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Smallmouth/Spot Hybrid?

Posted By: JBL

Smallmouth/Spot Hybrid? - 07/31/20 07:09 PM

I caught this in a creek that has smallmouth, spotted, largemouth, and redeye bass, so hybridization is inevitable. To me it appears to have characteristics of both a spot and smallmouth, but not full characteristics of either one. The lines on the bottom half of the fish is a characteristic a spot would have and not a smallmouth, as far as I know. Basically, the rest of the fish looks like a smallmouth.
What say you?

[Linked Image]
Posted By: abolt300

Re: Smallmouth/Spot Hybrid? - 07/31/20 07:13 PM

If he's got spot genes in him, he'll have a rough little patch of teeth on the back of his tongue. Looks to me like what we always used to refer to as a kentucky redeye when we used to creek fish a bunch.
Posted By: Crawfish

Re: Smallmouth/Spot Hybrid? - 07/31/20 08:02 PM

Looks like a Meanmouth
Posted By: AU_trout_bum

Re: Smallmouth/Spot Hybrid? - 07/31/20 08:37 PM

It's more likely a Coosa Bass (redeye) X Alabama Bass hybrid. There could be some smallmouth bass in there too. Shoot me a message, I just finished up a genetic study on a creek with all the above mentioned.
Posted By: Ryano

Re: Smallmouth/Spot Hybrid? - 07/31/20 10:56 PM

Don't know about the fish, but I am going with Angus cross on the pile of crap. Whatever the fish is, it is colored up nicely. Appears blue on the bottom side.
Posted By: fi8shmasty

Re: Smallmouth/Spot Hybrid? - 08/01/20 12:02 AM

Rock bass maybe
Posted By: jwalker77

Re: Smallmouth/Spot Hybrid? - 08/01/20 12:07 AM

What the crap is that hanging out of its mouth?
Posted By: JBL

Re: Smallmouth/Spot Hybrid? - 08/01/20 02:39 AM

Originally Posted by AU_trout_bum
It's more likely a Coosa Bass (redeye) X Alabama Bass hybrid. There could be some smallmouth bass in there too. Shoot me a message, I just finished up a genetic study on a creek with all the above mentioned.

I sent you a pm
Posted By: JBL

Re: Smallmouth/Spot Hybrid? - 08/01/20 02:41 AM

Originally Posted by Ryano
Don't know about the fish, but I am going with Angus cross on the pile of crap. Whatever the fish is, it is colored up nicely. Appears blue on the bottom side.

haha, believe it or not that's actually rotted moss. It does look just like cow crap and I thought that myself when looking at the pic after I took it.
Posted By: JBL

Re: Smallmouth/Spot Hybrid? - 08/01/20 02:41 AM

Originally Posted by jwalker77
What the crap is that hanging out of its mouth?

crawfish soft plastic
Posted By: jwalker77

Re: Smallmouth/Spot Hybrid? - 08/01/20 12:42 PM

Originally Posted by JBL
Originally Posted by jwalker77
What the crap is that hanging out of its mouth?

crawfish soft plastic

Could you post a pic of it please? Im betting my boy would like to try them in the river here.
Posted By: poorcountrypreacher

Re: Smallmouth/Spot Hybrid? - 08/01/20 02:45 PM

Originally Posted by AU_trout_bum
It's more likely a Coosa Bass (redeye) X Alabama Bass hybrid. There could be some smallmouth bass in there too. Shoot me a message, I just finished up a genetic study on a creek with all the above mentioned.



I am gonna agree with the trout bum. Since he studies bass for a living, it's pretty likely that he knows more than the rest of us put together on this subject.

But if I caught that fish, I would say that it is a red-eye and never think twice about it. It looks just like one to me.
Posted By: Sasquatch Lives

Re: Smallmouth/Spot Hybrid? - 08/01/20 11:57 PM

Very interesting. The mouth looks pretty big for a smallie but the rest looks spot on including the wide base of the tail. Smallie redeye mix is my guess. Don't think it has any spot in it.
Posted By: Gotcha1

Re: Smallmouth/Spot Hybrid? - 08/02/20 11:55 AM

Would have thought it was a redeye, also. (Tallapoosa)
Might have been a question (to me) about how wide and
seemingly, fat it is, though.
Posted By: Beadlescomb

Re: Smallmouth/Spot Hybrid? - 08/03/20 01:28 AM

I catch some really dark spots with a lot of yellow on the warrior river that look similar. I'd post a picture but I don't know how anymore
Posted By: CarbonClimber1

Re: Smallmouth/Spot Hybrid? - 08/04/20 10:56 PM

He looks big enough to fry
Posted By: Mbrock

Re: Smallmouth/Spot Hybrid? - 08/12/20 03:30 AM

Don’t look anything like a smallmouth or spot to me. Looks like a red eye.
Posted By: AU_trout_bum

Re: Smallmouth/Spot Hybrid? - 08/12/20 01:55 PM

Originally Posted by Mbrock
Don’t look anything like a smallmouth or spot to me. Looks like a red eye.


You gotta look at a few thousand to pick up on the nuances. I will say that phenotype is proving to be VERY unreliable in identifying hybrids in black bass. It is sometimes obvious, but with backcrossing, etc., it gets pretty impossible without the use of genetics to confirm.
Posted By: poorcountrypreacher

Re: Smallmouth/Spot Hybrid? - 08/12/20 08:27 PM

Originally Posted by AU_trout_bum
Originally Posted by Mbrock
Don’t look anything like a smallmouth or spot to me. Looks like a red eye.


You gotta look at a few thousand to pick up on the nuances. I will say that phenotype is proving to be VERY unreliable in identifying hybrids in black bass. It is sometimes obvious, but with backcrossing, etc., it gets pretty impossible without the use of genetics to confirm.



So what do you think about the lower fish in this photo?

[Linked Image]

When I lifted him into the boat, I saw his belly and his orange fins and tail and told my fishing partner he was a nice red-eye. Then when I was unhooking him I saw the lines on the upper half of him and said I was wrong, that he was just a spot. And then when I started to clean him I decided his ancestry was uncertain. My amateurish opinion is that he is good candidate for a spot/red-eye cross. I put the spot, or Alabama bass, in the photo for contrast.
Posted By: AU_trout_bum

Re: Smallmouth/Spot Hybrid? - 08/12/20 09:00 PM

I'd say you're probably right, PCP. It's hard to tell for sure without seeing some of the coloration, live. It's definitely got some Alabama bass in it.
Posted By: Tigger85

Re: Smallmouth/Spot Hybrid? - 08/13/20 04:15 AM

OH no you caught an Obama bass..... Can't tell what it is..lol
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