Spot or ?

[skillet]

 Here in TN there is a big BrouHa over a ruling that TN Wildlife made about Spotted Bass. They stubbed their toe and said ONLY Spots have a tooth patch on their tongue. Not True! Some folks tried to get Smallies thru at weigh-ins saying "I didn't know", Suurreeee !

 This got me to thinking (dangerous sometimes). I have caught Bass that had red eyes. I didn't think Spots made it this far West in TN. Is this (red eyes) a Spot only characteristic :-/???

                                    As Ever,

                                     skillet

[roadwarrior]

What I have observed is that spots "usually" have a rough tongue, but not always (largemouth never do). Spots and smallmouth sometimes have red eyes, but not always. Kentucky bass are all over the region, but generally not stocked in ponds.

8-)

[alger319]

i've said this in the other Spot post, at my National tourny in Kentucky they told us to Judge the fish by the Jaw...if it's at the eye (spot) or if it goes past the eye(largemouth) they said this mainly because many people there couldn't tell just by looking, but also because many of the fish up there did or didn't have certain characteristics they should due to cross breeding.

[skillet]

alger319, the problem was contestants trying to weigh-in Smallmouth as Spots because of patch on tongue. As I understand it a Smallmouth is not legal under 18".These folks are trying to call them Spottedbass because of rough spot. Would think you could or should be able to tell the difference between Spots and Smallmouth. If we are talking apples and apples not apples and oranges, I apologize :-[. I wasn't at the weigh-ins, was reading this in the newspaper. Actually (didn't have a dog in this hunt) just trying to figure out the red eye in some of the Bass I've caught ...

[5bass]

I caught a largemouth last Friday that had red eyes. No doubt it was a largemouth.....maybe he had a long night the night before and just needed some Visine.

[MemphisFisherman]

where did you catch him skillet?

[BassinWill301]

My dad also has caught a Largemouth with red eyes.  (The picture is sorta blurry sorry).

[Bassnbrett101]

Idk how someone could confuse a spot and a smallie?  Maybe a spot and a largemouth

[.dsaavedra.]

My dad also has caught a Largemouth with red eyes. (The picture is sorta blurry sorry).

thats a smallie dude, you can tell that the lip only goes halfway across the eye, unlike largemouths where the lip extends the eye.

[BassinWill301]

Dave, that fish was caught in St. Marys Lake, its not a smallmouth.  Its just a small Largemouth.  He caught it this year in a lake with no smallmouth.  Here is another picture of it.

[skillet]

 The first one I caught that I noticed this was years ago at a small gravel pit in Olive Branch MS. They have since filled it in and I think it's now a park >. The reason I remember it so well was that I hooked it on a Mepps 3 and she threw it and went back a week later and caught her in the same place and same bait . I really wondered about the fish because of the eyes, seemingly smaller mouth and shorter really fat football shape (real heavy for length). Caught another one about a week ago in a pond near me. It had the red eyes but looked more like a lage mouth than the first one (not near the size). Thanks for the interest and the help my friends....

                                As Ever,

                                 skillet

[MemphisFisherman]

Your "typical" spot around here is not going to take on a football type size, he is going to be long and skinny.  Now thats not to say that you don't have those that are just fat but generally in our neck of the woods the largemouth will have heavier stomaches, unless he was spawning.  Any rate.....A spot could survive in a gravel pit, he wouldn't be happy and possibly wouldnt be able to spawn but he could survive.  He is going to prefer current, clearer water, and deeper water than the largemouth.  But once again, he will live whereever he has to, the Hatchie is full of them and it's neither clear or deep.  I would put my money on Largemouth tho.

[Ky_Lake_Dude]

What I have observed is that spots "usually" have a rough tongue, but not always (largemouth never do). Spots and smallmouth sometimes have red eyes, but not always. Kentucky bass are all over the region, but generally not stocked in ponds.

8-)

I thought Kentucky Bass were the same as Spotted bass :-/

[MemphisFisherman]

What I have observed is that spots "usually" have a rough tongue, but not always (largemouth never do). Spots and smallmouth sometimes have red eyes, but not always. Kentucky bass are all over the region, but generally not stocked in ponds.

8-)

I thought Kentucky Bass were the same as Spotted bass :-/

They are.

[skillet]

 Thanks MF! If it weren't for what I remember (have slept since then :-[) about the shape and mouth could readily agree. Never know for sure. Do know how excited I got ! Nice fish plus it being different looking...

                                 As Ever,

                                  skillet

BTW thanks again. Wasn't sure about tht Spot and KY question

[thetr20one]

Dave, that fish was caught in St. Marys Lake, its not a smallmouth. Its just a small Largemouth. He caught it this year in a lake with no smallmouth. Here is another picture of it.

That is very much a smallmouth. Every once in a while smallies are weighed in on lakes here with no recordable smallie population. Sometimes people will put them in their lake hoping to make them populate. It problably doesn't work and is against the law but they do it. Definitely a young smallie.

[BassinWill301]

Yeah that fish is not a smallie, it was a largemouth.  I don't see how the colors relate to a smallie.  Maybe because of the muddy water the bass took on a brown color.