Is this a hybrid or a white bass?????

Hello. I'm new to white bass and hybrid fishing and I was wondering if I caught a white bass or a hybrid. It has the characteristics of both. It has only one tooth patch like a white bass, but has several lines that extend to the tail that are dark and distinct. In your opinion, is it a white or a hybrid? Thank you.

White bass

Hybrid I see some broken lines
And one thing I noticed is people don't pay attention to the eyes
The more circular and more darker pupil thru out the eye is most likely a sandbass
And a hybrid has a smaller more cat eyeing pupil.
Fishing for a long time I discovered that the eye is another way to tell between a hybrid or sandie

Just my opinion

Hybrid, I think.

Only way to be positive, is it's tooth patch.

It is a Hybrid.

Hybrid. The tooth patch and size confirms it.

Hybrid, but if you are ever not sure look at it as if it is a hybrid.

THere was so much confusion years back at Lake o' the Pines spillway the fish cops decided if it was under 18 inches it was a white bass, over 18 was a hybrid.

Plus #1.

That's a nice fish. Smile !!

looks like two tooth patch to me

Hybrid, no wait......

Been a while, just sayin'.

It's for dinner.

Upon further review

Hybrid no doubts about it

white - tooth patch very clear and only one line to the tail that is distinct. No broken lines beneath either. A very nice white by the way.

Hybrid for sure. A Sandie that big would have that "hump" they get behind their heads. Nice Fish!

Looked like a big whitey to me. We've caught big ones like that on Tawakoni. Nice catch. My opinion.

hybrid,
a few broken lines behind the pectoral fin, and some broken lines at the top below the dorsal,
two indistinct patches.
I would have had to look very close at those patches on a boat in the sunlight glare to distinguish the small line between them, but definitely the line is there.
Not to mention the body characteristics. IMO

It's a world record albino yellow bass

I can see a line on the tooth patch.
Hybrid.
Mo

Thank you everyone for the replies. I wasn't sure what it was and I'm still not sure. Went ahead and cleaned him anyways. The line on the tooth patch doesn't go all the way down. It didn't look like they were separate. One side had broken lines barely and the other side of the fish did not. It was 21 inches and 4lbs 9oz's. So I hope it was a hybrid, because if not I beat the lake record by 3-4 inches and a pound and a half if it was a white. Not to mention if it was a white, I only missed the state record by something like 8-14 ounces and mine was longer by 2 1/2 inches. It was full of eggs also. That helped the weight.

No matter what, it was fun and thanks to everyone who replied.

My $ would be on the professional guide every time in these situations.

Smart man!

I could tell on that fish in about .002 seconds. I've seen so many that it only takes a glance. We catch lots of small hybrids here and I would hate to get caught with one.

Wait, isnt that a largemouth bass?

Nice catch. I think the size helps solidify any doubt as to what it is. Hybrid-IMO

hybrid. Even though it looks like one tooth patch, you took a really good photo that shows the split of the two patches. It's also elongated, where a sandbass tooth patch is more triangular.

People who fish lakes with Hybrids really need to study that tooth patch pic. I know last spring on RC I saw countless small hybrids being cleaned because people couldn't tell the difference. It's really not a hard thing to learn.

That happens everywhere.

[/quote] That happens everywhere. [/quote]

Yea thats my point. With the good numbers of hybrids stocked the last few years its only gonna get worse. Be an educated fisherman. Learn the difference. If in doubt throw it back.

Looks like a Hybrid on second thought.

I'm trying to learn the difference and educate myself. That's why I'm posting and asking questions. Not sure if your comments were directed towards me or people in general, but I wanted to state that just in case. I know what they say the differences are but certain characteristics weren't as obvious to me. For example, the hybrids I thought had more separate tooth patches. I know that each fish is different, but this to me was just a little more difficult.

hard to argue with Carey, DTA and Chuck! Those three have seen, caught, released, and cleaned more hybrids than most of us will see in our lifetimes(I said most, not all). Looks like a hybrid to me, but then what do I know.

Rudy

Either way it is a fine fish that would yield two fillets that would be melt in your mouth delicious, blackened on a grill! Very legal fish from the looks!

Excellent and correct advice.