'll be the first to admit I'm no smallie expert but I've never in person over Tv/magazine seen a smallie with green. They're either brown or black/brown. Interesting to me.

The jaw says smallie, but the green...  

[MIbassyaker]

1 hour ago, 12poundbass said:

Hmmmm the green is throwing me off. I'm no expert. The eyes say smallie but the green is throwing me off. I'll be the first to admit I'm no smallie expert but I've never in person over Tv/magazine seen a smallie with green. They're either brown or black/brown. Interesting to me.

The jaw says smallie, but the green...  

Smallies vary from green to brown pretty regularly, with green-ish coloring more common in natural lakes, and brown-ish more common in rocky rivers...it has a lot to do with the colors of the environment. Some of the smallmouth that come out of, say, Grand Traverse Bay can look almost as green as a largemouth.

[Paul Roberts]

It's definitely a smallmouth. Smallies often have red eyes but can be maroon brown too, later in the year. The one the OP posted is quite likely a male that was guarding a bed. They develop very red eyes; LMs do too.

 

I've seen very green smallmouth's, esp those from milky green waters due to suspended clay.

[Joshua Vandamm]

Forget the jaw unless your dissecting them. It’s easy to tell SM from LM by color/PATTERN. 

Spots a different story. Only way to tell is count fin spurs.