I'm quite sure I've caught smallmouth out there in recent years but most of them are hybrids.

Only one I've caught appeared to be pure smallie to me and was most likely spawned here I would say due to it's small size. The one mentioned above makes 4 over 5lbs I've heard of this year. The one I caught was nowhere near rocks.

I caught a small smallie during the TTO tournament at Ray Roberts cranking some rocks.

Perhaps the reason for the question regarding SMBs on Ray Roberts is that Bill Wilcox on Honey Hole, mentioned it in a recent video, this year or maybe it was 2016.

If you look at the lake records, the record SMB was caught in 2011, I believe, and they show a hybrid record, a SMB/Spot cross as I recall, too.

Wheeler Branch has them and I have caught one there, other guys many more that. WB is deep at 80 or 85', has clearer cleaner water than most or all North Texas lakes but I suppose lacks the strong currents the SMBs like to live and hunt in.

Pretty cool, really lovely fish, 2X the fight of LMBs I would suppose since they are more muscular, active fish than LMBs.

Brad

caught him not too long ago. hard to tell in pic but when compared to a large mouth I caught same day he was pretty bronze

I caught three nice ones in a tourney last year, only ones I have ever caught, they were east of Wolf Island on a point.

Sorry for the rotated photos (I don't know why posting photos here confuses me so much), but here are some pictures of the state record hybrid spot x smallmouth caught out of Ray Roberts. I had caught smallmouth out of RR before, and when I brought this one in, I was pretty sure it was different. She had a lot more green on the back and more horizontal markings than usual, in combination with the vertical markings (I'm not an ichthyologist, but this is what stuck out to me). I just returned not to long ago from Table Rock where I caught 10 times the number of smallmouth I've caught in my lifetime, and again, much different looking. I've only caught one dink since on RR that I thought was probably a hybrid.

Did you have to send a fin clip in for them to verify it was a hybrid or did they just go off the picture? I just want to know in case I stumble across one that beats it.

If this combination is what has been called a meanmouth I hope they do great on Raybob. I've read over the years they don't become as conditioned to lures as largemouth and put up twice the fight. I'd like to see that lake become a haven for them

My partner caught this one a few weeks ago.

Nice

I caught a yearling there last fall, so they are proliferating - despite the biologists at TPWD saying that "Ray Roberts was not viable" for a population of smallmouth bass. This is great to see ... now to get this size on a fly! Makes me hopeful for the future.

Inbred

There are many small mouths in Ray Roberts, Mr. Nathan Sprabary is holding one that Torysweatman has pictured here. I have caught at least one a year hear for over 10 years now. just caught a 13 inch one 2 weeks ago no mistake in what they look like, there does seem to be a spotted bass hybrid on the lake which causes problems with tourney weigh ins. They are anywhere from the dam to the 922 bridge north. Most have been caught around rocks but my largest ones in the 4 lb range have been next to hardwood trees on baby brush hogs. As for small mouth colors they change by the environment that they live in. very clear water to dirty and stained water will give them different colors by how much sun light they receive. good luck

New post. Looks like a smallie to me: http://texasfishingforum.com/forums/ubbt...th#Post12698892