what differences between spot and LMB

[Guest avid]

How different from Largemouths are spotted bass.

Are the techniques and lures different for catching them?

[abelfisher]

I have found any bait for LMB have worked for me with spotted bass.  

[KU_Bassmaster.]

How different from Largemouths are spotted bass.

Are the techniques and lures different for catching them?

In my experience, spots seem to act more like smallies than largemouths.  They seem to be more line shy and you have to finesse them more.  Triton_Mike should be able to give a better answer.  I think he is a spot master.

[Gatorbassman]

Physical differences are of course spots have a smaller mouth. They also have a rough spot on their tong and they have more pronounced markings.

I believe Triton Mike describes there temperament like this. "It's like a rocket being shot out of a cannon."

They are more aggressive than a LM. I have caught them on top water (Bama Rig) when they were suspended at 25ft deep. T-Mike gave the best advice for Spots in something he wrote several years ago. Work your lures fast most of the time. Don't let them get a good look at what you are throwing. The faster the better. If you asked Mike to slow down and finesse them more he will probably jump out of the boat and swim to shore. You can easily compare the speed that he fishes to KVD.

The Bama Rig is a lure developed in the late 80's or early 90's by Triton Mike. It is awesome bait for Spots when you want to catch numbers.

[RoLo]

In my experience, spots seem to act more like smallies than largemouths. They seem to be more line shy and you have to finesse them more.

No doubt about it.

When I lived in Georgia I fished for spotted bass in Lake Lanier and West Point Lake.

Similar to smallies, the spot also frequents deeper water than the bigmouth bass,

and usually prefer harder bottoms with a steeper drop-off. In one way though, spotted bass are similar

to largemouth bass, they both love docks, which act like magnets for spotted bass.

Because they have smaller mouths the lures have to be scaled down for spotted bass.

In my experience, spots aren't the bull-of-the-woods that the bigmouth is, and normally require

a less active delivery, for example, I've done better gliding or shaking rather than pumping or jerking.

Roger

[Guest ouachitabassangler]

That toothy tongue patch is a dead giveaway, though 2% of LMBs have that. The spot's lower jaw only extends to the back of the eye compared to an LMB's lower jaw extending past the back of the eye. The notch between spiny and soft dorsal fin is shallower than an LMB's notch. While an LMB's cheek scales are about as large elsewhere on the body, the spot's cheek scales are smaller. Pretty often the spot has rows of dark spots on the lower sides above the belly.

They hate hydrilla, and avoid most weedy places, preferring rocks or open water. I try to spend at least an hour each trip to be sure to bring home some crappie for my wife. I troll small Grappler Shad or Bandit 100s through submerged trees around rock bluffs. That gets a really good spot bite, maybe 3 to one of crappie, but when a crappie bites, it only takes one for a big meal for the two of us.  I believe they like the same places crappie go to come early summer, deep, rocky, woody. I agree, they love to chase, much less lazy than an LMB. But around here nobldy wins tournaments on spots, being half the size of average LMBs.

Jim

[paparock]

Spotted bass and Smallmouth are more numerous here at Lake Bull Shoals because they spawn better in rocky terrain where the Largemounth prefer flooded brush and softer terrain to have a really good spawn.

As others have said if you look at the left spotted bass' jaw joint you will see it stops within the eye of the fish. The largemouth bass' jaw extends way past the eye.

Here on Bull Shoals Lake in North Central Arkansas the main sources of food for the largemouth, spotted, and smallmouth are shad and crawfish. Anyone thinking of coming to Bull Shoals should get a Hot Spots lake map that covers most of the best areas where the different bass can be found and gives a general concept of the baits used most by local anglers for that species in that area.

As for as fighting ability, give me a five-pound smallmouth or spot any day over the same size largemouth. The size of fight in the smallie and spot is much larger than in the largemouth. Not that I would mind catching a ten plus pound largemouth mind you, it's just us smallie and spot fans tend to fantasize about that ten plus pound fight if our favorites regularly grew that large. So if we some times seem to be of in our own world we just might be fighting that fish in our day dreams.

[BD]

Like everyone said, spots fight good, the ones I've always caught had very dark lateral spots/lines, and the patch (teeth) on the tongue.

[roadwarrior]

Although the physical appearance of spots and largemouth are very similar, genetically Kentucky bass are most closely related to smallmouth. Spots and smallmouth prefer structure over cover and are often found in the same ecological niche. That's not to say that spots and largemouth will not be found in the same general local, but it is more common to find Kentucky bass and smallmouth in the same areas.

Regarding baits and lures, again smallmouth and spots share the same niche and can be caught on common presentations. Grubs, Hula Grubs, Fat Ika and 3 1/2" tubes are consistant producers. I have had good luck with Kentucky bass fishinmg worms and 5" Senkos I'm sure Triton_Mike and ReelMech can offer some other suggestions, they both focus on spotted bass.

[Bass Hammer]

Spots have great color.

[Triton_Mike]

Here is a visual. Spot on left, largie on right

Even though Spots hit the very same baits as largemouth their habits are quite different.  SPots first off are 10 x's more aggresive than heads especially the smaller fish which is a problem in itself.  You will typically find spots at deeper depths than heads.  Spots are the only fish that can nail a jerkbait full of treble hooks and still escape my livewell #($(#$# bastages!!.  Spots vs heads in a tug o war is like putting up a pinto against Big FOOT monster truck LOL.  Having said that spots are alot more like smallies than largemouth.  Largemouth are lazy fish.  One of the tougher things about spots is they spend half their life suspended.  I actually think they are born suspended LOL.

T Mike