Spotted Bass?

[Vabass22]

I know this will probably sound stupid, but what are the differences between spotted bass and regular largemouth? Are they noticably different? Do they feed differently? Do they spawn at different times, or the same general largemouth? Do you usually find them in rivers/streams or lakes? Do there feedung tendencies tend to be more in the way of largemouth or smallmouth?

[skeeter944]

Well,spots have a apatch of teeth behind their tongue,largemouths dont. Spots also have smaller mouths than largemouths,the jaws only extend to the middle of the eye,where a largemouths jaw will be beyond the eye. I fish for them alot,they fight pretty good,and I always catch them on the same lures I use for largemouths except 10'' worms and big jigs. They are more aggressive than largemouths,so faster retreives tend to work better for me.

[K-Driz]

Here's what to look for. All of this information comes from my ichthyology class book "The Fishes of Tennessee" by Etnier and Starnes.

Spotted bass characters: "Lateral line scales 55-77. Dorsal fin with 10 (9-10) spines and 12 (11-13) soft rays. Anal fin soft rays 10 (9-11). Pectoral fin rays 14-17. Developed gill rakers 5-7. Vertebrae 31-33. Tongue with a rectangular tooth patch. Scales are present basally on the soft dorsal and anal fins. Dorsal area olivaceous and usually with dark blotching. Juveniles have a series of vertically elongate dark blotches along the sides which become more confluent with maturity, forming a wide irregular band. Three dusky bars are generally present on the cheeks and opercles. Juveniles have a boldly patterned tail. The eyes are usually reddish."

Largemouth bass characters: "Lateral line scales 55-58. Dorsal fin with 10 (9-11) spines and 12-14 soft rays. Anal fin soft rays 11 (10-12). Pectoral fin rays 14-15. Developed gill rakers 7-9. Vertebrae 30-32. Teeth absent from tongue. Scales are lacking on or confined to the extreme bases of the soft dorsal and anal fins. Color generally olivaceous green dorsally and pallid below with a wide black lateral stripe or nearly confluent blotches. There are usually a few scattered flecks of dark pigment on the lower sides. Eye color is brown. Juveniles with dark submarginal band on caudal fin."

It has been my experience that in the Tennessee River system, that some bass which appear to be largemouth bass will have a tooth patch on their tongue. People in tournaments will swear that these bass are spotted bass, but indeed, some of the largemouth will have patches on their tongues. Also, not all largemouth bass have mouths that extend past their eyeline. Those are just two "general" characteristics, and that is why it is important to know all of the other characteristics of these fish. Here are a couple of links to pictures of spotted and largemouth bass, as well as a diagram of a spiny rayed fish to help you pinpoint any body parts/terms of the bass:
http://www.ag.auburn.edu/fish/image_...64/IMG0045.jpg
http://www.nj.gov/dep/wmm/bfbm/fish/largemouthbass.jpg
http://taurus.cnr.colostate.edu/proj...anat_spiny.jpg

Hope this helps some!

[lizardsrule]

Well K-driz got the dictionary out for that one LOL. The biggest diference to me from spots to largemouths are 2 things.

1. Spots do not grow as big as Largemouths(a huge spot is 4lbs)
2. Spots seem to school up more, meaning if you catch one in a spot, then you may very well catch 5-6 more right there in the same spot.


Lizards

[Bassinkid]

are then any spotted bass in the northern lakes?

[K-Driz]

Here's a link to most of the scientific information on spotted bass:

http://www.natureserve.org/explorer/...%20punctulatus

and a link to a map of spotted bass distribution:

http://www.natureserve.org/imagerepo...AME=AFCQB12040

[zooker]

they do resemble a largemouth to some degree.. the only way i can tell is to lip them they have a smallie sized mouth -more or less-first one i caught i had him deep-bleeding- put him in the live well. about 30 mintues later i caught a similar sized largemouth. side by side you can tell for sure..

spotted bass will readily bite in cold water..

zooker

[skeeter944]

Originally Posted by lizardsrule

Well K-driz got the dictionary out for that one LOL. The biggest diference to me from spots to largemouths are 2 things.

1. Spots do not grow as big as Largemouths(a huge spot is 4lbs)

lizzy,our south carolina state record spot is over 8lbs,but you are right,4lbs is a trophy. i have caught 2 that were 3lbs,and they put up a heck of a fight.

[zooker]

Originally Posted by skeeter944

lizzy,our south carolina state record spot is over 8lbs,but you are right,4lbs is a trophy. i have caught 2 that were 3lbs,and they put up a heck of a fight.

nc's is 6.5+ pounds..

zooker

[WTL]

There seems to be a bit of a difference in coloring, although I wouldn't want to describe it..it is very subtle.

K-Driz, I swear I have seen tennessee river largemouth with tooth patches as well. Wonder why?

[revrat]

Spots also appear to be generally more slender than a largemouth. They also have a little more forked appearance to the tail. Spots teeth are also much longer than a largemouth of similar size. To look at them side by side, you definnitely can tell them apart.

If spots routinely reached 5-8 pounds like largemouth, we'd all be chsing them as often as we could because they put up twice the fight of a largemouth of the same size.

Spots can also cross breed with smallmouth where a largemouth can not. Here's a pic of a smallie-spot cross that went a hair over 5 pounds(middle). Also a largemouth(left) and a couple straight spots(right) for comparison.

[K-Driz]

Originally Posted by WTL

There seems to be a bit of a difference in coloring, although I wouldn't want to describe it..it is very subtle.

K-Driz, I swear I have seen tennessee river largemouth with tooth patches as well. Wonder why?

My best guess is that it's just some anomaly of the largemouth bass genetic makeup in the Tennessee River system. Lots of people who are struggling to fill a limit around here will try to weigh in the largemouth bass that have tongue patches. I always thought that was kind of funny, especially when the tournament director simply says, "No," to weighing in the fish.

Also, the TN River system is the only place I've ever caught largemouth with the big black birthmark-looking spots on their bodies too, especially on or near their heads. I wonder if this occurs anywhere else in the United States or if it's something special that only our bass have.

[skeeter944]

nice fish revrat! those are some big spots!

[Vabass22]

Alright, thanks guys! Well, after looking at the map K-Driz posted, no wonder I've never dealt with them. Maybe next time im in the carolinas I'll have a chance to catch one!

[zooker]

a smallie/spotted bass cross breed is called a mean mouth..it has it's own record set up in most states..

zooker

[Fish2win]

revrat said " Spots can also cross breed with smallmouth where a largemouth can not."
I believe that is a newly recognized naturally occuring hybred called a Mean Mouth Bass. The TWRA here in Tennessee has been experimenting with these fish. They are very aggressive. They maintain the attitude of the spot and the strength of the Smallie. They have placed some of the hatchery grown hybreds in Norris.

InTennessee if it is not a smallmouth and has a tooth patch the TWRA considers it a Spott. I have seen all thgree species with tooth patches. The continuous dorsel fin is the truth to the species. The black birth marks do occur in Lm over much of the Tennesseee as well as its tributaries the Holston, French Broad and Clinch rivers. Since you mention it I have not seen that anywhere else either but never gave it any thought. Also there are different species of spotted bass. The two dictinct ones are tha Alabama spotted bass and the Kentucky spotted bass. The ala strain is genetically pre disposed to reach much larger size. Norris where i lve has both.The Ky strain may be 7 or 8 years old and only be 10 to 11 inches long . The Ala strain often gets to be 3 to 5 lbs here. I think the lake record spot is 5.6.
Great pic. Revrat
Fish2win

[lizardsrule]

Just to throw another curve ball into the arena here, check out the Suwannee Bass

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suwannee_bass

We have some of them down here. I fish the Tomoka River a lot. We catch bass that I would swear are Spots, and have some real detailed striping on them, not your typical dark black Largemouths I've become accustomed too. I'm not sure if they might not be Suwannee, since they are found in this tidal river.

Lizards

[Fish2win]

Vabass22 said "Do they spawn at different times, or the same general largemouth? "

Here in Tennessee they start to spawn when the water temp is 55 to 58. The Smallmouth spawn at 62 top 64 and the LM at 64 to 68. If the lake warms really fast it is possible to get all three going. The Spotts are also a deeper water species. In the summer if you are cathcing LM at 10 to 15, SM at 15 to 20 the spotts will be 25. Thats assuming that there is no thermocline that inhibits the oxygen at that depth. They are most active in the late fall. Some of the best ones I have caught have either been at Night in the summer or in December when the atwer temps are close to 50. Fish2win

[bassintxlady]

i so expected a picture on here by now posted by jb the picture wiz....ya know....comparing spots?.....rofl