How do you tell them apart? They look just alike. I have looked at pics of both I cannot tell them apart if they are the same size. Anyone know the easy way to tell the difference?

When in doubt, just look at the tooth patches on the tongue when removing the lure. For more hints, here's a great identification aid: http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/publications/pwdpubs/wbass_diagrams.phtml

If you think you have a 10 lb fish on and then realize it's a 1 lb fish, it's a hybrid. If you still can't tell, the hybrid will have several thick dark lines extending to the tail. If you go by the tooth patches, the game warden will tell you that no one explained to you the proper way to look at a tooth patch, as he is writing you a ticket for keeping under sized hybrids. My advice to you, is to not keep any fish, until you know the difference

Cool thanks guys. I always release 100%

If the stripes are real dark and go all the way to the tail, it is probably a hybrid. The tooth patches are a good way to tell also but they are real small and hard to see on small ones. If in doubt, let it go.

Upper fish is a hybrid, lower fish is a sand bass.

SSS with a 3" bass assassin

tpwd id is not very good imo..i have seen tooth patches on white bass with 1 and 2 patchs the only thing that is without question is ONLY ONE LATERAL LINE that is what i go by

I caught this hybrid in Calaveras Lake and it was my first hybrid(that I know of). I caught quite a few white bass in the nueces and medina rivers and they had one tooth patch like in the TPWD chart. The white bass pictured is from Medina. The hybrid only had one toothpatch just like the white bass I caught. The stripes are much more distinct in the hybrid than the white bass. The pictures aren't great but it shows the distinct markings on the hybrid compared to the white bass. Both fish are the same length. I caught two more hybrids and they had two patches. I can see why it would be a problem using the tooth patches to ID the juvenile fish sometimes. Please correct me if I am wrong with the ID of these.

Hybrid?



White Bass?

Hybrid: yes
Sand bass: yes

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I love these threads! From experience I can tell everyone that the GW will look at the tooth patch of any less than 18" fish to check if a hybrid. He did not care what if any stripes were on the side of the fish. If any question always toss it back.

I've also seen some weird ones where the two tooth patches connect together at the back of the tongue and make sort of a "V". Those are hybrids.

Deckhand if you have a Game Warden looking at every fish under 18" that looks like the bottom fish in this photo you have an inexperienced warden.

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