# Is this a meanmouth bass?



## fishymcgoo (Jul 20, 2005)

i caught this earlier in the year and posted it in the sw ohio forum and never did get a straight answer. i even had a couple people tell me this was a kentucky spot which i have caught a ton of and i know that is not what it is. my buddy told me it was a meanmouth bass which is some kind of a hybrid. anyway give me your thoughts.


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## fishslime (Jul 28, 2006)

That would be a Spotted Bass, It is it's own spieces, the ohio river and most stream/rivers have them prestent.


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## riverKing (Jan 26, 2007)

thats a nice spot, I have seen one pic of a meanmouth that was electroshocked in the ohio, I have never heard of another one from the area. they seem to be more common in the mid-south like missouri and tennesee, my best guess is because its not prime smallie habitat and hybrids typically occur when the fish are under stress.


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## fishymcgoo (Jul 20, 2005)

" its not prime smallie habitat " what did you mean by that? i catch big smallies there and in this area all the time.


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## Eugene (Jun 23, 2004)

"Meanmouth" is a vernacular term for hybrids of smallmouth bass with other black basses, often smallmouth x spotted (_Micropterus dolomieu_ x _M. punctulatus_), but I believe it's sometimes applied to smallmouth hybrids with any other _Micropterus_.

One problem with trying to ID fish from photos is that color can be so variable. Without seeing more or actually handling the fish where more characters than superficial coloration will become evident, it's a little hard to say. It could be a meanmouth, but this image might just be of a smallmouth with a somewhat "spotty" look to his belly. It certainly doesn't look like a pure spotted bass to me.


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## riverKing (Jan 26, 2007)

i was talking about where the natural hybrids occur (still incredibly rare), down south where its a little to warm for the smallies and there numbers are low so there is competion for spawning habitat(with other black basses) and smaller chances of finding a mate, around here the habitat is great. those lower numbers and warmer temps make for bigger fish that are found there.

also your straight answer is, a full spotted bass, its just darker due to individual variation, plus most spots over 6in in the ohio river look like this, especially around cover.


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## Bad Bub (Jan 17, 2006)

definately a spot.


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## Eugene (Jun 23, 2004)

Looking again from a different machine, it may be. I wish I could have handled the fish. Color isn't the best diagnostic.


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## Erterbass (Jul 4, 2005)

It's too bad the dorsal fin isn't extended - then you would be able to tell if there is a 'gap' between the two main sections of the dorsal or not.

That doesn't look like a spot to me. The body proportions aren't quite right...

Also, what color were the eyes?

Bob


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