Fish ID???

Wanted to see if anyone could ID this little guy. Caught him at a local lake. He is a little larger than my hand. Thought it was a Bluegill, but as you can see it has a larger mouth. People keep telling me it's a Warmouth, but I have yet to find any pictures of a Warmouth with such bright irridescent blues. My first guess is that it's a Green Sunfish. I've never seen anything like it before.

Looks like a Spotted Bass to me....

:dunno:

Damn good lookin' fish too....

small mouth bass..

I would agree with those saying it's a warmouth maybe since it's spawning season that might explain the brighter colors

AZXJ said:

small mouth bass..

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x's 2.

Here's a pic of one:

X3.

Smallmouth. We're loaded with 'em in these parts.eace:

98XJSport said:

The body looks right for a smallmouth, but Ive never seen one with those colors before...

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Thats what I noticed...look at the fins as well as the gill plate.

Hmmm, I thought for sure small mouth bass, but after looking closer it may be a warmouth after all. Check the link:

http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/huntwild/wild/species/war/

Well, it's definately a bass :lecture:

It's not a smallie, it's a Warmouth some say they're a cross from a rockbass and a sunfish. When I've asked the DEC they give me different answers. Some say they can't really breed and the DEC uses them as a stock fish used to keep populations down (like the Tiger Muskie). I'm not sure thats true because it seems once they get into a pound they can take it over and you won't see as many sunnys. Sunny's, Bluegill's, Rock Bass even Crappie are all part of the bass family I'm not sure of the science but it seems that they could cross breed.

It's a Warmouth



Warmouth (Lepomis gulosus)

The warmouth is a species that most people would not recognize. In many parts of the country sunfish of all species are thrown into one general category such as bream, panfish, or perch. Many anglers are unaware of what species of sunfish that have caught, just calling it by one of these generic names.

This fish is very similar in shape and size to the green sunfish. They can reach a length of 12 inches and weigh up to a couple of lbs. The Georgia state record weighed 2 lbs. even, but most caught at the lake will be under a pound. The body is slender and thick with a dark brown back and dark brown mottling on the back and sides. Often they will have 6-11 dark brown chainlike bars on the sides. The lower portion of the body is cream to yellow. There are dark brown lines radiating back from behind red eyes. Adults have a red spot inside a yellow edge on the ear flap. They also have rounded pectoral fins and thoracic pelvic fins.

This fish prefers quiet areas of lakes and streams usually over a mud bottom. They will eat the same types of lures and baits that other small sunfish will take.

info from http://lanier.sam.usace.army.mil/fishing/Warmouth%20Bass.htm

Thanks guys, The Warmouth is what I was leaning towards. I've never known a smallmouth to have the dark spot on it's gill flap like that. Who knows. Apparently it could also be some type of hybrid. Many of the sources I checked mentioned that a warmouth is also capable of fertilizing other sunfish species eggs.

It just threw me off a little. I've fished this area since I was 11yrs old (I'm 35 now) and I've never caught or seen one before. I think I'll go back for more. He was quite a fighter for his size.

gabe4 said:

I would agree with those saying it's a warmouth maybe since it's spawning season that might explain the brighter colors

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Yeah im with you on that its too short to be a small mouth

Rock Bass

I used to catch them all day long as a kid. Looks like a pond fish by the lighter coloring. River Rocks are normally a little darker.

Just a guess though.

Warmouth.

I at first thought Rock Bass but, after looking pics.........Warmouth.


Daymn...I need to get the fly rod out!