I am having a hard time locating information on identifying juvenile lmb.  I find these bass under 10 inch with mouth size not extended beyond the eye.  How ever they dont have patches on teeth and dorsal fins are seperated.  My question is do the mouth size extend beyond the eyes as they mature or am i seeing spotted bass in minnesota. ? I know spotted dont live in this region.

Sounds like a spot to me. Was there a rough patch on the tongue?

Maxilla on fingerlings does not extend past the eye on any species of bass. The bone grows as the fish matures.

http://fishbio.com/field-notes/fish-biology-behavoir/one-and-the-same-right

http://calfish.ucdavis.edu/species/?uid=84&ds=698

 

Sounds like a spotted bass to me.  They don't get nearly as large as largemouth do.