spotted bass

I was just watching fishing university that had john crews on ky lake south. they caught a spot and they were exp. the diff between large and spots. the only diff they showed was the patch on the tongue. I had heard that some of the largemouth have that patch also and that was not the diff. does anybody know if that is definitive enough for game wardens and tournaments. they never mentioned the jaw not extending past the eye. just wondering

Spotted bass have some what of a black stripe down there side that goes from there tail to head [URL]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spotted_bass[/URL] some times it is hard to see and some times it is real black but it is there and they do have a spot on there tongue but i have seen it on large mouths too so don't go by just the tongue. I was crappie fishing last fall and while reeling in a 9" crappie a spot came along and put all but the tail of my crappie in his mouth the way I could tell was the black stripe down the side it was the biggest spot I had ever seen.He spit out the crappie and when i got it in I checked the size and released it.

There are a couple of ways. Obviously the tounge patch but as said its not definitive. If the jaw hinge is even with the eye then it is a spot if the jaw hinge extends past the eye its a LM. The other way is the LM will have a deep notch at the end of its spines the Spot will not have this deep notch in the end of the spines.

I know that recently KY F&W decided to not go by the tooth patch, as some Largemouth have it also. Game wardens and fishermen are supposed to use the jaw and eye to determine the species. Largemouth jaws should extend past the eye when mouth is closed.

as i was taught in my ichthyology class, spotted bass have brokens rows of spots starting below the lateral line. largemouth have very straight rows starting at the 3rd or forth row of scales from the lateral line and can be absent.

[URL]http://www.ag.auburn.edu/fish/image_gallery/data/media/64/IMG0044.jpg[/URL]

all the ones ive caught just seem to have a huge gut?

the fins and jawline are the only true way to tell...some largeheads will have the patch on the tounge....and in cold muddy water a lot of times the fish will be so pale that you can't distinguish the lines to call it a spot or largemouth

Fish & Wildlife regs.used to say any fish with a single tooth tongue other than a Smallmouth in the state of Kentucky was legally defined as a spot. When did this change ??? Thanks

[QUOTE=Fishin is life;449309]the fins and jawline are the only true way to tell...some largeheads will have the patch on the tounge....and in cold muddy water a lot of times the fish will be so pale that you can't distinguish the lines to call it a spot or largemouth[/QUOTE]


you won't catch any spots in muddy water.