# Fish ID



## deltaoscar (Apr 4, 2009)

I caught this fish a few years ago at Miami Whitewater. I've looked at the picture on and off since then and have wondered about its true identity. I have my thoughts, but would like to hear what OGF thinks.

Please comment and/or take the poll.


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## Cat Mangler (Mar 25, 2012)

Id say either a war mouth or baby rock bass. I suck at IDing sun fish so don't take my word.

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## greghal (Aug 22, 2013)

Hey DO I polled warmouth, after looking at it a while. At first look it looked like a rock bass, but rock bass have a red eye the ones i've caught. The ends of the fins look a little orange like the warmouth.


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## weekend angler (Dec 31, 2011)

At first thought was rockbass but no red eye so I say warmouth

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## Lowell H Turner (Feb 22, 2011)

Pound for pound (we ALL `wish` !) supposedly 1 of the most aggressive and hard fighting little scrappers in fresh North American inland waters...have had 1 boldly swim up and try to bite me several times while wading ! Was surprised and grateful they don`t get to 10 pds...


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## co-angler (Jan 3, 2010)

My vote is warmouth. I've only caught one. Took it from Todd's Fork.
Congrats on a rare catch!


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## whodeynati (Mar 12, 2012)

I'm gonna guess bait.


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## lonewolf (Mar 4, 2010)

whodeynati said:


> I'm gonna guess bait.


That's was my first thought. Warmouth is what I have always called them

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## I_Shock_Em (Jul 20, 2008)

+1 for warmouth


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## Cat Mangler (Mar 25, 2012)

I still lean towards war mouth since it is missing some characteristics but their body shapes are really similar IMO. And not trying to start stuff or poke the bear but you can't just judge by lack or presence of red eyes. I've caught two without and I got an old odnr officer to help id the second. (Miss that guy too, can't remember his name but, that guy taught me a lot about fishing east wood) Besides, I get a bunch of 8-10" SMB outta a few close together spots that you'd swear stole the red eyeballs straight off a RB. Seems that 50% of the sun fish I get outta east wood are hybrids anyways. More evidence to how little I know I guess.

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## fishdealer04 (Aug 27, 2006)

Same for me at first glance it looks like a Rock bass- but missing a few characteristics already pointed out. So leaning towards warmouth. Is it possible it could be a hybrid? Not sure if panfish crossbreed but I know it happens with other fish.


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## GMR_Guy (Apr 10, 2004)

My first impression was that it was a warmouth. I consulted my Fishes of Ohio book and it is definitely a warmouth and not a rockbass. There are several things that can distinguish between the two, many of them dealing with coloration. Upon doing some reading the absolute best way to confirm is to look at the numbers of anal spines. (spine is the hard/pointy rays on a fin). The rock bass has 6 anal spines and the warmouth has 3. Montagc also mentioned this.


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## TurtleJugger (Jun 2, 2013)

Warmouth but the ones I catch are really dark


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## kingofamberley (Jul 11, 2012)

Definitely not a rockbass. I'm going with warmouth.


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## Dandrews (Oct 10, 2010)

I'm gonna say warmouth, but I had to go to the ODNR A-Z Species Guide and read the description.


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## OHhio (Jun 19, 2013)

I went with War Mouth. 

Here is what i think is a Rock Bass  Caught Oct 2013 White River Ind.


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## OHhio (Jun 19, 2013)

montagc said:


> I see your point about red eyes, especially in pictures. Different lighting often makes the eye look different and you can't count on it. Ohio dnr says warmouth have red eyes, but I don't recall ever seeing a pic of one thàt shows it.


My Audubon Field Giude to Fishes says both the Rock and War Mouth have red eyes.


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## Cat Mangler (Mar 25, 2012)

montagc said:


> I see your point about red eyes, especially in pictures. Different lighting often makes the eye look different and you can't count on it. Ohio dnr says warmouth have red eyes, but I don't recall ever seeing a pic of one thàt shows it.


Yeah I've never gotten a war mouth with red eyes, heck, I ain't even caught one over 4-5". I've gotten a few that had a reddish brown color eyes but not red yet. 

Then again, many of the sun fish me and my kiddos catch are for "feedin flatties" so I don't usually get to worried about what they actually are. I will say that a couple of orange spots that mysteriously appeared in a local pond have won me over with their beauty and been released to "grow the population". At least that's what I told myself for throwing back perfectly good BAIT!

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