Smallmouth or Largemouth?

Shake n' Bake · 08-01-12, 10:59 PM

Hey guys think you can help me with a quick I.D.? I caught and released this fish last week in the Adirondacks it was 4.5 lbs and 19.5". At first I thought it was a Largemouth because the jaw goes beyond the eye but the markings and color look more Smallmouth like. What do you think?

bassinbob · 08-01-12, 11:04 PM

I'd say smallmouth. Looks like it eats good. What did you use to hook it? How hard did it fight?

bassboogieman · 08-01-12, 11:09 PM

Smallmouth, L/m does not have those telltale bars on the side of the head.
That is a nice one!

Shake n' Bake · 08-01-12, 11:17 PM

I caught it on a green pumpkin/watermelon laminate Senko with the tail dipped in chartreuse JJ's magic Texas rigged on an EWG hook. It fought really hard and somewhat erratic like a Smallmouth but didn't jump, I thought it may have been a Pike before I saw it. The lake I caught it in has both Large and Smallmouth. Everything I read says if the jaw goes beyond the eye its a Largemouth which this fish's jaw does but the markings look very Smallmouth. The reason I'm asking is because in NY Smallmouths over 18" qualify for an angler achievement award which I thought was cool but Largemouths need to be 20".

lilmule · 08-01-12, 11:28 PM

Its a smallie

Rebbasser · 08-01-12, 11:56 PM

Smallie. The jaw hinge is in front of the eye where a LM has the jaw hinge behind the eye. Another way to tell is to feel the tongue. A SM has a rough tongue where a LM has a smooth tongue.

Nice fat fish regardless. Congrats!

Bubba_Bruiser · 08-02-12, 12:50 AM

Heinz 57...cross contamination. The markings say smallish, the body hollers largey.

WatterBoy · 08-02-12, 01:12 AM

Everything about it looks Smallie to me. I don't see anything that looks LM on it at all.

3dkicker · 08-02-12, 02:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bassboogieman

Smallmouth, L/m does not have those telltale bars on the side of the head.
That is a nice one!

Sorry to disagree but they do have the bars on the side of the head. Take a look.....

Best way to tell is the mouth and lines on the side. My call is a dark largemouth.

WatterBoy · 08-02-12, 03:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 3dkicker

Sorry to disagree but they do have the bars on the side of the head. Take a look.....

Best way to tell is the mouth and lines on the side. My call is a dark largemouth.

I see vertical striping on the OP's fish, just like the middle one has in your example. Plus all the SM on our lake have that tiny white mark on the gill plate just like both pics here seem to have. At least that is the way I see it.

bcklash · 08-02-12, 03:46 PM

Smallmouth

Shake n' Bake · 08-02-12, 03:48 PM

Thanks for all the opinions guys. I think everyone brings up valid points. I looked up about as many descriptions as I could find on correctly I.D.ing SM vs. LM and this fish has trademarks of both which is why I posted the question originally. Anyways I sent these pictures to my State DEC as part of an application for a Smallmouth Bass angler achievement award. I'll post when I hear back.

I am thinking Bubba is correct.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bubba_Bruiser

Heinz 57...cross contamination. The markings say smallish, the body hollers largey.

Cavs1123 · 08-02-12, 05:35 PM

Something about the second pic to me makes it look more like a really dark largemouth, but it has a really small mouth. Some largemouth around here have big bodies like that but tiny mouths. It almost looks like a hybrid between largemouth and smallmouth. Very cool!

bassinbob · 08-02-12, 05:41 PM

Shake next time you catch one like that open it's mouth. A largie that size should almost be big enough for your fist. Whereas a smallie's open mouth would be able to only fit a kids fist.

islandbass · 08-03-12, 01:17 PM

That's a smallie. No doubt.

keithdog · 08-03-12, 08:09 PM

Definately a smargemouth! JK. No doubt a small mouth with that mouth. Seriously though, it does look like a cross between both. If I were you, or you were me, which is the less of the best options, I would send these photos to your states DNR and see what they say.

Bassboss · 08-04-12, 02:03 PM

I've got to say it's a hybrid. Looks quite smallmouthly in colors, but body shape look both smallmout and largemouth like.

If I had to say one or the other though, I'd say smallmouth.

08-01-12, 10:59 PM	#1
Shake n' Bake BassFishin.Com Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Rochester, NY Posts: 58	Smallmouth or Largemouth? Hey guys think you can help me with a quick I.D.? I caught and released this fish last week in the Adirondacks it was 4.5 lbs and 19.5". At first I thought it was a Largemouth because the jaw goes beyond the eye but the markings and color look more Smallmouth like. What do you think?

08-01-12, 11:04 PM	#2
bassinbob BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Pitts. Pa. Posts: 3,801	I'd say smallmouth. Looks like it eats good. What did you use to hook it? How hard did it fight? __________________ you can have my fishin rod when ya take it from my cold dead hands

08-01-12, 11:56 PM	#6
Rebbasser BassFishin.Com Premier Elite Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: San Antonio, TX Posts: 10,142	Smallie. The jaw hinge is in front of the eye where a LM has the jaw hinge behind the eye. Another way to tell is to feel the tongue. A SM has a rough tongue where a LM has a smooth tongue. Nice fat fish regardless. Congrats! __________________ It's happened to the best of them: John 21:3

08-02-12, 12:50 AM	#7
Bubba_Bruiser BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: South MS Posts: 3,659	Heinz 57...cross contamination. The markings say smallish, the body hollers largey. __________________ \,,,,/ ROCK ON! HRN4L!

08-02-12, 03:46 PM	#11
bcklash BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Elliston, Va. Posts: 4,372	Smallmouth __________________ The soap box, the ballot box, the jury box, and the cartridge box. keep us free:

08-01-12, 11:09 PM	#3
bassboogieman BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Parkesburg, Pa. Posts: 3,762	Smallmouth, L/m does not have those telltale bars on the side of the head. That is a nice one!

08-01-12, 11:17 PM	#4
Shake n' Bake BassFishin.Com Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Rochester, NY Posts: 58	I caught it on a green pumpkin/watermelon laminate Senko with the tail dipped in chartreuse JJ's magic Texas rigged on an EWG hook. It fought really hard and somewhat erratic like a Smallmouth but didn't jump, I thought it may have been a Pike before I saw it. The lake I caught it in has both Large and Smallmouth. Everything I read says if the jaw goes beyond the eye its a Largemouth which this fish's jaw does but the markings look very Smallmouth. The reason I'm asking is because in NY Smallmouths over 18" qualify for an angler achievement award which I thought was cool but Largemouths need to be 20".

08-01-12, 11:28 PM	#5
lilmule BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Buchanan,Tn Posts: 2,685	Its a smallie

08-02-12, 01:12 AM	#8
WatterBoy BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Owatonna, MN Posts: 2,280	Everything about it looks Smallie to me. I don't see anything that looks LM on it at all.

08-02-12, 05:35 PM	#13
Cavs1123 BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Bellevue, Ohio Posts: 1,398	Something about the second pic to me makes it look more like a really dark largemouth, but it has a really small mouth. Some largemouth around here have big bodies like that but tiny mouths. It almost looks like a hybrid between largemouth and smallmouth. Very cool! __________________ Tom

08-02-12, 05:41 PM	#14
bassinbob BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Pitts. Pa. Posts: 3,801	Shake next time you catch one like that open it's mouth. A largie that size should almost be big enough for your fist. Whereas a smallie's open mouth would be able to only fit a kids fist. __________________ you can have my fishin rod when ya take it from my cold dead hands

08-03-12, 01:17 PM	#15
islandbass BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: WA State Posts: 1,783	That's a smallie. No doubt. __________________ ARX "If people concentrated on the really important things in life, there'd be a shortage of fishing poles." Doug Larson (Shimano 2005 Reel Catalog)

08-03-12, 08:09 PM	#16
keithdog BassFishin.Com Premier Elite Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: IN Posts: 8,308	Definately a smargemouth! JK. No doubt a small mouth with that mouth. Seriously though, it does look like a cross between both. If I were you, or you were me, which is the less of the best options, I would send these photos to your states DNR and see what they say. __________________ Just one more cast, and then some!

08-04-12, 02:03 PM	#17
Bassboss BassFishin.Com Premier Elite Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Shawano, WI Posts: 7,761	I've got to say it's a hybrid. Looks quite smallmouthly in colors, but body shape look both smallmout and largemouth like. If I had to say one or the other though, I'd say smallmouth. __________________ If you can't fix it with heavy squats or fish oil, you're probably going to die.

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