Large or Small?

rodnreel · 10-13-09, 12:16 PM

Not the size, guys, I like to think I'm smart enough to figure that one out....My brother swears up and down it's a largemouth. I'm not seeing it, I think it's no question a smallie. What ya think? Anybody got some really good biological facts besides color to back it up?

Bassboss · 10-13-09, 12:21 PM

Small mouth.... look at the mouth, it's small!

rodnreel · 10-13-09, 12:24 PM

And facts besides the size of it's mouth!!!

MIbasser · 10-13-09, 12:27 PM

smallmouth - a little tint of red in the eye as well.

Raul · 10-13-09, 12:29 PM

Uhhhhh, correct me if I´m wrong but .... it´s BROWN.

So unless largemouths have suddenly changed from being green to being brown I´d say that´s a smallie.

nofearengineer · 10-13-09, 12:32 PM

I count 13 soft dorsal rays.

Smallies usually have 13-15, while Largemouth usually have 12.

WaffleJaw · 10-13-09, 01:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Raul

Uhhhhh, correct me if I´m wrong but .... it´s BROWN.

So unless largemouths have suddenly changed from being green to being brown I´d say that´s a smallie.

Ding,Ding,Ding,Ding!!

riverfisher · 10-13-09, 01:03 PM

That's a Small mouth Nice catch man!!

Abbeysdad · 10-13-09, 01:17 PM

http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/fish/bass/small_large.html

Picture is definitely a smallmouth - nuff said.

BigBassin144 · 10-13-09, 01:26 PM

rodnreel, the best way to tell, is to hold the fish's mouth closed. the jaw will extend behind the eye on a largemouth and to the middle or even to the back on smallies and spots.

I know this doesn't help you any with this fish, but maybe the next one. But yeah, that definately is a smallie.

BB

rodnreel · 10-13-09, 01:52 PM

Great smallies there RiverFisher. Those are some healthy hawgs for sure!

BB, I'll keep that in mind for the next smallie I catch. My brother actually caught the one pictured above in the Potomac and for some reason he thinks it's a largemouth. He's caught so many smallies, you'd think he could identify them for sure by now!

Thanks though for all the facts, didn't know about the soft dorsal fins or how far the jaws extend. I always went by color. I'll have to let him know that I am definitely right!!

BassinBandit · 10-13-09, 06:11 PM

Any Smallie is fun to catch. They are a blast. My biggest is in the picture below. If you can find them at any size they are fun.

3dkicker · 10-14-09, 06:08 PM

Small mouth, red eyes, and brown vertical stripes that go from dorsal fin to belly. Yep, smallie. I've caught largemouth on the upper Potomac but that doesn't happen often so it might be surprising if he caught one but you expect to catch smallies above the fall line. Where'd he catch it?

danielbasspro · 10-14-09, 07:23 PM

Too bad we have no smallies in Florida!!!

rodnreel · 10-16-09, 09:04 AM

He wades in and fishes a large area around Cabin John, about 15 minutes northwest of Arlington. We always seem to do well around there, lots of rock and grass. The last trip I made up to see him we went out on a Saturday morning and caught 13 smallies total, biggest being 3 lbs.

Fishnngolfn · 10-16-09, 09:22 AM

Largemouth bass are green with a dark horizontal stripe. The upper jaw extends beyond the back of the eye. Most largemouth have smooth tongues. But some have been found in Tennessee with tooth patches. The dorsal fins on a largemouth are not well connected.

Spotted bass are also green with a dark horizontal stripe, but they have distinct rows of dark spots. The upper jaw does not extend much beyond the back of the eye. The tongue has a rough patch of teeth. "Spots," as they are often called, generally grow smaller than largemouth and smallmouth.

Smallmouth bass have a bronze and greenish-brown color with no dark horizontal stripe. They do not have rows of dark spots like spotted bass. The upper jaw does not extend beyond the back of the eye. The tongue usually has a rough patch similar to that of a spotted bass. The dorsal fins are connected.

You caught a smallmouth. If most of the bass in the pond are very dark, the quick and easy way is to look at the dorsal fins. If they are connected it is a small mouth. If they are seperated, it is a largemouth.

thecrankincracker · 10-16-09, 10:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by danielbasspro

Too bad we have no smallies in Florida!!!

Yeah, really!!!

3dkicker · 10-16-09, 03:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rodnreel

He wades in and fishes a large area around Cabin John, about 15 minutes northwest of Arlington. We always seem to do well around there, lots of rock and grass. The last trip I made up to see him we went out on a Saturday morning and caught 13 smallies total, biggest being 3 lbs.

That's still tidal water. I was thinking from the picture it was above the falls. Plenty of good smallies in the upper section of the river near D.C. Years ago David Fritts weighed a 14+ lb limit of smallies in a BASS tournament on the river.

nofearengineer · 10-16-09, 03:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by danielbasspro

Too bad we have no smallies in Florida!!!

I think since you already have 20lb Largemouth, a thousand miles of beautiful beaches, and hundreds of thousands of hot chicks in bikinis on those beaches, it would just be over the line to get Smallies too.

thecrankincracker · 10-16-09, 03:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nofearengineer

I think since you already have 20lb Largemouth, a thousand miles of beautiful beaches, and hundreds of thousands of hot chicks in bikinis on those beaches, it would just be over the line to get Smallies too.

20lb largemouth- Not many left!
Beautiful beaches- Mostly private or full of hobo's and drunks
(dont believe everything you see on TV..lol)
Thousand's of hot chick- Not in my neck of the woods.
... lol

nofearengineer · 10-16-09, 10:27 PM

Hey...I lived 50 yards from the Atlantic Ocean in New Smyrna Beach. Don't give me that "no beautiful beaches" junk.

Sigh....I just made myself sad.....

10-13-09, 12:16 PM	#1
rodnreel BassFishin.Com Active Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Jamestown, OH Posts: 310	Large or Small? Not the size, guys, I like to think I'm smart enough to figure that one out....My brother swears up and down it's a largemouth. I'm not seeing it, I think it's no question a smallie. What ya think? Anybody got some really good biological facts besides color to back it up? Attached Thumbnails __________________ "If you become a jack of all bass fishing trades but a master of none, you're setting yourself up for mediocrity." - Denny Brauer

10-13-09, 12:21 PM	#2
Bassboss BassFishin.Com Premier Elite Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Shawano, WI Posts: 7,761	Small mouth.... look at the mouth, it's small! __________________ If you can't fix it with heavy squats or fish oil, you're probably going to die.

10-13-09, 12:24 PM	#3
rodnreel BassFishin.Com Active Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Jamestown, OH Posts: 310	And facts besides the size of it's mouth!!! __________________ "If you become a jack of all bass fishing trades but a master of none, you're setting yourself up for mediocrity." - Denny Brauer

10-13-09, 12:32 PM	#6
nofearengineer BassFishin.Com Premier Elite Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Southwest IN Posts: 5,630	I count 13 soft dorsal rays. Smallies usually have 13-15, while Largemouth usually have 12. __________________ Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing it is not fish they are after.

10-13-09, 01:03 PM	#8
riverfisher BassFishin.Com Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Charlton, New York Posts: 92	That's a Small mouth Nice catch man!! Attached Thumbnails

10-13-09, 12:27 PM	#4
MIbasser BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Okemos, MI Posts: 1,447	smallmouth - a little tint of red in the eye as well.

10-13-09, 12:29 PM	#5
Raul BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 1,030	Uhhhhh, correct me if I´m wrong but .... it´s BROWN. So unless largemouths have suddenly changed from being green to being brown I´d say that´s a smallie.

10-13-09, 01:17 PM	#9
Abbeysdad BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Central NY - Finger Lakes Posts: 1,307	http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/fish/bass/small_large.html Picture is definitely a smallmouth - nuff said. __________________ Fish now, work later

10-13-09, 01:26 PM	#10
BigBassin144 BassFishin.Com Premier Elite Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Toledo, Ohio Posts: 9,463	rodnreel, the best way to tell, is to hold the fish's mouth closed. the jaw will extend behind the eye on a largemouth and to the middle or even to the back on smallies and spots. I know this doesn't help you any with this fish, but maybe the next one. But yeah, that definately is a smallie. BB __________________ As of June 14, 2014 the members of the BF.com forum have moved to basschat.yuku.com!

10-13-09, 01:52 PM	#11
rodnreel BassFishin.Com Active Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Jamestown, OH Posts: 310	Great smallies there RiverFisher. Those are some healthy hawgs for sure! BB, I'll keep that in mind for the next smallie I catch. My brother actually caught the one pictured above in the Potomac and for some reason he thinks it's a largemouth. He's caught so many smallies, you'd think he could identify them for sure by now! Thanks though for all the facts, didn't know about the soft dorsal fins or how far the jaws extend. I always went by color. I'll have to let him know that I am definitely right!! __________________ "If you become a jack of all bass fishing trades but a master of none, you're setting yourself up for mediocrity." - Denny Brauer

10-13-09, 06:11 PM	#12
BassinBandit BassFishin.Com Active Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Elliston, VA Posts: 446	Any Smallie is fun to catch. They are a blast. My biggest is in the picture below. If you can find them at any size they are fun. Attached Images __________________ H.G.: No. What I did to those men, after I tracked them down? That's the worst pain you can experience.

10-14-09, 06:08 PM	#13
3dkicker BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Spotsylvania, VA Posts: 4,483	Small mouth, red eyes, and brown vertical stripes that go from dorsal fin to belly. Yep, smallie. I've caught largemouth on the upper Potomac but that doesn't happen often so it might be surprising if he caught one but you expect to catch smallies above the fall line. Where'd he catch it? __________________ Smitty www.smittystubes.com

10-14-09, 07:23 PM	#14
danielbasspro BassFishin.Com Active Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Altamonte Springs Florida Posts: 252	Too bad we have no smallies in Florida!!! __________________ Daniel

10-16-09, 09:04 AM	#15
rodnreel BassFishin.Com Active Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Jamestown, OH Posts: 310	He wades in and fishes a large area around Cabin John, about 15 minutes northwest of Arlington. We always seem to do well around there, lots of rock and grass. The last trip I made up to see him we went out on a Saturday morning and caught 13 smallies total, biggest being 3 lbs. __________________ "If you become a jack of all bass fishing trades but a master of none, you're setting yourself up for mediocrity." - Denny Brauer

10-16-09, 09:22 AM	#16
Fishnngolfn BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 1,523	Largemouth bass are green with a dark horizontal stripe. The upper jaw extends beyond the back of the eye. Most largemouth have smooth tongues. But some have been found in Tennessee with tooth patches. The dorsal fins on a largemouth are not well connected. Spotted bass are also green with a dark horizontal stripe, but they have distinct rows of dark spots. The upper jaw does not extend much beyond the back of the eye. The tongue has a rough patch of teeth. "Spots," as they are often called, generally grow smaller than largemouth and smallmouth. Smallmouth bass have a bronze and greenish-brown color with no dark horizontal stripe. They do not have rows of dark spots like spotted bass. The upper jaw does not extend beyond the back of the eye. The tongue usually has a rough patch similar to that of a spotted bass. The dorsal fins are connected. You caught a smallmouth. If most of the bass in the pond are very dark, the quick and easy way is to look at the dorsal fins. If they are connected it is a small mouth. If they are seperated, it is a largemouth.

10-16-09, 10:27 PM	#21
nofearengineer BassFishin.Com Premier Elite Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Southwest IN Posts: 5,630	Hey...I lived 50 yards from the Atlantic Ocean in New Smyrna Beach. Don't give me that "no beautiful beaches" junk. Sigh....I just made myself sad..... __________________ Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing it is not fish they are after.

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