On 12/4/2021 at 3:02 PM, thediscochef said:

I had a foggy morning of fishing and catching dinks. This was the last catch of the day. Smallmouth, I think? I have no idea what type of bass this is. What is this?

Quick (not so quick) update on this fish from Texas Parks and Wildlife:

"Good afternoon,

 

Thanks for reaching out regarding the species identification of your catch.  I asked a few of the TPWD biologists about the identification of the fish.  Based on the pictures provided, it appears as if the fish is likely a hybrid bass but likely contains some smallmouth bass. Next time you happen to catch a similar looking fish, take a picture of the fish’s mouth to show if there is a tooth patch.

 

Thank you,
[TPWD]"
so i guess we will never know for sure.
i will call it a smallmouth and let that ride

46 minutes ago, thediscochef said:

Quick (not so quick) update on this fish from Texas Parks and Wildlife:

"Good afternoon,

 

Thanks for reaching out regarding the species identification of your catch.  I asked a few of the TPWD biologists about the identification of the fish.  Based on the pictures provided, it appears as if the fish is likely a hybrid bass but likely contains some smallmouth bass. Next time you happen to catch a similar looking fish, take a picture of the fish’s mouth to show if there is a tooth patch.

 

Thank you,
[TPWD]"
so i guess we will never know for sure.
i will call it a smallmouth and let that ride

a tooth patch is not a true identifier of species. I’ve caught LM, SM, and spotted bass with tooth patch on the tongue. It is also not uncommon to encounter a biologist that doesn’t know that! 
 

but your fish is a smallmouth, plain as day. Hybrid is a typical fall back answer we always used in college, the professors didn’t think it was funny. Maybe the biologist you talked to was in my class hahaha (most hybrids can only be proved with genetic testing)

27 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

a tooth patch is not a true identifier of species. I’ve caught LM, SM, and spotted bass with tooth patch on the tongue. It is also not uncommon to encounter a biologist that doesn’t know that! 
 

but your fish is a smallmouth, plain as day. Hybrid is a typical fall back answer we always used in college, the professors didn’t think it was funny. Maybe the biologist you talked to was in my class hahaha (most hybrids can only be proved with genetic testing)

Yeah my accepted answer is unchanged, it's a smallmouth. Without positive ID with clear markings or genetic testing hybrid is a cop out/better sounding way of saying 'idk'

1 hour ago, TnRiver46 said:

a tooth patch is not a true identifier of species. I’ve caught LM, SM, and spotted bass with tooth patch on the tongue. It is also not uncommon to encounter a biologist that doesn’t know that! 
 

but your fish is a smallmouth, plain as day. Hybrid is a typical fall back answer we always used in college, the professors didn’t think it was funny. Maybe the biologist you talked to was in my class hahaha (most hybrids can only be proved with genetic testing)

This poor fish is going to have an identity crisis.

1 hour ago, thediscochef said:

Yeah my accepted answer is unchanged, it's a smallmouth. Without positive ID with clear markings or genetic testing hybrid is a cop out/better sounding way of saying 'idk'

Looks like a smallmouth to me...smallmouth have a connected dorsal fin  (like yours). Lots of times they look gold like that...put in the live well for a bit and they color up with stripes.

17 hours ago, DINK WHISPERER said:

Whenever the bass bite slows down a little my son loves to go for different species. Golden shiners and what I think is a crappie were on the list yesterday. They are surprisingly fun on an ultralight combo. ?

Mouth looks awfully small to be a crappie. Looks like it might be a Flier?

5 hours ago, Bluebasser86 said:

Mouth looks awfully small to be a crappie. Looks like it might be a Flier?

That's what I thought too about the mouth. He caught a couple and they are really aggressive. I've never heard of a flier but I'm going to look it up now that you mentioned it. 

On 12/6/2021 at 1:50 AM, GreenPig said:

Yes. First time on 3/16/21(SK Buzz toad) and then 3/18/21(Z -Man Jerkz Shadz).

My god that's a giant! Looks like it could be the same to me.

On 12/6/2021 at 1:50 AM, GreenPig said:

Yes. First time on 3/16/21(SK Buzz toad) and then 3/18/21(Z -Man Jerkz Shadz).

What does your hoodie on the top pic say? Is that bass geek? 

11 minutes ago, LrgmouthShad said:

What does your hoodie on the top pic say? Is that bass geek? 

Yes sir. It's comfortable and warm too.

 

8-12 caught on the St Johns river

Walked to a pond that turned out to be 60 percent froze over (skim ice) when I arrived. Already here, so started on the open water portion, which eventually became 90 percent free thanks to the start of a warming trend (high 53 today) and some good wind. Turned out to be a better than expected afternoon, hooking up with a dozen bass in about 2 hours of fishing. One of them turned out to be a fish with the most melanosis I've seen on any pond bass I've ever caught. Warming trend is supposed to stick around through mid next week, so looking forward to getting out a couple more times after a storm system passes tomorrow/tomorrow night.

 

 

 

Well, had an ok 2 hours but could have been better. Skipjack herring were jumping all over creation and we chased them down river for a mile or so, they are fast. I used one of them as cut bait and it got hit a couple times but didn’t hook up . Got a smallie and sauger while waiting, a huge smallie was trying to fight mine on the way in 

Caught 5 today all roughly the same size on Super Flukes. It was 33 and foggy with a water temp of 57.

Blade bait was money yesterday.   Best day I've had since October.

Miami strikes again!

Caught these yesterday-7.0 and 7.3

It's been frigid at night lately, but the temps jumped way up over the past two days. A super warm southern wind was really cranking yesterday, and with rain forecast over night we waded in hoping to catch an active bite. My buddy beat the skunk with one and I was able to hook a few myself. Felt good to find a little rally after a bit of a tough stretch.

 

 

5 minutes ago, PhishLI said:

It's been frigid at night lately, but the temps jumped way up over the past two days. A super warm southern wind was really cranking yesterday, and with rain forecast over night we waded in hoping to catch an active bite. My buddy beat the skunk with one and I was able to hook a few myself. Felt good to find a little rally after a bit of a tough stretch.

 

 

Nice job ?

Well the bass bite was slow but I caught a monster drum then a walleye for dinner 

Our water temps took a pretty big hit this past week with cold day and night temps. I went with a buddy to his private lake Friday and they were hovering around 42. There's big ones there, but we didn't find any.

 

Sunday I went to a small lake down south hoping to be somewhat protected from the high winds that were forecast. I wasn't, but thankfully it took them a little longer than they thought for them to really get cranking. I forgot the battery for my depthfinder, which I really needed to find the grass edges, so no idea what the temps were other than cold. 

Yo-yoing a RES 2tap and ripping a homemade bladed jig through the grass was getting it done to start.

Don't let anyone tell you Eagle Claw hooks aren't sharp.

Once the sun got up, the wind really started cranking and they seemed to switch to a jerkbait more, specifically the 112 Stunna in Hanky Panky. The jerkbait fish ran mostly smaller, but the bite on the other 2 baits just kind of died. I did get a couple jig bites on a homemade finesse jig.

Ended up with 26 fish in 5 hours. Got broke off by one fish that ate my bladed jig in the grass and headed away from me at a high rate of speed, guessing it was a wiper or big catfish. Not sure how much I'll get out the next few weeks. I hope to with the weather they have forecast but both my boys birthdays are next weekend, the the holidays both the 2 weekends after. I guess if I closed 2021 out like that, I can't really complain. 

9 hours ago, Bluebasser86 said:

Don't let anyone tell you Eagle Claw hooks aren't sharp.

I've thought lazer sharp hooks are quite good. Wonderful day by the way!

On 11/25/2021 at 7:03 PM, Jgthomas said:

Caught This Lunker oct 8th, it only weighed 9 pounds, my PB but wished it had a meal so I would hit that 10 threshold, it should have weighed 10+ by all bass measuring charts 

what she looks like now

7 hours ago, LrgmouthShad said:

I've thought lazer sharp hooks are quite good. Wonderful day by the way!

My thoughts as well. I've seen people bash eagle claw hooks for a long time. I tried some of the wide gaps with the keeper style deal on them for flipping tubes and have been very happy.

Couldn't resist the Avocado Red tailed Super Fluke.