First time I've ever caught one, you can barely see the lines on the head, and the gray/black pigment on the belly. My buddy caught another one at the same time. I was surprised how big the eyes were, and the shape of the top of it's head. Oh and both had a tooth patch on the tongue. Hope the pic works I'm posting from phone. Just thought it was neat and wanted to share

Nice Spotty

How do you tell a meanmouth from a spot?

Chris these fish were pretty easy to see the difference when up close, the mouth looked like a smallmouth, and the dark lines on the face looked like a smallmouth. The stripes on the body are vertical like a spot. The black/gray on the belly was very noticeable too. The top of the head looked really unique to me. Wanted to put it in livewell and see if they darken up like a smallmouth but we were catching them pretty good at that point

That's a spot.

It very well could be, if so, I've never caught one that looked like that. Did anyone catch bass live for bassfest on Texoma? Ott Defoe had the camera on him when he caught one, and explained the difference

Smallmouth doesn't have the lateral line across the side.

No offense to the OP, but I would call that your typical, good sized spot. Strong lateral line. Black spots below the lateral line, and in my opinion, no markings there to suggest small mouth genetics whatsoever.

From what I've seen, most of the hybrid spot x smallmouth (mean mouth) could more easily be confused with a smallmouth than a spot. They are going to have the vertical markings of a smallmouth (which this fish does not have) and have what they call a false lateral line (sort of broken up) rather than the true lateral line this fish, spots and largemouth demonstrate. The head markings around the gill plates the OP identifies could also be very characteristic of a spot. Spots are more known for having the tongue patch, but smallmouth can have them too, so this is not an identifier for a mean mouth either.

It's a beautiful fish though.

Ah I see, no offense at all, I just have never caught one quite like that. Never seen one with the gray/black pigment on the belly. Oh well, it was fun to catch anyways. Thanks guys

jbcarroll, not saying it is or it isn't but you do realize there are two types of mean mouth, right? The very rare largemouth/smallmouth cross and the more common smallmouth/spotted bass cross.

And the "lateral line" is not the dark stripe down the side of a bass. It's above that.

I am no biologist but I agree with the OP looks like a cross to me! We have them in Ray Roberts too and every time someone posts a pic it is this same debate. Looks like a smallmouth head, belly, and even body shape to me with spot markings along its sides. Most of the pure spots I have seen and caught have a really white belly and are fat and round at the belly with a skinnier tail, kinda like me!

Yea I didn't mean to start a debate by any means lol, all I know is we caught largemouth, spots and smallmouth yesterday and these 2 fish were noticeably different. Been reading on them and apparently there isnt even a scientific name for them

These are hard to tell the difference. I've caught tons of spots and largemouth up there on Texoma off of docks with the darker colors. I was also under the impression that a meanmouth looked more like a smallmouth but didn't want to start an argument.

That is why I love Texoma! We caught 8 species there on one trip with the same two lures, top water and crank bait in the same general area!

Fouzman, I do, and with both--it's a smallmouth cross. In this posting, there's certainly spotted bass features, but I'm not seeing the smallmouth features--are you? You're not suggesting this is a largemouth x smallmouth are you?

And you're right about the use of "lateral line." Should have said lateral stripe or horizontal line. What term do you use for the pigmented line?

And here's the state record smallmouth x spotted mean mouth. Caught her this past March.