Most likely a hybrid but dang, it really looks like a striper in the picture though.

Nice fish!! I may have to get up and try for a few hybrids.

there is no true strain os stripers in somerville. the lake is to small for them . the lake couldnt keep up with food forage with them. there a voracious feeder they eat just about anything

This is a typical striper. Notice the slender body and mostly dark complete lateral lines that run all the way to the tail.



And this is a hybrid. It can be very hard to see the difference between a small hybrid and a large whitebass.



Whitebass



I believe that crossbacks exist in bigger numbers then we know, that is when a hybrid successfully spawns back to a whitebass and the offspring look even more like whitebass but with some broken lateral lines. The Somerville fish below has many broken lines but the tongue patch was definitely whitebass. I catch lots of these crossbacks at Lake Somerville.

Yep the tongue patch is the best way to tell one from the other.
Afew years back this is what a Game Warden told me to do to be sure.

Here is the Texas Parks and Wild life web site that provides information on how to distinguish the difference between a yellow bass, white bass, hybrids, and stripers. It may be to your advantage to print this page out and keep it handy for future references. Who knows, it could possibly save you a few bucks. I keep one in my boat.

http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/publications/pwdpubs/wbass_diagrams.phtml

I have noticed the same thing as hl&s, that there a alot of "white bass" that have a hint of broken line patterns, and very good size, but do not have the definite dual tooth patch. Last year, I threw back many 12 to 14 inch "real" hybrids, and kept those whites that the tooth patch indicated they were whites. Some times I just throw them back when it's too hard to tell.

There are definitely a good amount of hybrids now in the creeks as well, so make sure you examine the tooth patches quite carefully. But, I can say that I finally caught my limit of whites in the creeks this year, and it couldn't have possibly come any later!!! Wonderful day out in the creeks Thursday, and a two person limit.

Wow, nice job, I didn't think I'd be hearing of any more limits coming out of Yegua this year.

Me either!!! But with the rain a few days ago, I decided to give it another chance. Found two holes where they were stacked so deep that my buddies and I had triples on a few times during the trip. Very fun time and quite fortunate too, because there was almost no one out there along with us, and we had the pick of the litter for where we wanted to fish. Now I have five bags of fish fillets and a few bags of catfish chum that should come quite in handy!!!

I told ya I was going to rip some lips on those LMB. Check out my fishing report I posted about Fayette in the fresh water fishing report section.

Wow Jsinn!!!! I've been away for a bit, but I'm glad I came back to see that monster! That had to be a rush!!! Great job!

That is illegal diggy... can't use parts of gamefish as chum.

I was out at NB Friday afternoon. Caught 10 keepers. Mostly males. I caught and released some small hybrids. Most fish were caught downstream from the wooden bridge. I saw several nice stringers come out. The largest stringer is saw was about 15 to 20 fish. One couple next to me were catching fish left and right around 6PM. I saw some fish still doing the "spawning" thing. I don't know if the hybrids do the spawn flips and flops but, I was suprised to see it nonetheless.

The water is still a little muddy and was flowing pretty good. The water level was up about 1 ft. There were only around a dozen vehicles in the parking lot. May have to make one last trip there next week.

I always wonder just how many tons of whitebass come out of the Yegua every spring.. I'll bet it's mind boggling !

With these reports coming in, I just might have to make one more run down there. I really haven't had a chance to get my quota this year. One limit is all I’ve caught this year. I don’t need the meat, I just need the thrill.

No doubt, Mason, but I froze the shad I used for bait to use for chum...guess I kinda just gave away my secret, but I'm sure it'll be put to good use for the last week or two of the run left. I like to throw the shad in a blender and freeze it up in blocks with a bit of sand in it. Great catfish chum, and their spawn is beginning just a bit right now...

I haven't caught a limit yet this year. The closest I got was Feb. 21 at NB. (22 fish) A few weeks later, I caught 27 fish at Lake Granger/ San Gabriel River but only 22 were keepers. I like the larger size fish produced in the Yegua. The fact that I can catch a large hybrid is a plus. Most places I fish, the bass are smaller than at NB, and there is no hybrid or striper action without getting on the lake.

I'll be back to NB one last time this season, probably next week. If I get lucky, then of course I'll have to make it out again. LOL I'll let ya'll know.

any weekend reports?

There were still limits being caught at NB but only by those that knew what they were doing and were in the right spots. I only managed about 15 fish but was busy teaching a 14 year old the finer points of staying OUT of the water. Skate board shoes are not the right ones to wear on those slippery banks.

Most people I saw had between 1-7 fish on their stringers when I left.

is there another way to get to newmans other than walking from nails creek, and cr125??? those walks are a monster on the legs.. lol

I'm going tomorrow after work. I'll get there by 5PM. (hopefully) I'll post asap.

avidfisherman,
Ask the Nails Creek Park staff for directions to Newmans Bottom, you can drive all the way to the parking lot next to the creek. CR125 leads to CR140 which leads to Newmans Bottom.. It's all part of the Somerville Trailway between Nails and Birch Creek State Park.

I was thinking about going in the morning, is there any one else interested?