Smallmouth Vs Largemouth

[bigjim]

does the smallmouth put up much more of a fight compared to the largemouth?

I think i may have a caught a smallmouth yesterday while at the river, if so it was my first one. i do know how to tell the difference, as far as some of the key features but once i got em out of the water i really didnt bother to check ,i was just happy it was a Bass. but what makes me think it was a smallie is ive caught plenty of LMB's about the same size as the 1 yesterday, but that put up 1 helluva fight unlike any large mouth ive ever caught.. damn thing felt about 8 lbs when i was fighten 'em and was probably only about 2 lbs.

if they are much more of fighters, i can see why people sometime target the smallies specifically.. i have to say it was def. awesome

[WatterBoy]

Yep, smallies can put up an incredible fight. LM are fun to catch, but SM are at another whole level. Most of them (around here anyway) are just such incredible leapers -- they just rocket themselves out of the water time and time again trying to throw the lure. Great fighters!

[nofearengineer]

Smallmouth like to live in current, and are hunters as opposed to Largemouth who hold on structure in stationary water, and who are ambush predators.

Smallies have a lot more muscle...that's why they fight harder.

[JerseyFisher]

X2 on the smallies, the fight is so much better. A 1# smallie will give you the same fight a 4# largie will give you in my opinion.

[Bender]

Most smallmouth are brown compared with the green largemouth. Also on a largemouth when his mouth is open the jaw extends behind his eye, on a smallmouth it does not. Also smallies don't have the big black lateral line that LM have.
LM:


Smallmouth:

[WTL]

Originally Posted by bigjim

does the smallmouth put up much more of a fight compared to the largemouth?

I think i may have a caught a smallmouth yesterday while at the river, if so it was my first one. i do know how to tell the difference, as far as some of the key features but once i got em out of the water i really didnt bother to check ,i was just happy it was a Bass. but what makes me think it was a smallie is ive caught plenty of LMB's about the same size as the 1 yesterday, but that put up 1 helluva fight unlike any large mouth ive ever caught.. damn thing felt about 8 lbs when i was fighten 'em and was probably only about 2 lbs.

if they are much more of fighters, i can see why people sometime target the smallies specifically.. i have to say it was def. awesome

Were you fishing the river, lake, or just a pond? Location, in hindsight, might help you rule out smallmouth. Smallmouth normally arent a common pond fish.

To further illustrate the smallies' propensity to jump, over the weekend I had a smallmouth on that was 8" long. It managed to jump 5 feet, straight up, out of the water. It was eye level to me. Largemouth-just-dont-do-that.

Normally smallmouth jump more than largemouth, but they can lower their shoulder and plow when they need to. My big smallie broke the surface once and then resolved to dig deep under the boat. Had I not seen it, I was thinking it was a 20 pound drum.

Of course the color is a dead giveaway. After you catch a few smallmouth you will know from just seeing the flash of color in the water.

[bigjim]

do you have to fish smallies differently? with the smallie being more aggressive do they tend to go after faster moving baits more so than a LM? or the same its just that the smallie is just more powerful once you hook 'em up?

[WTL]

They have different tendencies, but can sometimes mix in with lmb.

Smallmouth prefer crawfish a little more, are more often found in better water quality areas, tend to go for deeper clearer water and more current and often are a little more succeptable to smaller lures. Its a commonly said thing that they really like chartruse baits, but that could be an old fisherman's tale.

[bigjim]

WTL i was fishing the river . which i havent done much of in the past, but that is going to change now!
i kind of ruled out LM in my head when i was fighting him because i never had a LM go 50ft in each direction.. to the left, then darted to the right, then towards me, then back out again.a few jumps here and there and the strength was just crazy
I'd say it took a good 2 minutes to reel him all the way in..
never knew what i was missing before by not going after these guys..
i just need to find the hot spots on this river for more of this action.
close to bridges would probably be the best place to start looking im guessing?

[bigjim]

Originally Posted by WTL

They have different tendencies, but can sometimes mix in with lmb.

Smallmouth prefer crawfish a little more, are more often found in better water quality areas, tend to go for deeper clearer water and more current and often are a little more succeptable to smaller lures. Its a commonly said thing that they really like chartruse baits, but that could be an old fisherman's tale.

good to know ,thanks
i was using a 5" ZOOM finesse worm (watermellon seed) on a DS rig and had my bait dropped right by a swifter moving current.. but i have some crawfish plastics, so i may tie that 1 on and give it a try

[WTL]

That sounds a good bit like it could be a smallie. Way to go. Current areas around bridge pilings would be great, as well as any rip rap you can find.

PS, I know the feeling. I see smallmouth in my dreams. It is the ideal bass.

[bigjim]

im gonna take a picture of this spot where i caught it & post it up here, because other than being a great fishing location it has everything to make a great photograph as well..

[islandbass]

Originally Posted by bigjim

do you have to fish smallies differently? with the smallie being more aggressive do they tend to go after faster moving baits more so than a LM? or the same its just that the smallie is just more powerful once you hook 'em up?

When you're out there, one of the easiest ways to distinguish between the two is to look at the jaw of the fish. If the jaw passes the eye (look at the pics above) it is a largemouth. Flush or short of the eye, it is likely a smallmouth.

The same techniques can work for both but you might find the catching percentages might be different.

The level of aggression might be more anecdotal than fact however. For example for the bass in my area, smallies seem to be much more receptive to the drop shot (my offerings) than the largies, but I have caught both on it. I seem to catch more largies on cranks than smallies. For both fish, both techniques have worked but generally one seems to be more effective for one species over the other. In addition smallies and largies in other parts of the country might show the opposite to be true. This is why I am inclined to think it is more anecdotal than fact.

Smallies fight so well that I would rather drive 25 miles one way to fish for one hour for them than target go to 5 lakes within 2 miles of my house for largemouth. Targetting smallies for me is somewhat addicting. I love fishing for largemouth also, but given the choice, there is no question I have a preference.

Congrats on getting your first smallie.

[WTL]

Originally Posted by islandbass

The level of aggression might be more anecdotal than fact however. For example for the bass in my area, smallies seem to be much more receptive to the drop shot (my offerings) than the largies, but I have caught both on it. I seem to catch more largies on cranks than smallies. For both fish, both techniques have worked but generally one seems to be more effective for one species over the other. In addition smallies and largies in other parts of the country might show the opposite to be true. This is why I am inclined to think it is more anecdotal than fact.

I think it is related to the specific niches the fish fill. Most lakes that have smallmouth also have largemouth. The largemouth have a superior build for shallower, weedy, muddy water. The smallmouths being a little more limber, adapt to the other areas and also make up for it in aggression.

But should you take a pond without gamefish at all, just forage, and introduce only smallmouth, I think it would be very interesting to see if some of the smallmouth move into the shallower reaches and behave like lmb - attack traditional lmb baits, ect. I bet you would see somewhat altered behavoir, within a certain limit of course.

[bigjim]

im off to try & nab some more of these guys today. i can already feel an obsession starting up. gonna try a new part of the river today and try some other plastics that were mentioned. like crawfish

theres a fella on 1 of my other forums for chicago area anglers.. he always talks about his spot on the river where he catches tons, but hes smart and wont give up his location. but ill find it..LOL he did give away the town and the town is only so big

[MallenManson]

Smallmouth x3. DEFINITELY a better fighter. Sadly, they're not as abundant, at least around here, as Largemouth.
YEARS ago, I read an article, field and stream most likely, on the hardest fighting freshwater fish, pound for pound. Bluegill was #1 and I do believe Smallies were #2.
I'll take Smallmouths over Largemouths any day of the week.
Here's a pic of one I caught last weekend, but keep in mind, it's an extremely light colored one.
Whenever you're not sure of a fish you caught, your state's DNR or whatever it happens to be called should have a fish identifier section on their website

[bcklash]

Since I don't fish tournments any more, I'll take a 3lb smallmouth over a 6lb largemouth any day.

[WTL]

Originally Posted by MallenManson

Smallmouth x3. DEFINITELY a better fighter. Sadly, they're not as abundant, at least around here, as Largemouth.
YEARS ago, I read an article, field and stream most likely, on the hardest fighting freshwater fish, pound for pound. Bluegill was #1 and I do believe Smallies were #2.
I'll take Smallmouths over Largemouths any day of the week.
Here's a pic of one I caught last weekend, but keep in mind, it's an extremely light colored one.
Whenever you're not sure of a fish you caught, your state's DNR or whatever it happens to be called should have a fish identifier section on their website

I love it when they are that lightly colored. Really such purty fish.

[MallenManson]

Originally Posted by WTL

I love it when they are that lightly colored. Really such purty fish.

Yeah they are. That's one of the bonuses of the Platte Lakes. Seriously light colorings on the fish.

[woody]

The smallie that BB144 caught at Kentucky Lake had an amazing color.

Thank You Mississippiboy for the pics.

[MallenManson]

Originally Posted by woody

The smallie that BB144 caught at Kentucky Lake had an amazing color.

Thank You Mississippiboy for the pics.

Wow, that's pretty!!!!!!!!!

[nofearengineer]

It was even prettier in person, Mallen...for me at least...it was the first smallie I'd ever seen in person.

[jooleyen]

I love smallmouth! They almost always fight better than largemouth, but I've seen a few exceptions. I've caught one smallmouth in a pond, and many from rocky, deep, pond-sized quarries.

[MallenManson]

Originally Posted by nofearengineer

It was even prettier in person, Mallen...for me at least...it was the first smallie I'd ever seen in person.

Oh, I bet! Seeing a new fish for the first time is always a plus. Even with a fugly bowfin lol

[BassMoJo]

I was fishing the spoils area of the potomac monday and caught my first smallmouth from that area he was about 10ins but I thought I had a 4lb bass...haha