# Smallie confirmation



## celtic11 (Jun 30, 2011)

I caught this fish several years ago out of a small river here in Lima. I've fished it several times since and never been able to pull out another one. At the time I was still somewhat new to fishing and bass in particular and some of my friends ID'd this as a smallmouth bass based on the cell phone pic. Now that I have the ability to show some true anglers, I'm looking for a verification that it is a smallmouth bass. 

Also, it seems like a really solid fish to me but having little experience maybe thats just a typical size??


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## sisezz73 (Mar 9, 2007)

Looks like a smallie to me.


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## firstflight111 (May 22, 2008)

sorry but thats not a smallie ..it has a small mouth looks like a drum to me


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## KWaller (Oct 3, 2010)

VERY solid smallie!
Kyle
HPT
CP

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## FISHIN216 (Mar 18, 2009)

That is a sheephead 

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## FISHIN216 (Mar 18, 2009)

This is a smallmouth....sorry its sideways...stupid droid









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## PolymerStew (Feb 17, 2009)

Looks like a drum (sheephead). The spiny (front) and soft (rear) dorsal fin on a smallmouth are roughly equal in length. That fish looks to have a much longer soft dorsal than spiny dorsal fin. Also, the spiny dorsal fin appears to begin too close to the head for that to be a smallmouth. The trailing edge of that fish's tail fin is convex like a drum's, while a smallmouth has a concave, shallow V-shaped tail.


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## celtic11 (Jun 30, 2011)

I'm pretty bummed out right now.

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## FISHIN216 (Mar 18, 2009)

Don't be...if you enjoyed it which you obviously did then that's all that matters ...


celtic11 said:


> I'm pretty bummed out right now.
> 
> _OutdoorHub Mobile, the information engine of the outdoors_




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## lordofthepunks (Feb 24, 2009)

another thing to look at is the eyes, a smallies eyes are a dark brown around the border with the pupil being black. that fish appears to have lighter eyes around the border. looks like a sheephead to me. 

i will say that some sheepheads colors are similar to a smallie, had a co-angler hook one once, both of us thought it was a giant smallie, it even jumped once. turned out to be a sheephead.


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## FISHIN216 (Mar 18, 2009)

Now that is a bummer


lordofthepunks said:


> another thing to look at is the eyes, a smallies eyes are a dark brown around the border with the pupil being black. that fish appears to have lighter eyes around the border. looks like a sheephead to me.
> 
> i will say that some sheepheads colors are similar to a smallie, had a co-angler hook one once, both of us thought it was a giant smallie, it even jumped once. turned out to be a sheephead.




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## celtic11 (Jun 30, 2011)

Well thanks for the help guys, even though it turned out to be somewhat disappointing.

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## creekcrawler (Oct 5, 2004)

Don't be disappointed.

Maybe next time, you'll be "disappointed" by a 30# carp!
It's all good.


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## celtic11 (Jun 30, 2011)

creekcrawler said:


> Don't be disappointed.
> 
> Maybe next time, you'll be "disappointed" by a 30# carp!
> It's all good.


Thanks. I'm not normally picky on what I catch, I just like catching fish. Had that been a smallmouth it probably would've been my best fish. I've caught a 20"+ largemouth but that was in a small, well manicured pond that was like shooting fish in a barrel. You threw in a rooster tail and you were pulling out a giant largemouth.



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## sherman51 (Apr 12, 2011)

hey you had just as much fun bringing in that fish as you would have any other fish. and thats what its really all about unless your just a meat hog. i catch and release alot of fish. once there gone it doesnt even matter what they were. we both get something out of the fight. i get the fun of the fight and he gets his freedom,LOL. i go to my local lake alot and dont even take a cooler for fish. then after i release 4 or 5 nice little eatin size walleyes i say i should have brought a cooler,LOL.

when your just fishin for fun and dont plan on keepin them it doesnt matter what gets on your line. never be dissapointed just because it wasnt a name brand fish,LOL.

the only time im dissapointed is when im on erie and after eyes and get sheephead, or anything elce but maby a nice steelhead. then i just enjoy watching somebody elce try to get it to the boat. i,ve caught hundreds of salmon over the years and my share of steelhead. so i wont even catch one anymore. i have alot more fun just watchin. and most of the time i just fish for fun anyway. 

so just have fun. you would never have even known what that fish was if you hadnt of asked. so it didnt change the fun factor. now did it??
sherman


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