I caught a small bass ,about 8 inches, at the little bear ramp point that to me looked like a mean mouth. It had smallmouth coloring , but a big mouth. I'm assuming largemouth /smallmouth hybrid. It flopped and fell in water before I could feel it's tongue for a patch. Has anyone else ever caught one in ky lake. I've caught one that looked just like it in the Ohio river about 2lbs that I think did have a tongue patch, been a while.
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I caught this fish in Eddy Creek in early April and was co20190406_175424.jpgconfused by it. Had the shape and markings of a smallie but was green like a largemouth or spot. It didn't have a patch on its tongue, but did feel what felt like a patch just behind its tongue. I've never caught or seen a mean mouth but my understanding is that it's a cross between a smallmouth and a spot. I'll let you guys chime in with your thoughts.
No idea why it came in upside down, but if you select and open the image it's right side up. Also, the jaw joint is in front of his eye, so again like a smallie, but this fish was as green and white as any largemouth I've ever caught.
I read a good article about mean-mouth a few years ago. Typically its a Spot and Smallmouth cross but occasionally it will be a Spot and Largemouth cross. If my memory is correct they spoke about markings and how people try to identify one with markings but the only true way to positively identify a mean-mouth is by doing a test on one of the scales. From the best of my my memory they do something similiar to a DNA test. I done a google search trying to find the article but could not find it. I remember the article popped up online not long after there was a large mean-mouth caught in another state (I think Moussouri) and the state was trying to establish a way to positively ID a mean-mouth and the consensus was a scale sample that had to be tested.
That is for sure a hybrid of some sorts. Has those smallmouth markings on the jaw, and that tail sure looks like a smallie. Great pic. Thanks for posting.Originally Posted by bassmagic60
Maybe they are spawning with the carp,lol...looks like an Asian smallhead.
Looks like it is from "down under"
We have them here in my neck of the woods. We do not have spots in the lake I live, LM and SM only and they are crossing, I actually caught one last summer weighed 7.59 and there it back, had no idea it would have been the state record.
, QUOTE=TritonMan250;10278582]We have them here in my neck of the woods. We do not have spots in the lake I live, LM and SM only and they are crossing, I actually caught one last summer weighed 7.59 and there it back, had no idea it would have been the state record.[/QUOTE]
That's interesting, first time I've heard of LM/SM hybrid. So did it look like the one in my pic? Ky lake used to have a lot of Spots, but these days you rarely catch one so likely this is LM/SM, so curious.
On a side note, I was sad to see a bad report on Ivie recently, I'll be moving home to Texas in a few months and would like to come try it out some time. I grew up in Houston and fishing the big East Texas lakes, never even heard of Ivie or had any idea there were SM in Texas until about 10 years ago.
Looks identical to the fish you posted, just bigger. Don’t know what you read on Ivie other than the fishing is tough but rightfully so, it was 44ft low in October last year and is now only 12 low and going to catch more today. When it gets good I’d be happy to take you, the big fish are still here just scattered. Lost count of how my DD fish and 40+lb days I had before the rise. I’m headed to Kentucky lake next week for the TOT.
Man, good luck with that, Ky lake I'd fishing really tough these days. I'm 4 hours away and busy remodeling my house to sell and with all the bad reports I've only been once this spring. Thanks for the offer on Ivie, I'll be sure to get on touch once I get to Austin.
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