Lake Ray Roberts Smallie

Had a good morning at Lake Ray Roberts. First light was awesome with top waters. After the sun got up cranking produced good as well. The highlight of the morning was my first smallmouth bass. What a great fighter he was with crazy jumps.

I hate to break the news to you but its a Spot, Nice one at that congrats

That's a beautiful spot

nice Spot...lake record is like 3.9 something pounds...what did it weigh??

I haven't caught a fish
in a while but looks like
a smallie to me. Any other pics?

He has a smaller mouth than a large mouth, but it's still a spot

Spot

Smot!

I did catch several smallies on Roberts this year, but that looks like a spot. Good one too

Good spot. Or maybe a Meanmouth?

at first glance I was thinking Meanmouth too.... nice fish, bet it fought hard!

Meanmouth I'll buy. I catch 1 to 5 spots a week, never seen one that color, looks more smallie to me.

I've been catching spots ever trip out. I caught three fat spots this morning. This guy is didn't look like them and had the bronze back color in person. Maybe a hybrid or something but I've never caught one like this one.

the body shape (and color, and spots) are all wrong. don't believe it's a smallmouth. never seen a smallmouth in ray Roberts. if they are in there, must have washed in during the flood???

Roberts lake record for smallmouth is 6.19lbs caught in 2011. They have been in there for a while

The more I look at the fish, the more I think it is a Meanmouth Bass. Cross between smallie and spot for those unfamiliar with the term.

Here's a little spot my son caught our last trip. Jawline shorter than a largemouth and the tooth patch on the tongue.

Wheeler Branch Smallie the other day.

My first mean mouth. Sweet! Almost 18" and 3.2lbs

Your sons fish, in the second pic, is definitely a Largemouth. The dorsal fin is clearly separated. A Spots dorsal fin is partially connected. Largemouth sometimes have the tooth patch on the tongue.

Is there largemouths and spots hybrids like the mean mouth? Will mean mouths breed back with other bass? I've heard hybrids are sterile but not sure how true that is.

I think you guys might actually be right about it being a meanmouth. It's a really odd looking bass, clearly not a largemouth and it really doesn't look like a smallmouth. Cool looking either way.

Hybrid vigor, also why hybrid striper are so strong for their size, you put male smallmouth in a lake and they will cross with both spots and largemouth, they did a study of this on squaw creek years ago.While not impossible I don't think it happens in the wild, like cause are male smallmouth, they've had problems with smallies crossing out all the guadalupe bass down in central texas too. I think they are mostly sterile.

Kentuck for sure

I believe it's a mean mouth and if so the first I have seen out of ray bob, so when are we going fishing? I'll bring the crankbaits.

Definitely smallmouth in RR. Caught a few last summer.

Doesn't look like a spot or smallmouth to me. First I've heard of a mean mouth, but after looking at some pictures, I could buy it.

Thanks for all the comments on this. I learned some more about the different bass species that are right here in our lakes.

Catch it close to the dam?

That is a meanmouth...I think.

Looks like a smallmouth to me, not a Spot.

Never seen a meanmouth unless this is the first one.

nice fish

Although you would think the dam and rocks along state park cove would be the primary are for both spots and smallmouth, we caught a nice smallie last year fishing a grass flat at the mouth of Indian in 2ft of water with no rock. Very surprised once we got it to the boat.

Here is that Smallmouth pic from Ivie I posted earlier this week for comparision. I think the two fish are about the same size. I think Fouz is right, it looks like some sort of hybrid.

All of the smallies I've caught on Roberts have been east of Wolf

Seeing the side by side photo shows the slight differences. Thanks

I would lean towards Meanmouth, certainly not Smallmouth or Largemouth. Here is pic of Meanmouth I caught at Beaver Lake, looks similar!

Beautiful fish

Awesome looking fish!