Fish ID help, Largemouth or Smallmouth or Meanmouth Bass.

[limeyangler]

Hi all,

I was fishing in a lake where the bass are predominantly Smallies,  but I caught a Largemouth there 7 years ago (nobody believed me until I showed them the picture),  and I heard another one was caught 2 years ago in the same lake, but thats the only two I've heard of and I have not heard of any others being caught since then. I hooked into a bass there the other day and right away thought it looked weird. By weird I mean it looked like a cross between a Largemouth and a Smallmouth bass. Its mouth seemed larger and not as narrow and pointed when closed like a smallmouth and it had Large like markings on it. Having said that it was more green like a Smallie and even though its mouth was larger it was still not quite like the yap on a Largie. I got to wondering if because i knew there were at least 2 largemouth in the lake whether it was possible for them to crossbreed and after 5 minutes on Google found out they can and the offspring are called 'Meanmouth' Bass, what do you guys think?

 

 

 

[Lape0019]

My opinion is that is a largemouth that has been in the shade for a bit. which is why the top of the fish is darker. I have pulled largies out that were totally black because of where they were living but after a few minutes in the livewell, the colours show up. The markings on the side seem to be to close to a largemouth for me to think otherwise.

I have heard of mean mouth bass before but they seem to be more prevalent in the states. I do not ever recall hearing someone catching one up here. I think the reason is that spotted bass seem to mate with smallmouth more easily but that is just my own hypothesis.

[OhioFisherman]

I am going to say largemouth, there can be a pretty wide variation in color from lake to lake and even time of year and weed growth, the ones you pull from the junk tend to be colored a bit differently at times from more open water fish.

No spotted bass in the waters I have fished here, and most of our inland lakes are predominantly largemouth fisheries, although some have both. On one lake here I had caught two strange looking bass over the years, it was a lake that had both. I called them smallmouth because of their mouth size, but they looked more like this  

https://www.westernbass.com/forum/unusual-dna-found-big-bass-turns-into-record-catch-t118798.html

LOL no where near that size though! about 3 pounds.

[BillM]

Largie.

[misfish]

12 minutes ago, BillM said:

Largie.

X 2

[limeyangler]

Thanks guys!

They are pretty rare in our lake. Funny thing happened yesterday too, went back casting in exactly the same place and here comes another rarity, an albino beaver!!! Wish I had a better camera than just my phone some days.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[wantabigone]

Cool underwater beaver pic!

 

[AKRISONER]

1 hour ago, limeyangler said:

Thanks guys!

They are pretty rare in our lake. Funny thing happened yesterday too, went back casting in exactly the same place and here comes another rarity, an albino beaver!!! Wish I had a better camera than just my phone some days.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Almost as rare as the furless beaver ?

[limeyangler]

1 hour ago, AKRISONER said:

Almost as rare as the furless beaver ?

Furless beavers were very rare in the ‘70s.

[Old Ironmaker]

Definitely a Large Mouth. Colour and degree of darkness depends on their habitat. Looks very close in color and markings of a "Florida Bass" which coincidently are found in Florida and are Large Mouth. 

[lew]

Here's a nice chunky incidental largie I got while casting for muskies.

Used to actually get lots of them chasing huge baits

 

[jimmer]

I have never seen a cross between a largie and smallie in all the years I have been fishing.  I do believe that I have seen some crosses between a bluegill and pumpkinseed though.

[OhioFisherman]

On 5/30/2019 at 12:08 PM, Old Ironmaker said:

Definitely a Large Mouth. Colour and degree of darkness depends on their habitat. Looks very close in color and markings of a "Florida Bass" which coincidently are found in Florida and are Large Mouth. 

As I recall reading in the past, a lot of states, like Texas and California owe the size of some  their bass to transplanted Florida bass.

Also a non native fish.