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Old 08-01-12, 10:59 PM   #1
Shake n' Bake
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Default 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?


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Old 08-01-12, 11:04 PM   #2
bassinbob
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I'd say smallmouth. Looks like it eats good. What did you use to hook it? How hard did it fight?
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Old 08-01-12, 11:09 PM   #3
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Smallmouth, L/m does not have those telltale bars on the side of the head.
That is a nice one!
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Old 08-01-12, 11:17 PM   #4
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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".
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Old 08-01-12, 11:28 PM   #5
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Its a smallie
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Old 08-01-12, 11:56 PM   #6
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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!
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Old 08-02-12, 12:50 AM   #7
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Heinz 57...cross contamination. The markings say smallish, the body hollers largey.
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Old 08-02-12, 01:12 AM   #8
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Everything about it looks Smallie to me. I don't see anything that looks LM on it at all.
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Old 08-02-12, 02:58 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bassboogieman View Post
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.
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Old 08-02-12, 03:13 PM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 3dkicker View Post
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.
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Old 08-02-12, 03:46 PM   #11
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Smallmouth
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Old 08-02-12, 03:48 PM   #12
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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.

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Heinz 57...cross contamination. The markings say smallish, the body hollers largey.
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Old 08-02-12, 05:35 PM   #13
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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!
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Old 08-02-12, 05:41 PM   #14
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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.
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Old 08-03-12, 01:17 PM   #15
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That's a smallie. No doubt.
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Old 08-03-12, 08:09 PM   #16
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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.
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Old 08-04-12, 02:03 PM   #17
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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.
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