Mammoth cave small mouths?

[coombro]

If you've never done it you need to. Canoeing, kayaking, floating down the Green River through Mammoth cave. This is the most relaxing camping trip trip I take. Fishing was tough may have been to the high volume of canoes and kayaks and fact that river was dropping about a foot and a half. Any way saw and talked to other anglers and they are stating they are catching small mouths. Okay The fish I caught and the others catches that I saw resemble a bass yet I don't think they are small mouths? So many saying small mouth that maybe I'm wrong. I'm thinking these are some sort of rock bass? Warmouths? Around 14" was my biggest catch yet I still think it was a rock bass as to small mouth. Although he was a tint closer to brown than green. No stripes.When does a small mouth's verticle stripes begin to form? To me that's the most reliable why to tell a sm. bass. I never said a word to these people I may be wrong. Yet I think it 's a common misconception in the rivers and streams of ky.

[BassHole24]

Google this.
[COLOR=#2200c1]Kentucky Fish IDbook[/COLOR]

[BassHole24]

Google this.
[COLOR=#2200c1]Kentucky Fish IDbook[/COLOR]

http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/fishing/regi...ges/smbass.jpg The Smallmouth's upper jaw does not extend back past the center of the eye. Other identifying characteristics include:
The spinous and soft-rayed parts of the dorsal fin are not separated as much as in the largemouth
No longitudinal stripe; the appearance is often mottled with dark vertical bars

As with the largemouth, coloration is variable depending on environmental factors. Generally, the back and sides are a yellowish-brown (hence the name "bronzeback"), but sometimes very dark brown, almost black, shading to a lighter-colored or whitish belly.
Smallmouth Bass spawn on gravel and sandy beaches when the water temperature approaches 65F. Smallmouth bass have been observed on spawning nests in June. Most spawning appears to be associated with shallow littoral areas (about 10 feet) which have pea size gravel. Juvenile smallmouth bass remain near the nest for 5-7 days with the male guarding the young and the nest. After spawning, adult smallmouth bass retreat to deeper water. Juvenile smallmouth bass remain in the protection afforded by boulders, cobble, and talus slopes. Juvenile smallmouth bass eat plankton, immature aquatic insects and crayfish. Adults eat mostly crayfish and fish.

[kc]

I haven't floated it in better than a year but you are right in that the Green is a nice river for a summer float and that stretch down through Mammoth cave is exceptionaly nice. I have fished it sparsely on the handful of trips I have taken (mostly family / scout trips) and I can tell you most likely you are catching spotted bass. Green has all three - LM, SM, and spots but it is full of spots. Every time I have fished I have caught many spots with an occasional LM or SM. From what little information I have gathered on Green the SM are maybe more selective in the areas of the river they are found. The only place I caught more than one here and there was the area called 300 falls above 31E where on a family trip we pulled up on a rock bar for lunch and I caught several small SMs on a tube jig. Any how look up a picture of a spotted bass and I bet that is what you caught. I can tell the difference between the three just seeing them in the water as they all have their own distinctive look but the easiest way to tell a spot from the other two is they have a "tooth patch" on their tongue which LM and SM do not have. Also the other anglers could be mistaking spots for SM which I think is a common mistake by novice stream bass anglers too...

kc

[MLTSPCS]

It does get a little tricky when identifying some juvenile river fish. They don't seem to be as well marked in dingy streams i have fished such as little beach fork river. The tooth patch and the lower jaw method are about the only ways i can tell the difference between small spots and smallmouth. Rock bass and warmouth rarely get over 10"-12" and are deeper bodied than most similar sized "bass." Even at those sizes they produce a fair fillet though, as they are usually kind of chunky and taste excellent. Smallmouth, largemouth, and spots get caught and released. Decent size rockbass, warmouth, bluegill, crappie, and average-sized walleye are going on the table more often than back in the water. Anywho catching fish is always more fun than fishing. Hope you figure out what you are catching as a 10" rockbass will make good table fare but a 10" smallmouth will get you fined if kept.

[coombro]

It does get a little tricky when identifying some juvenile river fish. They don't seem to be as well marked in dingy streams i have fished such as little beach fork river. The tooth patch and the lower jaw method are about the only ways i can tell the difference between small spots and smallmouth. Rock bass and warmouth rarely get over 10"-12" and are deeper bodied than most similar sized "bass." Even at those sizes they produce a fair fillet though, as they are usually kind of chunky and taste excellent. Smallmouth, largemouth, and spots get caught and released. Decent size rockbass, warmouth, bluegill, crappie, and average-sized walleye are going on the table more often than back in the water. Anywho catching fish is always more fun than fishing. Hope you figure out what you are catching as a 10" rockbass will make good table fare but a 10" smallmouth will get you fined if kept.

I hear you there. The Green is fairly powerful through Mammoth cave as the flow was this weekend. Not to be considered a stream by any means. you should of see that rental canoe that was wrapped around log jam. Someone lost it big time Saturday.

[coombro]

I haven't floated it in better than a year but you are right in that the Green is a nice river for a summer float and that stretch down through Mammoth cave is exceptionaly nice. I have fished it sparsely on the handful of trips I have taken (mostly family / scout trips) and I can tell you most likely you are catching spotted bass. Green has all three - LM, SM, and spots but it is full of spots. Every time I have fished I have caught many spots with an occasional LM or SM. From what little information I have gathered on Green the SM are maybe more selective in the areas of the river they are found. The only place I caught more than one here and there was the area called 300 falls above 31E where on a family trip we pulled up on a rock bar for lunch and I caught several small SMs on a tube jig. Any how look up a picture of a spotted bass and I bet that is what you caught. I can tell the difference between the three just seeing them in the water as they all have their own distinctive look but the easiest way to tell a spot from the other two is they have a "tooth patch" on their tongue which LM and SM do not have. Also the other anglers could be mistaking spots for SM which I think is a common mistake by novice stream bass anglers too...

kc

All right I think you and I are on the same page hear. Now you not referencing the spot with the Ky. bass? As these fish really didn't resemble lg. mouth or the Ky. bass as I've been raised to call them. look in their mouth for the spot.

[kc]

I am refering to a KY bass aka spotted bass and it sounds like you know what they look like tooth patch and all. LM, SM, and KY spotted bass all have the same, long body shape which I can't think of any other fish specie that may be in Green with that kind of body shape. As MLTSPCS noted if you start talking about rock bass or warmouth they have a different body shape than bass -- taller and broader and rarely get over 10". Both rock bass and warmouth have body shapes more like a Redear aka shell cracker if you know your panfish. If you caught a 14" rock bass or warmouth you had a stud - maybe record material. But a rock bass is more of a brown color with broken almost dotted looking stripes on its side and they have red eyes like some KY bass do. I don't remember catching any rock bass on the Green but I am sure there are plenty there. Very common stream fish...

kc