# 4-7-10 great day! Here I go again with the fish ID



## fishymcgoo (Jul 20, 2005)

I caught this same type of fish last year and posted it and got a variety of different responses on what kind of bass it was. I believe it, and the ones we caught today are "meanmouth" bass which is a hybrid. So does the ODNR after i sent pics. So I dont want to start a war on what type of fish it is. I have read alot of posts of people wanting to find spots to fish because they are new to the area or new to fishing. I believe the Ohio river is overlooked alot. Find some slackwater off the river or a creek and throw a bobber with a minnow or a night crawler and you could catch a HUGE variety of fish. There are alot of easily accesible spots too. Anyway, that is what me and the little ones did today and it paid off. We caught 6 "meanmouths" in about an hour.



























Notice mine is the smallest


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## lovelandfly (Mar 11, 2010)

Thanks for the good advice. You are right; I don't have a boat so I rarely think about fishing the big water. Never heard of a meanmouth!


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## London calling (Dec 12, 2008)

Those are spotted bass. nice fish !


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## conley1414 (Feb 12, 2010)

They look like they are hybrids. Look at their bellies, looks like a mix between either a white bass or striped bass. They have the stripes on their bellies. I have never seen or heard of it until now, very interesting.


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## fishing in kent (Apr 8, 2010)

Another vote for hybrids.


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## Offshore Limits (Dec 23, 2007)

They are spotted bass....I cant believe people are actually considering that they are a white bass or hybrid


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## fish4life (Jun 27, 2004)

Definately not a Hybrid or stripe. Spotted/Kentucky bass


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## fallen513 (Jan 5, 2010)

..........


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## fishymcgoo (Jul 20, 2005)

they are all bluegills


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## Wiper Swiper (May 24, 2005)

fishymcgoo said:


> I caught this same type of fish last year and posted it and got a variety of different responses on what kind of bass it was. I believe it, and the ones we caught today are "meanmouth" bass which is a hybrid. *So does the ODNR after i sent pics*.


fishymcgoo, great pictures. Congrats on making your kids smile! They are special times for sure.

I'm really curious what exactly the ODNR said about your fish. To me, they're clearly spotted bass. If I remember correctly, that pic from last year was a whole lot more debatable. These seem pretty cut and dry...but, my degree in aquatic biology is self-ordained! 

What did the guys that actually went to school for such things say?


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## Offshore Limits (Dec 23, 2007)

Ive got my B.S. in aquatic biology..its clearly a spotted bass...


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## pendog66 (Mar 23, 2005)

Offshore Limits said:


> Ive got my B.S. in aquatic biology..its clearly a spotted bass...


agreed, definately a spot


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## conley1414 (Feb 12, 2010)

I looked it up and there is no doubt it is a spotted bass.


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## LMRsmallmouth (Jan 10, 2006)

Offshore Limits said:


> They are spotted bass....I cant believe people are actually considering that they are a white bass or hybrid


I dont believe he was ever saying anything about white bass or Hybrid stripers, he is saying they are "meanmouths" which would be a spot/smallie hybrid. I am not a biologist so I can only go with my own experience, I would say these are spotted bass but I can say that the top colors more resemble a smallie, where as most spots I catch more resemble largemouth. To me the best way to tell is to look at the tongue for the patch of "teeth". THis is the sure way to tell a spotted bass. Once again, my vote is that these are spots, but I can see where the "meanmouth" call could have been made. I am no expert on aquatic biology, but I know how to catch em...hehe.


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## conley1414 (Feb 12, 2010)

lmrsmallmouth said:


> i dont believe he was ever saying anything about white bass or hybrid stripers, he is saying they are "meanmouths" which would be a spot/smallie hybrid. I am not a biologist so i can only go with my own experience, i would say these are spotted bass but i can say that the top colors more resemble a smallie, where as most spots i catch more resemble largemouth. To me the best way to tell is to look at the tongue for the patch of "teeth". This is the sure way to tell a spotted bass. Once again, my vote is that these are spots, but i can see where the "meanmouth" call could have been made. I am no expert on aquatic biology, but i know how to catch em...hehe.


what do you think its not possible for white bass or striper to mix with a largemouth or smallmouth? There is a crappie and white bass mix, so i know if that can happen anything can happen, it might not be likely but anything is possible.


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## LMRsmallmouth (Jan 10, 2006)

I am not saying it is not possible, I am just stating that when Fishymcgoo said he was informed it was a hybrid meanmouth, he was referring to a spot/smallie hybrid, not a white or striped bass hybrid. As for the possibility of that sort of hybrid, dont be confused by the stripes on the belly of these fish. All spotted bass have striped bellies just like these. Once again, I go with the open mouth/tongue "teeth" method for identification. Never gonna please everyone, as everyone has their own opinions on here that is for sure. But I would go out on a limb and say that these fish have a 0% content of white bass or striper content in their DNA. The stripes that are leading some to that conclusion are found on every spotted bass you will ever see. Just my 2 cents which will not even buy you gum anymore......lol


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## TeamPlaker (Jul 5, 2006)

conley1414 said:


> There is a crappie and white bass mix


Not trying to start a rumble here... but where exactly did you get that information? Sounds far fetched to me.... as far as I know (which is little at best) morones can only cross with other morones. Ie: stripers, white bass, and white perch.


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## conley1414 (Feb 12, 2010)

teamplaker said:


> not trying to start a rumble here... But where exactly did you get that information? Sounds far fetched to me.... As far as i know (which is little at best) morones can only cross with other morones. Ie: Stripers, white bass, and white perch.


search around on the internet and you will find it. I also seen them on a fishing show about a year ago. I don't think they are here in ohio, seems like it was in one of the carolinas.


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## chris1162 (Mar 12, 2008)

black crappie!?!


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## Mushijobah (May 4, 2004)

Spotted Bass.


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## TeamPlaker (Jul 5, 2006)

conley1414 said:


> search around on the internet and you will find it. I also seen them on a fishing show about a year ago. I don't think they are here in ohio, seems like it was in one of the carolinas.


Searched. Even tried to run the genus for both species and found nothing. Maybe if you come across it again in the future you could PM it to me.


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## BASSMAN 1 (Apr 10, 2010)

i think they are vermoose moss bass .........or REALLY fun spots


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## creekrock (Oct 28, 2008)

100% positive, not a doubt in my mind, it is a spotted bass.


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## Big Bones (Mar 29, 2010)

You all are crazy....Its a baby pike!!!


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## Pete G (Apr 5, 2010)

It's a bass...but not sure it is a spotted bass. Next time you get one keep it and take it to the ODNR


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## tommy454 (May 20, 2008)

looks like a carp to me.....


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## AnglinMueller (May 16, 2008)

Nice catfish


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## lovelandfly (Mar 11, 2010)

My sister got bit by a moose once. . . really, it was quite painful!


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## IMBOW (May 27, 2008)

Spotted bass. I have been catching them most of my life from the creeks up here in central Ohio and have caught them in Tennessee and even in Alabama. I have a whole pond full of them at my house. I caught those at a local gravel pit and transplanted a half dozen. They are prolific and aggressive. It's pretty easy to tell. Close the mouth. It will be dead even with the eyeball. Largemouth go significantly behind the eye and smallmouth are in front of the eye. Many spotted bass also have red eyes.


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## fishymcgoo (Jul 20, 2005)

i never asked for help on id for the fish. so please stop sending me pm's telling me about your degrees in biology and that you know it is a spot. i dont think anyone could tell for sure by those pics anyway. i took em from my phone? i have caught spots all over. there is one particular location that every once in a while i catch one of these fish. i will bring my good digital camera with me and the next time i land one i will get some real good pics of the fish close up and then we will talk fish id. and i think almost everone missed the point of this thread anyway which was dont forget about the OHIO river it can be very productive, has easy access, and is a blast for kids!


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## Wiper Swiper (May 24, 2005)

fishymcgoo said:


> i never asked for help on id for the fish. so please stop sending me pm's telling me about your degrees in biology and that you know it is a spot. i dont think anyone could tell for sure by those pics anyway. i took em from my phone? i have caught spots all over. there is one particular location that every once in a while i catch one of these fish. i will bring my good digital camera with me and the next time i land one i will get some real good pics of the fish close up and then we will talk fish id. and i think almost everone missed the point of this thread anyway which was dont forget about the OHIO river it can be very productive, has easy access, and is a blast for kids!


You wrote-- *"Here I go again with the fish ID"*

I know you didn't specifically ask for help. You can call the fish whatever you want. However, their are members here who could be confused by your errant identification. "Better" pictures aren't really required, but again, you're free to post your opinions with whatever visual aids you think best support them.

You also wrote-- *"So does the ODNR after i sent pics." *

That's not an opinion, it's a statement of fact. I'm very curious about what they told you with regard to the fish shown in those wonderful pictures of your kids having fun. Could you please elaborate on your correspondence with the state?


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## Cordon (Apr 12, 2005)

Here is a pic of a true "mean mouth". I would say, just like the rest of the folks on here, what you caught is a spot.


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## SenkoFrenzy63 (Apr 13, 2010)

Very nice fish


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