This a LM or a SM?

[Scorcher214]

Title says it. My step dad says it is a smallie because it's mouth doesn't go behind it;s eye, but it has the black stripe along its body. It doesn't Look like any of the other smallmouth I've caught. I always thought they were a darker brown.

[skunked_again]

LM

[evrgladesbasser]

LM

yep

[.dsaavedra.]

the upper maxillary does go past the eye... definitely a largemouth.

[Scorcher214]

THANK GOD. I was pretty sure i was right. Thanks fro the help fellas ;D

[Glenn]

Beyond a doubt, it's a largemouth.  Besides the jawline, the lateral line is clearly visible, plus the tail is "streamlined" and lighter in color (smallmouth tails are "boxy" and very dark).

[Scorcher214]

Now that's what i said, the lateral line is clearly visible and i also said the smallie has brown vertical bars. I've caught smallmouth before i know what they look like. I just need to show this thread to my stepdad. He kept saying that I've never caught "north channel" smallmouth. Now just to be sure, what part of the mouth do i have to make sure passes the eye? I just wanna make sure he knows i know my bass. Ya know?

[Glenn]

You know, I don't even go by that.  Just look at the fish I'm holding.  THOSE are smallmouth! 

[.dsaavedra.]

Now just to be sure, what part of the mouth do i have to make sure passes the eye?

Its called the upper maxillary.

[Grey Wolf]

You're right.

[Scorcher214]

Thanks for the help Dave!

[CAdeltaLipRipper]

largemouth

[NateFollmer]

Smallies usually look like tigers (haha) smallies will also sometimes have red eyes (SOMETIMES, not always). Another way to tell is smallies mouths look like they bend down a little toward their belly while a largemouths will look like it's straight.

These are just a few more ways to tell, but everyone else posted the obvious ones

[WRB]

Coloration can vary greatly; smallmouth bass don't have dark lateral line coloration regardless of the region. Also the dorsal fin is connected on smallmouth and separated on largemouths.

Spotted bass can look like largemouth, have dark lateral line, connected dorsal fins and mouth to the center of the eye. The bass pictured could easily be a spotted bass without knowing where it was caught.

[New River Fly]

A lot of people have been saying they are catching some Largemouth in the in our area of the New this year.  I have caught a couple and they are actually Kentucky Bass that have features of both Smallie and Largemouth.

[culprit71]

Yeah I had a similar case when I was fishing with my buddies I Think it was Round lake or Little Square Pond or something in the Adirondacks.  They told me they were catching smallmouth and since I wanted to catch smallmouth at the time I was anticipating it, but they turned out to be lg mouth.  The mouths, though, were not what I see down in NJ. the mouths did  not clear the eye ( I didn't know about the upper maxillary) but the mouths were big, the fish were green and had a dark lateral line, no red eyes. Maybe just a different strain, different genes. 

Now are you talking Kentucky "Spotted" bass?  I've never caught a spotted bass

[burce]

I've been catching a ton of these little things on a small lake in less than 10 feet of water with senkos. I've never caught a smallie but I'm pretty sure what I'm catching is smallmouth bass. Am I right?

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[J Francho]

Smallmouth.

[Gorgebassman]

Large Mouth for sure 

[timothy_spain]

you've probably heard this a millions times -- but it's definitely a largemouth

[Hinkle2891]

the markings are tell-tale smallmouth.

[Grey Wolf]

I've been catching a ton of these little things on a small lake in less than 10 feet of water with senkos. I've never caught a smallie but I'm pretty sure what I'm catching is smallmouth bass. Am I right?

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Yes.

[slonezp]

You know, I don't even go by that. Just look at the fish I'm holding. THOSE are smallmouth!

Glenn, Your smallies have well defined markings, as does the original posters LM.

Not all LM or SM have such markings. Especially smaller ones. Early spring on the water I fish when the LM are just moving into the shallows the bass tend to be a light greenish color with little or no lateral line.

And smallies Are tan and don't always have well defined markings like the fish in your pic. Red eyes are also a determiner in species.

So you see there could sometimes be a little confusion.

[DocRabbit]

Generally, if you caught it in the Adirondacks, its a largemouth. This is because, as I have been told by a fisheries and parks manager and marine biologist friend of my dads, smallmouth compete with pike and not often found in the same area.

[burce]

Generally, if you caught it in the Adirondacks, its a largemouth. This is because, as I have been told by a fisheries and parks manager and marine biologist friend of my dads, smallmouth compete with pike and not often found in the same area.

Ha I actually caught mine in mirror lake next to lake placid in new york (adirondacks) but the other poster said it was a smallie and I think so too