SM or LM bass?
Started by
Guest_tunerX_*
, Feb 25 2007 12:56 AM
7 replies to this topic
#1
Guest_tunerX_*
Guest_tunerX_*
-
- Guests
Posted 25 February 2007 - 12:56 AM
I guess I am a dolt. My wife says our bass is a LM, I thought it was an SM. The fish is about 8" right now. I thought it was longer but I just measured it. The head looks like a juvenile LM but the coloring looks like an SM, or I am just a dolt.
#2
Guest_edbihary_*
Guest_edbihary_*
-
- Guests
Posted 25 February 2007 - 01:35 AM
I'm with your wife on this one.
#3
Guest_smbass_*
Guest_smbass_*
-
- Guests
Posted 25 February 2007 - 03:03 AM
definitely a largemouth. Smallmouth are more of a bronze/brown color here's a couple pics...
two juvenile smallmouth and one adult...
[attachment=3342:jv_Small...s1_by_BZ.jpg]
[attachment=3343:jv_Small...s2_by_BZ.jpg]
[attachment=3344:smallmou...06_by_JZ.jpg]
two juvenile largemouth and one adult, these juveniles are only about 2"
[attachment=3345:jv_large...06_by_BZ.jpg]
[attachment=3346:jv_large...06_by_BZ.jpg]
[attachment=3347:largemou...um_by_JZ.jpg]
two juvenile smallmouth and one adult...
[attachment=3342:jv_Small...s1_by_BZ.jpg]
[attachment=3343:jv_Small...s2_by_BZ.jpg]
[attachment=3344:smallmou...06_by_JZ.jpg]
two juvenile largemouth and one adult, these juveniles are only about 2"
[attachment=3345:jv_large...06_by_BZ.jpg]
[attachment=3346:jv_large...06_by_BZ.jpg]
[attachment=3347:largemou...um_by_JZ.jpg]
#4
Guest_tunerX_*
Guest_tunerX_*
-
- Guests
Posted 25 February 2007 - 09:24 AM
I was expecting the darker stripe in the middle of the fish like the 4th and 5th photos. I thought the stripe would be more pronounced.
#5
Guest_viridari_*
Guest_viridari_*
-
- Guests
Posted 25 February 2007 - 09:29 AM
With fishes, color is sometimes a bad measure of what species you're looking at (though it might give you some good clues if the color is distinctive). There are anatomical differences between LM and SM bass that tell the true story. Look how far back the mouth goes in relation to the eye.
Smallmouth:
On the smallmouth the opening of the mouth stops at the forward edge of the eye. On the largemouth it goes further back, around the rear edge of the eye (like your own fish).
The difference isn't as immediately obvious when the fish is at rest, but when it is yawning or if you are holding it like the angler in the above photo the difference becomes very obvious.
Smallmouth:
On the smallmouth the opening of the mouth stops at the forward edge of the eye. On the largemouth it goes further back, around the rear edge of the eye (like your own fish).
The difference isn't as immediately obvious when the fish is at rest, but when it is yawning or if you are holding it like the angler in the above photo the difference becomes very obvious.
#6
Guest_smbass_*
Guest_smbass_*
-
- Guests
Posted 25 February 2007 - 06:21 PM
yes this is quite true coloration can vary quite a bit, and the stripe on largemouth is not always very distinct. Another anatomical difference is that on largemouth the spiny and soft ray dorsal are or are almost seperated and smallmouth they are clearly conected and do not dip all the way to the back in between them. This does not work as well with very small juveniles but by 8 inches I think that this feature should be clearly noticeable. From your picture though the jaw extending completely under the eye is easier to see to confirm it being a largemouth.
#7
Guest_choupique_*
Guest_choupique_*
-
- Guests
Posted 01 March 2007 - 12:37 AM
This is a bit off the topic, but notice on the juvie largemouth photos, the mouth doesn't go past the eye like it does on the picture of the adult.
#8
Guest_smbass_*
Guest_smbass_*
-
- Guests
Posted 01 March 2007 - 01:29 AM
ya I have notice that too, it's interesting how some of the charachters don't develope till they get a little size to them.
0 user(s) are reading this topic
0 members, 0 guests, 0 anonymous users
NANFA Youtube Channel 
